Luis Arroyo
| Luis Arroyo | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: February 18, 1927 Penuelas, Puerto Rico |
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| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| April 20, 1955 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 28, 1963 for the New York Yankees | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win-Loss record | 40-32 |
| Earned run average | 3.93 |
| Strikeouts | 336 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Luis Enrique "Tite" Arroyo, born on February 18, 1927 in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Luis Arroyo made his Major League Baseball debut on April 20, 1955. A short lefty with a broad frame, he spent one season as a starter with the St. Louis Cardinals. Though he was a member of the National League All-Star team that year, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates the next spring, and his new team moved him to the bullpen. Struggling to establish himself in the role, he bounced from the Pirates to first the Cincinnati Reds, and then the New York Yankees. Arroyo was the first Puerto Rican to play for the Yankees, and despite his earlier struggles, he quickly became an important contributor to the club.
American League hitters enjoyed little success against Arroyo's screwball, and after a solid contribution at the back of their bullpen in 1960, he enjoyed the best season of his career in 1961. That year, Arroyo pitched 119 innings with a 2.19 ERA, while winning 15 games as the team's relief ace. His totals of 65 games pitched and 29 saves both led the league, he surrendered only five home runs in a season where league-wide offensive totals were very high by historical standards, and he was named to his second All-Star team while finishing sixth in AL MVP voting. Most importantly, Arroyo was exceptional for the Yankees in the World Series. He picked up a win when New York came from behind in Game 3, and the Yankees went on to defeat his old team, the Reds, in five games.
Arroyo's glory was short-lived, unfortunately. He injured his arm the following spring, and while he pitched for two more seasons, he never regained his prior effectiveness. Arroyo retired after appearing in only six innings in the 1963 season. Over the course of his MLB career, he pitched 531 1/3 innings with a 3.93 ERA, collecting 40 wins, 32 losses, and 44 saves.
In an article in 1976 in Esquire magazine, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Arroyo, a Puerto Rican, was the relief pitcher on Stein's Latin team.
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