Luis Enrique Leal Alvarado (born March 21, 1957) is a Venezuelan former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1980 through 1985 for the Toronto Blue Jays.
| Luis Leal | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 21, 1957 Barquisimeto, Lara State, Venezuela | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 25, 1980, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 29, 1985, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 51–58 |
| Earned run average | 4.14 |
| Strikeouts | 491 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Member of the Venezuelan | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2008 |
Playing career
editLeal signed with the Blue Jays as an amateur free agent before the start of the 1979 season.[1] His most productive season came in 1984, when he posted a record of 13–8, with a 3.89 ERA and 134 strikeouts. In a six-year major league career, Leal had a record of 51–58 with a 4.14 ERA, 491 strikeouts, and three shutouts in 946 innings pitched.
After spending most of the 1985 and 1986 seasons with the Triple A Syracuse Chiefs, Leal was traded to the Atlanta Braves with Damaso Garcia for Craig McMurtry in February 1987.[2] He never played for Atlanta, as he did not make the spring training roster nor any of Atlanta's minor league teams.
At the time of his retirement, Leal ranked behind only Jim Clancy and Dave Stieb among the Blue Jays' career leaders in starts, innings, wins, losses, strikeouts, and walks. He also was the opposing starting pitcher for the Blue Jays on May 15, 1981, when Len Barker of the Cleveland Indians pitched a perfect game against them.
Though mostly a starting pitcher throughout his career, Leal did achieve one save. On May 19, 1981, Leal pitched 3+1⁄3 innings, allowing only one run to close out a 9-5 Blue Jays victory.[3]
Leal was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Luis Leal Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE; Jays Trade Garcia". The New York Times. February 3, 1987. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox at Toronto Blue Jays Box Score, May 19, 1981".
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
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