Diomedes Antonio Olivo Maldonado (January 22, 1919 – February 15, 1977), nicknamed "Guayubin" for his hometown, was a Dominican professional baseball player and scout. The left-handed pitcher appeared in 85 Major League Baseball games over all or part of three seasons between 1960 and 1963 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. He was the brother of fellow major leaguer Chi-Chi Olivo, and the father of major league pitcher Gilberto Rondón.
| Diomedes Olivo | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: January 22, 1919 Guayubín, Dominican Republic | |
| Died: February 15, 1977 (aged 58) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 5, 1960, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 12, 1963, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 5–6 |
| Earned run average | 3.10 |
| Strikeouts | 85 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Medals | |
Career
editOlivo was listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 195 pounds (88 kg). Prior to his minor league and Major League career, Olivo spent many years playing in his native Dominican Republic. Diomedes Olivo posted a 55–29 win–loss record in the Double-A Mexican League from 1955–1959,[1] then made his Major League debut with the Pirates at age 41 on September 5, 1960.[2] His age at the time of his MLB debut is the oldest with the exception of Satchel Paige in the post-World War II era.[3] In his first game, he pitched two scoreless innings of relief against the Milwaukee Braves, allowing one hit (to eventual Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews) and two bases on balls.[4]
Olivo's best MLB season came in 1962. At age 43, he worked in 62 games, all but one in relief, and posted a 5–1 record and 2.77 earned run average in 84+1⁄3 innings pitched, with seven saves. He then was included, with shortstop Dick Groat, in a major off-season trade to the Cardinals, but while Groat sparkled in St. Louis, Olivo lost all five decisions and spent part of 1963 in the minor leagues. He retired at age 44 following that season.
During his MLB career, Olivo allowed 112 hits and 39 bases on balls in 107+1⁄3 innings pitched, striking out 85.
He scouted for the Cardinals after retiring from the field, and later held a position in the Ministry of Sports in his native country until his death, from a heart attack, at age 58.
References
edit- ^ McNeil, William F., Baseball's Other All-Stars. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 2000, p. 174
- ^ Curry, Jack (May 13, 2000). "BASEBALL; Never Too Late To Make Debut In the Majors". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ Singer, Tom (August 24, 2009). "Mets recall Takahashi, option Misch". MLB.com. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ Retrosheet
Further reading
editArticles
edit- Biederman, Les. Bucs Add Reliefer From Mexico; Vet Diomedes Olivo To Join Roy Face In Pirate Bullpen". The Pittsburgh Press. March 7, 1960.
- Abrams, Al. "Sidelights On Sports: 'Where You Been, Diomedes?'". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 8, 1962.
- Dozer, Richard. "42-Year-old Rookie Beats Cubs, 6-5". The Chicago Tribune. April 17, 1962. pp. 41, 42
- Biederman, Les. "Olivo Saves Another Pirate Win: Rookie, 42, Helps Friend in Ninth To Beat Cards, 5-4". The Pittsburgh Press. June 1, 1962.
- Clark, Bill. "Olivo No-Hits Toronto, 1-0". The Atlanta Constitution. pp. 29, 30
Books
edit- Bjarkman, Peter C. (2005). Diamonds Around the Globe: The Encyclopedia of International Baseball. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press. pp. 166-167, 180-181. ISBN 0-313-32268-6.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Diomedes Olivo at (Baseball BioProject)