Concepcion, Dave (1948–)

David Ismael (Benitez) Concepcion was born 17 June 1948, in Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela. He played major-league baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and stood out as one of the game's finest shortstops.

Concepcion signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent in 1967, and in April 1970 made his playing debut. Concepcion's stellar play was such that the Reds' players named him team captain in 1973. Contributing to four Cincinnati World Series appearances, Concepcion earned five Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, was named to nine All-Star teams, and, in 1977, was named the Roberto Clemente Award winner. In 1982, he was named Most Valuable Player in that year's All-Star game. The Venezuelan played his entire nineteen-year career with the Reds until his 1988 retirement and fell only forty-four games short of Larry Bowa's National League record for games played at shortstop. Following a distinguished line of Venezuelan shortstops such as Chico Carrasquel and Luis Aparicio, he inspired players like Omar Vizquel to maintain the legacy of great shortstops from his country.

See alsoSports .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bjarkman, Peter C. Baseball with a Latin Beat. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1994.

Oleksak, Michael M., and Mary Adams Oleksak. Béisbol: Latin Americans and the Grand Old Game. Grand Rapids, MI: Masters Press, 1991.

Wendel, Tim. The New Face of Baseball: The One-Hundred Year Rise and Triumph of Latinos in America's Favorite Sport. New York: Rayo, 2003.

                                  Samuel O. Regalado