In Memory of Joaquin Andujar

Joaquin Andujar, former Astros pitcher, dies at 62
Reid Laymance
Houston Chronicle
September 8, 2015


(c) Houston Astros

Joaquin Andujar, who broke into the big leagues with the Astros, and later won Game 7 of the 1982 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, has died. He was 62.

Fellow Dominican and former big-league pitcher Mario Soto told ESPN Deportes that Andujar had been suffering from diabetes for years and died Tuesday in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris.

Andujar, who originally signed with the Reds as a teenager in 1969, made his MLB debut with the Astros in 1976 and pitched for parts of his first six seasons in Houston and was an All-Star in 1977 and 1979. The Astros traded Andujar in June of 1981 for Tony Scott. In 1982 for the Cardinals, Andujar had a 1.35 ERA in two World Series starts against the Brewers but losing out to his batterymate Darrell Porter for series MVP honors.

He led the majors with 20 wins in 1984 and won 21 games in 1985 for the Cardinals.

He was traded to Oakland in 1986 and returned to Houston for one final season in 1988, working mostly out of the bullpen, before retiring at age 35.


Former big league pitcher Andujar dies at 62
Joey Nowak
MLB.com
September 8, 2015

Former Major League pitcher Joaquin Andujar, a four-time All-Star who helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series title in 1982, has died at the age of 62. The right-handed native of the Dominican Republic had a 13-year Major League career that featured stops with Houston (1976-81, 1988), St. Louis (1981-85) and Oakland (1986-87).

"It's someone that served, to people like me, as a role model," Hall of Famer and fellow Dominican native Pedro Martinez said Tuesday on MLB Network. "This is a big hit for the Dominican Republic, because before I thought about baseball as a career, it was only a dream. And Andujar was in the middle of every dream I had because he was one of the best pitchers we ever had in the Dominican Republic."

Andujar was instrumental in helping the Cardinals to the World Series title in '82, throwing a team-high 13 1/3 innings -- including seven in the decisive Game 7 -- over two World Series starts, allowing just two earned runs for an ERA of 1.35, the lowest in the seven-game Series by any pitcher who worked at least three innings.

Andujar went on to win a Major League-leading 20 games with the Cardinals in 1984 (also taking home a Gold Glove that year), then won another 21 games the following season as the Cardinals won the National League pennant.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of the best pitchers in Cardinals history," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. "Joaquin Andujar was 'One Tough Dominican' who endeared himself to Cardinals fans not only with his great talent, but also with his unrivaled passion for the game. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends and his teammates today."

According to an ESPN Deportes report citing former Reds pitcher Mario Soto, who is the president of the Dominican Federation of Professional Baseball Players, Andujar died after a long battle with diabetes.

He was "One Tough Dominican" & a member of our Cardinals family. We loved him & we will miss him. RIP Joaquin Andujar

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 8, 2015

ESPN's Enrique Rojas reported that Andujar will be honored Tuesday in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris and will be buried on Wednesday.

"Someone that came over from San Pedro de Macoris, like pretty much every one of us -- hungry and from very poor backgrounds," Martinez said. "To have him serve as a role model for so many of us is great."

Andujar, well-known for his aggressive pitching style and fiery personality on the mound -- not to mention his colorful commentary, including his endearing use of the expression "you never know" -- finished his career with 127 wins in 405 games, with the majority of his appearances coming for the Astros, with whom he won 44 games as both a starter and reliever. He was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1969 but was traded to Houston in October 1975, and he debuted with the Astros in 1976. He won nine games that rookie season.

Andujar returned to the Astros in 1988 for a final season, going 2-5 in 23 appearances (10 starts).


Four-time All-Star Joaquin Andujar, 62, dies after battle with diabetes
Enrique Rojas
ESPN Deportes
September 8, 2015

Former major league pitcher Joaquin Andujar, who helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to the 1982 World Series title, died Tuesday in the Dominican Republic after a long battle with diabetes. He was 62.

Andujar will be honored Tuesday in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, in the eastern region of Dominican Republic, and will be buried Wednesday.

Former major-league pitcher Mario Soto, who works as a special assistant to the general manager in the Cincinnati Reds organization and is president of the Dominican Federation of Professional Baseball Players, confirmed the death to ESPNDeportes.com.

"Joaquin struggled for years with diabetes and in recent days had deteriorated a lot," Soto said from Santo Domingo. "He was hospitalized several times but always came out unscathed. However, he surrendered to the disease that consumed him completely."

Andujar was one of the best Dominican players of the 1980s. The right-hander was 127-118 with a 3.58 ERA and was a four-time All Star in 13 seasons with the Houston Astros, the Cardinals and the Oakland Athletics.

Andujar was 2-0 with 1.35 ERA in the 1982 World Series, when the Cardinals won in seven games against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the decisive Game 7, he pitched seven innings and allowed two runs to push his record to 3-0 that postseason.

The Cardinals paid tribute to Andujar on Twitter.

He was "One Tough Dominican" & a member of our Cardinals family. We loved him & we will miss him. RIP Joaquin Andujar

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 8, 2015

He won 20 games in 1984 and 1985, and both times was fourth in the race for the Cy Young Award in the National League. He also won a Gold Glove in 1984. "We extend our deepest condolences to the relatives of Mr. Andujar, a fierce pitcher who always gave the maximum on the mound," said Leonardo Matos Berrido, president of the Dominican winter baseball league. Andujar played for 14 years with four clubs in the Dominican winter league. "Everyone called him crazy because of his way on the mound," Soto said. "He was a great competitor and above all, very courageous. No one wanted to have problems with Andujar."