Acta Adds Alomar To Coaching Staff

Sandy Alomar Jr., one of the most popular players in Indians history, is new manager Manny Acta's first-base coach. Alomar, the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year, MVP of the 1997 All-Star Game, and a member of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame, spent 11 seasons with the team as a player. He was a six-time AL All-Star during the 1990s -- the most sustained era of winning baseball in team history.

Alomar, 43, will coach Indians catchers as well. He spent the last two seasons as a catching instructor for the New York Mets.

Alomar retired as a player after playing eight games for the Mets in 2007.

The son of former big-league infielder Sandy Alomar and brother of long-time star infielder Roberto Alomar, Sandy was signed at age 17 by the San Diego Padres in 1983. He played one game for them in 1988, seven in 1989 -- then was traded to Cleveland in a blockbuster deal on Dec. 6, 1989, when he, infielder Carlos Baerga and outfielder Chris James were exchanged for outfielder Joe Carter.

Alomar played in Cleveland through 2000. He later played for the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Mets.

Alomar won a gold glove for fielding excellence and was voted the AL's top rookie in 1990, when he hit .290 with nine homers and 66 RBI in 132 games. He often was in and out of the lineup for the next decade, however, because of injuries.

Alomar hit .277 (944-for-3,409) with 194 doubles, 92 home runs and 453 RBI in 985 games with the Indians. He was the Tribe’s field leader behind the plate on five AL Central Division championship teams (1995-99) and two AL champions (1995 & 1997).

Alomar’s best season came during the Tribe’s run to the 1997 World Series when he hit .324 (146-for-451) with 37 doubles, 21 homers and 83 RBI in 125 games. That was the year when his home run won the All-Star Game in Cleveland and he was voted the game's MVP.

During the 1997 postseason, Alomar hit .316 in Cleveland's five-game triumph over the New York Yankees in the Division Series. He hit two homers, including a memorable two-out shot in the eighth inning of Game 4 off ace closer Mariano Rivera. That tied the score and the Indians won it in the bottom of the ninth of Ramiro Mendoza when Marquis Grissom singled, was bunted to second by Bip Roberts, and scored on an RBI single by Omar Vizquel.

Alomar hit .367 with two homers and 10 RBI in the World Series and was a candidate for MVP honors -- until the Indians blew the lead in Game 7 and lost to the Florida Marlins in extra innings.

Despite all the injuries, Alomar's 950 games caught are the third most in the 109-year history of the Indians organization.

Last summer, Alomar and the late pitcher Wes Ferrell and team owner Dick Jacobs were enshrined in the team's Hall of Fame during pre-game ceremonies in August.

"It's a great honor," said Alomar, who shed a few tears during a standing ovation from the fans. "I got a little choked up, a little emotional.

"I always loved my time in Cleveland. It was a special time, the way the team went from losing to winning. We had great players, great ownership and great fans. I love the city and its people."

Alomar finished with a career average of .273 (1,236-for-4,530) with 249 doubles, 112 homers and 588 RBI in 1,377 games.

He becomes the fifth member of Acta's staff, joining bench coach Tim Tolman, pitching coach Tim Belcher, bullpen coach Scott Radinsky and infield and third-base coach Steve Smith.