#97 Omar Vizquel

Omar Vizquel
SS
1989-2012
11 Gold Gloves
Highest All Time Fielding % Among SS

Full disclosure if this list were "Leo's 100 Favorite Players" Omar would be #1 - as is I can't apologize for him being here. The best defensive shortstop I've ever seen, statistically the best ever, and had 2800 hits. His lifetime .272 average is more than respectable and is adversely effected by a few not great last seasons in his 40s.  He played in 2 World Series with the Indians and was the heartbeat of a great 90s run. 

He routinely did things I'd never seen before at shortstop. He was a master at the pop up slide in the hole play, and the best barehanded fielder I've ever seen. In the late 90's early 2000s there was a "shortstop boom" in the American League with Jeter, Garciaparra, and A-Rod dominating the headlines and the all star teams, Miguel Tejada also won a MVP in there, but Omar still made 4 all star teams and posted ELEVEN gold gloves. 

If Omar did backflips he'd already be in, but his Cooperstown call still hasn't happened, which I consider a miscarriage of baseball justice.

He's here though, in the Top 100, and he belongs, and if you watch the film below you'd be hard pressed to tell me he doesn't. 


Anthony Leonelli is a 37 year old College Baseball Coach and amateur baseball arguer. If you wanna know how this list came together check here criteria. He thinks that George Brett winning batting titles in 3 decades is pretty awesome. 


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