José Cardenal
Center Field
1963—1980
BORN
October 7, 1943, in Matanzas, , Cuba
BATS / THROWS
Right / Right
HT / WT
5-10 / 150
MLB DEBUT
April 14, 1963
FINAL GAME
October 3, 1980
PRIMARY TEAM
Chicago Cubs
.275
BATTING AVERAGE
1913
HITS
20.7
WAR
.333
ON-BASE PCT
138
HOME RUNS
17.1
WAR7
.395
SLUGGING
.728
ON-BASE + SLUGGING
1.7
WAR PER SEASON
A second cousin to Bert Campaneris, Cardenal was from baseball-crazy Matanzas, where scouts flocked to watch him as a teenager. He was short, pigeon-toed, and bony: only about 145 pounds when he accepted the promise of a professional contract and a $200 signing bonus from the San Francisco Giants in 1960. Cardenal took a boat out of Cuba just after the revolution when he was only 16 years old. He spent part of his bonus money to buy his first new pair of shoes.
Compared to Hall of Fame Center Fielders
| CAREER | LONG PEAK | PRIME | SHORT PEAK | JAWS | WAR PER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cardenal |
20.7 |
17.1 |
10.6 |
9.9 |
18.9 |
1.7 |
|
AVG HOFer |
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Where Does José Cardenal Rank
NOT RANKED IN TOP 100
at Center Field
Among Center Fielders?
| CAREER | LONG PEAK | PRIME | SHORT PEAK | JAWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
|
WAR |
WAR7 |
WAR 5 CONSECUTIVE |
WAR3 |
JAWS |