Osvaldo “Ozzie” Virgil Sr., the first Dominican-born player in Major League Baseball, has passed away at 92.
Born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, Virgil moved to the Bronx with his family as a child. He finished high school in New York and served in the Marines from 1950-52. At 21, he began a 17-year baseball career, including nine seasons in MLB with teams like the Giants (twice), Tigers, Athletics, Orioles, and Pirates.
Virgil debuted on September 23, 1956, playing third base for the New York Giants against the Phillies. That season he played three games and then appeared in 96 games the next year before being traded to the Tigers. Over nine seasons, he had a batting average of .231/.263/.311 with 14 home runs across 324 games. He mostly played third base but also covered other positions except center field.
Coaching Career:
After retiring as a player, Virgil spent nearly two decades as an MLB coach for teams like Giants Expos (1977-81), Padres (1982-85), and Mariners (1986-88). He was third base coach under Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams during these years.
“He means a lot,” Juan Soto commented last year. “He was the first Dominican coming to big leagues and opened doors for many Dominicans—and all Latin players.”
Fans might feel this news is very sad because it marks an end of an era.
Virgil’s son Ozzie Jr. also had an impressive career spanning from 1980-90 with teams like Phillies, Braves, and Blue Jays; he even made it to All-Star Games twice—in ’85 with Philadelphia and ’87 with Atlanta.
What do you think about Ozzie Sr.’s legacy?
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