Books and articles about Wilson Alvarez

After a number of productive years with the White Sox, Alvarez was sent to San Francisco as the centerpiece of Jerry Reinsdorf's infamous "White Flag" deal of July 1997. By trading three productive pitchers -- Alvarez, Roberto Hernandez, and Danny Darwin -- for a handful of minor leaguers with his club just 3 1/2 games out, Reinsdorf was widely criticized for surrendering a playoff berth so early in the season.

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But the Sox' patience with the talented lefty had run out. Alvarez had pitched well in Chicago, but inconsistency and poor conditioning continually kept the free-agent-to-be from realizing his considerable potential. The trade to San Francisco didn't help. Complaining of a stiff shoulder, Alvarez's ERA ballooned in the second half as the Giants took the NL West. After the season, he decided to sign with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

After arriving in the majors with Texas in 1989, it took Alvarez a while to get his act together. He gave up two homers and three earned runs without retiring a batter in his major league debut with the Rangers and, five days later, was traded with Scott Fletcher and Sammy Sosa to the White Sox for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique.

In just his second major-league start -- on August 11, 1991, at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium -- Alvarez showed his potential by becoming the eighth-youngest pitcher in history to toss a no-hitter. But it wasn't until 1993 that he managed to break into the White Sox rotation permanently. That season, he won 15 games (including seven of his last eight starts after a brief demotion in August) but led the league with 122 walks.

Continuing to win in spite of his wildness, the Venezuelan-born Alvarez established himself as the ace of what had been one of the better staffs in the AL. His one fault: allowing runners to get on base. He had a career year with 15 wins and 181 strikeouts in 1996, despite allowing a startling 13 runners to reach base per nine innings. Fortunately, the potent Sox lineup supported him by scoring over six runs per start -- more than for any other pitcher on the staff.

Alvarez began his career with a reputation as a thrower, not a pitcher, and although he learned to outsmart hitters rather than overpower them he continually fell victim to mental lapses on the mound. A notorious perfectionist, Alvarez would often lose his focus when things weren't going well, and during the 1996 season Alvarez's lack of concentration prompted frequent wake-up visits from shortstop Ozzie Guillen.

Poor conditioning caught up to Alvarez in San Francisco and marred his time in Tampa Bay. He missed six weeks of the 1998 season with tendinitis in his shoulder while losing a career-high 14 games. In 1999, he made two trips to the DL and embarrassed himself with a violent dugout tantrum in mid-June. His next start came at Comiskey Park, where White Sox fans taunted their former ace. But Alvarez reeled off victories in seven of his next eight decisions.

Later that season, umpire John Shulock accused Alvarez of hitting him on purpose with a pitch while he was stationed behind home plate. "I know in my heart that son of a [expletive] meant to hit me, but I can't prove it," an incensed Shulock told reporters after the game. "One of these days somebody is going to hit a line drive off the side of his [expletive] head and I'll be the first one to laugh.'' Catcher Mike DiFelice explained that the two batterymates had simply suffered from a breakdown in communication.

Tensions with his family in Venezuela also contributed to the pressure for Alvarez, whose five-year contract with the Devil Rays was worth $35 million. "They don't see me as a friend or as family," he grumbled to the St. Petersburg Times in 2000. "They see me as a bank." (JGR/SW)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 29, 1989: The White Sox trade their all-time home run leader, Harold Baines, and IF Fred Manrique to the Rangers for IF Scott Fletcher, OF Sammy Sosa, and P Wilson Alvarez. » August 11, 1991: White Sox hurler Wilson Alvarez becomes the first rookie to throw a no-hitter since 1983 when he defeats the Orioles, 7-0, in his 2nd big league start. In his first start, on July 24, 1989, he did not retire any of the five batters he faced, giving up two hits and three walks. » October 8, 1993: Wilson Alvarez's complete game 6-1 victory gives Chicago its first win in the ALCS. » June 7, 1994: Toronto defeats Chicago, 9-5, stopping Wilson Alvarez's winning streak at 15 games. Bo Jackson drives home all five of the White Sox runs. Alvarez falls two short of the American League record held jointly by Johnny Allen and Dave McNally. » July 5, 1996: Behind Wilson Alvarez, the White Sox hand the Indians their first shutout of the year, beating them, 7–0. The Sox now trail the Tribe by just two games. » May 11, 1997: Albert Belle is 3-for-3, including his 8th career grand slam, and drives in five runs to lead the White Sox to a 8–5 win over the A's. Wilson Alvarez (2-4) strikes out 12 in seven innings to give the Sox a sweep of the 4-game series from Oakland. Sox outfielders Dave Martinez and Lyle Mouton are injured when they collide while chasing a fly ball in the fifth inning. Mouton breaks a bone in his face while Martinez suffers a slight concussion. » June 18, 1997: Wilson Alvarez fires the White Sox to a 3–0 win over the Cubs to give them the Windy City series, 2–1. Alvarez pitches a four-hitter for his first shutout in more than three years. The game draws 44,204 fans, the second consecutive sellout crowd and second-largest in new Comiskey Park history to Tuesday's 44,249. » July 21, 1997: Wilson Alvarez strikes out four Detroit batters in the 7th inning, with Phil Nevin fanning on a wild pitch, in leading the White Sox to a 3–0 win over Detroit. Alvarez is the first White Sox pitcher and 28th player to strike out four batters in an inning. » July 31, 1997: The San Francisco Giants receive starting pitchers Wilson Alvarez and Danny Darwin, along with top reliever Roberto Hernandez from the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox, just three 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the American League Central, receive minor league SS Mike Caruso, OF Brian Manning, and Ps Lorenzo Barcelo, Keith Foulke, Bob Howry, and Ken Vining. In the house cleaning, the Sox have moved eight players with a combined 92 years of ML experience. Sox 3B Robin Ventura observes, "We didn't realize August first was the end of the season." » December 3, 1997: The Devil Rays sign free agent P Wilson Alvarez to a 5-year contract. They also sign free agent OF Dave Martinez to a 2-year contract. » March 31, 1998: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays lose to the Tigers, 11–6, in their first game ever. Wilson Alvarez takes the loss for Tampa while 3B Wade Boggs slugs the 1st home run in team history and drives in three runs. » August 7, 1998: The Indians home run leader Matt Williams breaks his right hand when he is hit by a Wilson Alvarez pitch. Williams will not make another appearance till September 16. » April 28, 1999: Marlins P Archie Corbin ties the major league record with four strikeouts in the 7th inning against the Cubs. Tyler Houston, who was his 2nd K victim, reaches 1st on a wild pitch. Wilson Alvarez, on July 21, 1997, is the last to strike out four in an inning. » June 25, 1999: St. Louis defeats Arizona, 1-0, as rookie P Jose Jimenez hurls the 1st no-hitter of the season. The Cards score the lone run on a broken bat single with two outs in the 9th. Jimenez strikes out eight in the contest, while losing P Randy Johnson fans 14, including the 2500th of his career. Jimenez walks two and hits a batter in becoming the 1st rookie to toss a no-no since Wilson Alvarez in 1991. » August 18, 1999: Tampa Bay defeats Detroit, 4-0, as Wilson Alvarez (6 innings) and Albie Lopez (3 innings) combine on a 1-hitter. OF Gabe Kapler's triple is the only Tiger hit. » September 20, 1999: The Angels defeat the Devil Rays, 10-5, in a game marked by a confrontation between umpire John Shulock and TB C Mike DiFelice in the 3rd inning. Shulock was on his way out to the mound after being hit with a pitch from Devil Rays P Wilson Alvarez when he was intercepted by DiFelice. American League president Gene Budig will suspend Shulock for three games and fine him an undisclosed amount for his "overly aggressive behavior, display of temper, inappropriate remarks and physical contact." » May 25, 2000: Medical alert! Devil Rays P Wilson Alvarez and Angels SS Gary DiSarcina both undergoes arthroscopic shoulder surgery and will miss the rest the entire 2000 season. Phillies P Mike Jackson will undergo his shoulder surgery tomorrow. » June 28, 2002: Tampa Bay whips their cross state rival Marlins 4–0 behind Wilson Alvarez and two relievers. Jared Sandberg homers for TB. In the 7th, Kevin Millar of the Marlins hits a towering fly that lands on one of the catwalks that hang from the stadium's dome. It never comes down and it is ruled a double. It's the second time a ball has gotten stuck in a catwalk at Tropicana Field. In 1999, Jose Canseco hit a home run drive that lodged there. Millar joins Ruppert Jones, Rickey Nelson, Dave Kingman, Alvaro Espinoza and Canseco as the only players to hit a fair ball that got stuck in a stadium obstruction. Jones and Nelson both had hits get caught in the overhead speakers at the old Kingdome. The balls hit by Kingman and Espinoza were at the Minneapolis Metrodome with Kingman's getting stuck in a drainage valve and Espinoza's lodging in an overhead speaker.