Editing Roberto Alomar (section)

==Career==

===San Diego Padres===
In 1985, Alomar signed with the [[San Diego Padres]] at age 17, and joined the team's Class-A affiliate, the [[Charleston RiverDogs|Charleston Rainbows]].<ref name="greatath" /> The following year, playing for the [[Reno Silver Sox|Reno Padres]], he won the [[California League]] batting title with a .346 average.<ref name="greatath" />

Alomar made his major league debut on April 22, 1988, against the [[1988 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]], recording a [[hit (baseball)|hit]] in his first [[at bat]], off of [[Nolan Ryan]].<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN198804220.shtml Houston Astros at San Diego Padres Box Score, April 22, 1988] Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed on April 29, 2019.</ref> With the Padres, he established himself as a solid hitter and baserunner, and defensively, he displayed excellent lateral range and a powerful arm, often making spectacular plays on ground balls hit deep in the hole between first and second base, and on balls hit up the middle, well behind second base. He became an All-Star for the first time in 1990, as a reserve player for the [[National League (baseball)|National League]].<ref name="greatath" />

===Toronto Blue Jays===
{{Quote box
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|quote="I don't think we'd have ever gone to the World Series in '92 if he didn't hit that home run off Eckersley in Oakland that day like 4:30 in the afternoon when you could hardly see at the plate [because of the shadows]." 
|source=– [[Pat Gillick]], Hall of Famer and former Blue Jays general manager<ref name="halloffame"/>
}}
On December 5, 1990, Alomar and [[Joe Carter]] were traded to the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] in exchange for [[Fred McGriff]] and [[Tony Fernández]].<ref name="bbref">[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alomaro01.shtml Roberto Alomar] Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed on June 27, 2019.</ref> It was in Toronto that he developed into a premier offensive second baseman, combining a .300-plus [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] with power and high end speed on the bases. In 1991, he capitalized on his speed with 11 [[triple (baseball)|triples]] and 53 [[stolen base]]s, leading the team to its first of three consecutive playoff appearances.<ref name="bbref"/> The following year, he scored 105 [[run (baseball)|runs]], drew 87 [[base on balls|walks]], and had a .405 [[on-base percentage]].<ref name="bbref"/> In 1993, Alomar had his best season with the Blue Jays, producing 17 [[home run]]s (HR), 93 [[run batted in|runs batted in]] (RBI), and 55 stolen bases, while batting .326, third in the [[American League]] behind teammates [[John Olerud]] and [[Paul Molitor]].<ref name="bbref"/> He was a central figure in Toronto's [[World Series]] championships in [[1992 World Series|1992]] and [[1993 World Series|1993]]; in Game 6 of the 1992 World Series, he scored the series-winning run on [[Dave Winfield]]'s two-run [[double (baseball)|double]] in the 11th inning. Alomar's game-tying, ninth-inning home run against [[1992 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland]] relief ace [[Dennis Eckersley]], in Game 4 of the [[1992 American League Championship Series]] (ALCS), is considered by many as the most important hit in the club's history,<ref name="halloffame">[http://wap.mlb.com/bal/news/article/2011071922020668/?locale=es_CO Gillick, Alomar fittingly enter Hall together]{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} MLB.com. Accessed on February 24, 2012.</ref> as the team's three previous trips to the ALCS had ended in disappointment; he was named the [[League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] (MVP) of the series.<ref name="greatath" /> In 1995, he played 104 consecutive games without committing an [[error (baseball)|error]], setting an AL record for second basemen.<ref>[https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-03-29-1996089104-story.html Second to None] ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]''. Accessed on July 9, 2019.</ref> In each of his five seasons with the Blue Jays, Alomar was named to the All-Star team and won the Gold Glove Award.<ref name="bbref"/>

===Baltimore Orioles===
[[File:Roberto Alomar and Ozzie Guillen.jpg|thumb|290px|Alomar (left) with [[Ozzie Guillén]] during [[spring training]], 1998]]
On December 21, 1995, Alomar signed with the [[Baltimore Orioles]] at a time when Toronto was looking to rebuild, while Baltimore was improving into a pennant-contending team. In Baltimore, he paired with Hall of Famer [[Cal Ripken Jr.]] to form a formidable double-play combination. Alomar appeared in the playoffs in 1996 and 1997 for the Orioles, hitting a series-winning home run in Game 4 of the [[1996 American League Division Series]] (ALDS),<ref name="orioles"/> although the Orioles were defeated in the ALCS both years.<ref name="bbref"/> In 1998, he was named the [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award|All-Star Game MVP]].<ref name="bbref"/>

====Spitting incident====
On September 27, 1996, during a game against the Blue Jays, Alomar got into a heated argument over a called third strike with umpire [[John Hirschbeck]] and spat in his face. He defended himself by saying Hirschbeck had uttered a racial slur and that Hirschbeck had been bitter since one son had died of [[adrenoleukodystrophy|ALD]] and another had been recently diagnosed as well. Upon hearing of Alomar's comments, Hirschbeck had to be physically restrained from confronting Alomar in the players' locker room.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wulf|first=Steve|title=The Spit Hits The Fan|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,134797,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214174118/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,134797,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 14, 2009|work=Time Magazine |date=June 24, 2001|access-date=July 9, 2009}}</ref>

Alomar was suspended for the first five regular-season games in 1997 and donated $50,000 to ALD research. Alomar and Hirschbeck settled their differences publicly and made apologies to each other on April 22, 1997, standing at home plate and shaking hands in front of the crowd before an Orioles game.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maske |first=Mark |date=1997-04-23 |title=ALOMAR, HIRSCHBECK SHAKE HANDS |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1997/04/23/alomar-hirschbeck-shake-hands/775bb969-4ac6-4013-a988-fbccb4b87aad/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

===Cleveland Indians===
[[File:Roberto Alomar in Oakland-82 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Alomar with the Indians in [[Oakland Coliseum|Oakland]]]]
On November 24, 1998, Alomar signed a four-year contract with the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]], joining his All-Star brother, Sandy Jr. It was in Cleveland that Alomar had two of his finest seasons. In 1999, he hit .323 and set career highs with 24 home runs, 120 RBI, 138 runs, 99 walks, a .422 on-base percentage and a .533 [[slugging percentage]]. In 2001, he batted .336/.415/.541, with 20 home runs, 100 RBI, and 30 steals.<ref name="bbref"/> Cleveland made the playoffs in 1999, [[1999 American League Division Series|losing in the ALDS to the Boston Red Sox]]; in 2001, they again made the playoffs, but [[2001 American League Division Series|lost to the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS]]. Alomar finished third in [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|AL MVP]] voting in 1999 and fourth in 2001.<ref name="bbref"/>

On the field, Alomar teamed with [[shortstop]] [[Omar Vizquel]] to form another decorated middle infield combination. The Vizquel-Alomar duo won three consecutive Gold Gloves together, becoming one of just eight shortstop-second baseman duos to have accomplished this feat in the same year.

Alomar was traded to the [[New York Mets]] before the 2002 season, for pitcher [[Billy Traber]] and [[outfielder]]s [[Matt Lawton]] and [[Alex Escobar]].<ref name="bbref"/>

===Last years of career===
In 2002, Alomar hit only .266/.331/.376 with 53 RBI and 73 runs scored,<ref name="bbref"/> while falling apart defensively at second base. The Mets were puzzled by Alomar's mediocre play, which some attributed to his lack of comfort with being under the greater scrutiny of the New York fans and media. However, not even a midseason trade back to the American League to the [[Chicago White Sox]] in 2003 could revive Alomar from his funk. There was more misery ahead with the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] in 2004, including a two-month disabled stint with a broken right hand. On August 5, Alomar returned to the White Sox, and hit just .263/.321/.392 in 56 games.<ref name="bbref"/>

Alomar agreed to a one-year contract with the [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] for the 2005 season. However, on March 19, 2005, after a [[spring training]] plagued by back and vision trouble, he announced his retirement.<ref name="espn"/>