Al Lopez Biography

Al Lopez was an American professional baseball player and baseball team manager, who went on to become one of the most celebrated players and managers in the game. Lopez was born to Spanish immigrants, who came to the United States via Cuba and he grew up in an immigrant area in Tampa, Florida. His brother introduced him to baseball when they watched the World Series and thereafter Lopez became interested in the game. By the time he was only 16, he became a professional and his first big franchise was the Los Angeles Dodgers for whom he played for five years as a catcher. Subsequently he went on to play for the Boston Bees, the Pittsburgh Pirates and finally the Cleveland Indians in a professional career that spanned just short of two decades. Following the end of his playing career, Lopez became the manager of the Indianapolis Indians before going on to manage the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. He was a successful and consistent manager but he failed to win the World Series in his career. Lopez was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame and is considered among the icons of the game.