One of the favorite players of my childhood was Ivan DeJesus. DeJesus was a regular shotstop for both the Cubs and the Phillies for 8 years despite the fact that he was a weak hitter and not even particularly good with the glove (he gets a D+ in Bill James' defensive letter grades). However, his career has an unusual number of strange and interesting highlights and lowlights.
Signed out of Puerto Rico by the Dodgers in 1969, DeJesus reached the majors in 1974, playing a total of 88 games in '74, '75, and '76. In January 1977 he was included in a blockbuster trade, going to the Cubs along with Bill Buckner, in exchange for Rick Monday who had hit 32 home runs and scored 107 runs as the Cubs' leadoff hitter in '76.
Installed as the Cubs' regular shortstop in 1977, DeJesus became part of the team's "Latin Connection" with second baseman Manny Trillo. DeJesus hit .266 with 3 home runs and an adjusted OPS of 76 (meaning he was 76% as good as an average offensive player). Despite this, he scored 91 runs. The next year, DeJesus hiked his average to .278. He stole 41 bases, the most by a Cub since 1929. More importantly, despite the fact that the Cubs hit only 72 home runs, DeJesus scored 104 runs, leading the league. With an adjusted OPS of 90, he was one of the weakest offensive players ever to lead the league in runs scored.
DeJesus hit a career-high .283 in 1979 and scored 92 runs. In 1980, he stole a career-high 44 bases, but his average fell to .259. In a bizarre victory against the Cardinals in Chicago on April 22 (the final score was 16-12), DeJesus led off the bottom of the first with a home run. In the third he doubled and scored. He led off the fourth with a single, then hit an RBI triple in the fifth and hit another single in the 7th. Despite 13 home runs and a .359 slugging percentage at this point in his career, DeJesus now had a cycle and a 5-hit game on his resume.
In 1981, DeJesus had his worst season as a regular, but still managed to put his name in the trivia books. His final totals for that strike-ravaged season were 0 home runs, 13 RBI, and a .194 batting average. He finished last among NL batting championship qualifiers in all three categories, winning a "reverse" triple crown.
During the 1981 season, the Cubs were sold by the Wrigley family to the Tribune Co. Dallas Green, the ex-Phillies manager now running the Cubs' front office, was trying to revitalize the franchise and, unsurprisingly, considered DeJesus one of the expendable pieces. The Phillies were looking to replace thier aging shortstop, Larry Bowa, and believed that DeJesus could return to his 1978-1979 form. The two teams agreed to an exchange of shortstops, but to balance the eight-year difference in age between the two players, the Cubs demanded an additional player. When the trade was made on January 27, 1982, the Phillies threw in a minor-league shortstop whom nobody believed could play shortstop in the majors, but whom the Cubs intended to move to third base - Ryne Sandberg.
Reunited with his former "Latin Connection" partner, Manny Trillo, for a year, and then playing alongside the greatest second baseman in baseball history, Joe Morgan, DeJesus never really did regain the form of his best seasons, but was the Phillies' starting shortstop for three years. In 1983, with a team loaded with veteran stars on the downsides of their careers, the Phillies won a surprise NL pennant and DeJesus got a chance to play in a World Series. He hit .125 as the Phillies lost in 5 games.
His career quickly faded after that. After the 1984 season, he was included in a minor trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, who used him as a utility infielder in 1985. He got another chance to play in a World Series that fall, flying out as a pinch hitter in his only plate appearance. He played 7 games with the Yankees in '86, 9 games for the Giants in '87, and 7 games for the Tigers in '88. He played his final game in the majors on July 15, 1988.
Signed out of Puerto Rico by the Dodgers in 1969, DeJesus reached the majors in 1974, playing a total of 88 games in '74, '75, and '76. In January 1977 he was included in a blockbuster trade, going to the Cubs along with Bill Buckner, in exchange for Rick Monday who had hit 32 home runs and scored 107 runs as the Cubs' leadoff hitter in '76.
Installed as the Cubs' regular shortstop in 1977, DeJesus became part of the team's "Latin Connection" with second baseman Manny Trillo. DeJesus hit .266 with 3 home runs and an adjusted OPS of 76 (meaning he was 76% as good as an average offensive player). Despite this, he scored 91 runs. The next year, DeJesus hiked his average to .278. He stole 41 bases, the most by a Cub since 1929. More importantly, despite the fact that the Cubs hit only 72 home runs, DeJesus scored 104 runs, leading the league. With an adjusted OPS of 90, he was one of the weakest offensive players ever to lead the league in runs scored.
DeJesus hit a career-high .283 in 1979 and scored 92 runs. In 1980, he stole a career-high 44 bases, but his average fell to .259. In a bizarre victory against the Cardinals in Chicago on April 22 (the final score was 16-12), DeJesus led off the bottom of the first with a home run. In the third he doubled and scored. He led off the fourth with a single, then hit an RBI triple in the fifth and hit another single in the 7th. Despite 13 home runs and a .359 slugging percentage at this point in his career, DeJesus now had a cycle and a 5-hit game on his resume.
In 1981, DeJesus had his worst season as a regular, but still managed to put his name in the trivia books. His final totals for that strike-ravaged season were 0 home runs, 13 RBI, and a .194 batting average. He finished last among NL batting championship qualifiers in all three categories, winning a "reverse" triple crown.
During the 1981 season, the Cubs were sold by the Wrigley family to the Tribune Co. Dallas Green, the ex-Phillies manager now running the Cubs' front office, was trying to revitalize the franchise and, unsurprisingly, considered DeJesus one of the expendable pieces. The Phillies were looking to replace thier aging shortstop, Larry Bowa, and believed that DeJesus could return to his 1978-1979 form. The two teams agreed to an exchange of shortstops, but to balance the eight-year difference in age between the two players, the Cubs demanded an additional player. When the trade was made on January 27, 1982, the Phillies threw in a minor-league shortstop whom nobody believed could play shortstop in the majors, but whom the Cubs intended to move to third base - Ryne Sandberg.
Reunited with his former "Latin Connection" partner, Manny Trillo, for a year, and then playing alongside the greatest second baseman in baseball history, Joe Morgan, DeJesus never really did regain the form of his best seasons, but was the Phillies' starting shortstop for three years. In 1983, with a team loaded with veteran stars on the downsides of their careers, the Phillies won a surprise NL pennant and DeJesus got a chance to play in a World Series. He hit .125 as the Phillies lost in 5 games.
His career quickly faded after that. After the 1984 season, he was included in a minor trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, who used him as a utility infielder in 1985. He got another chance to play in a World Series that fall, flying out as a pinch hitter in his only plate appearance. He played 7 games with the Yankees in '86, 9 games for the Giants in '87, and 7 games for the Tigers in '88. He played his final game in the majors on July 15, 1988.
Interesting analysis, Deren. I remember him as a good player, but guessI never realized how average he was.
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