Tito Fuentes enjoyed 13 season in the big leagues and nine of them with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants signed Fuentes as an amateur free agent out of Cuba in 1962. Fuentes was one of the last Cuban players signed before the United States embargo on Cuba. Fuentes made his Major League debut in 1965 and spent his first few seasons as a utility infielder. He established himself as the Giants' starting second baseman in 1971.
Fuentes was known for his defense although his fielding proficiency appears to have varied throughout his career. In 1973, Fuentes led the National League with 478 assists and an NL record .993 fielding percentage, yet Joe Morgan was selected as the National League Gold Glove Award Winner at second base. However for four seasons (1971, 1972, 1976 and 1977), Fuentes lead the league in errors.
Fuentes was traded in 1975 to the San Diego Padres where he played for two seasons. Fuentes later finished his career with a season in Detroit and another in Oakland.
Tito Fuentes was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame on February 23, 2002 in San Francisco.
About This Card
Cards featuring in-game action are some of my favorites in the 1973 Topps set. In this photograph, we have what appears to be Tito Fuentes after sliding into second base and taking out another player at Candlestick Park. It is not clear to me if he is safe.
Tito is shown on the Boots Day card (#307 in the set) as well. He appears to be holding up his middle finger. Here, he's kneeing a fielder in the throat. Neither card shows him in a positive light. Makes you wonder if the person in charge of choosing photos at Topps lost a bet because of him or something...
ReplyDeleteI heard a story the other day on the Giants broadcast that Fuentes and Willie Mays took their uniforms to a tailor to have them taken in, starting a new fashion in uni's. The tight look.
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