Roberto Alomar made his Major League Baseball debut with the San Diego Padres in 1988. Since then, he has hit a homerun in his career. The second baseman played with several Major League teams including the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets, but he’s best remembered for helping the Toronto Blue Jays win back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. During his illustrious 17-year-career, the 12x All-Star also won 2 American League Championships, 10 Gold Glove awards, and recorded an impressive 2,724 hits, 1,134 RBIs, 210 home runs, and 474 stolen bases. To mark his achievements, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 -- the first Toronto Blue Jays Hall of Famer. Alomar is still actively involved in the game. He’s a Special Adviser to the Blue Jays and an instructor with the Blue Jays Honda Super Camps - baseball instructional camps for young, amateur players, designed to help develop and grow the game of baseball in Canada.
PG: “You’re working with kids at the Blue Jays Honda Super Camps – do you drive a Honda or Acura vehicle?”
RA: “No. I don’t drive a Honda. I drive a truck.”
PG: “Which one?”
RA: “I drive a 2015 Yukon Denali.”
PG: “Why did you go with a Yukon?”
RA: “Because that’s what my wife wanted. She loves a truck. We have a baby so it’s good for that and it’s practical.
“I stay almost 8-9 months a year in Canada. I drive all over the country. I love doing what I’m doing. I love kids. In the wintertime, I go to Florida… I have a Bentley Spur in Florida and my wife has a GT.”
PG: “Are you a car guy?”
RA: “Yeah. I love cars. I’ve always loved cars. I love fast cars. Sometimes you cannot afford it. Even when you start working hard you can’t always afford a lot, especially an expensive car. But I love cars.”
PG: “What was your first car?”
RA: “The first car I got was a Toyota Camry. It was a long time ago when I was 17. I had a contract with a team and it was part of the deal.
“I came from Puerto Rico when I was 17-years-old. I didn’t know any English. I didn’t know a lot about being in the United States. But as a human being we have to be taught how to deal with the downside and how to deal with the good side. It’s always good to have somebody beside you to give you great advice and hopefully you can achieve all your goals.”
PG: “When you made it into the big league what did you treat yourself to?”
RA: “I had a Nissan 300ZX. I loved that car – it was my first dream car.
PG: If you could steal an ex-teammate or rival’s car – what car would it be?
RA: “I’ve always been happy with what I have. So I don’t really want anything else.”
PG: “What’s your driving record like – any accidents or speeding tickets?”
RA: “No. No. Not yet. Knock on wood. You got wood on you?” he laughs.
PG: “Where do you prefer driving – in your native Puerto Rico or North America?”
RA: “Puerto Rico is really tough to drive. When I came to the States it was much easier to drive here.”
PG: “What’s your best driving story ever?
RA: “My best driving story is when I was driving for the first time to play in the major league. I was driving a rental car because it was my first year and I couldn’t afford a nice car. Not that I couldn’t afford it – but I didn’t want a car in the states. I’d rather make money and play the game the right way that way I could save for an expensive car.”
PG: What do you listen to on the road?
RA: “When I’m with my wife and kid cartoons all the way. But when I’m alone I like to listen to Latino music and hip hop.”
PG: Do you sing behind the wheel, too?
RA: “No. No. I love music – but only listening to music.”
PG: “If I could bring you the keys to any car what would it be?
RA: “You can bring me a Bugatti. I’ll take a Veyron, just for the fun of it.”
PG: “Will the Toronto Blue Jays repeat your World Series success this year?
RA: “A lot of people talk about our legacy in 1992-1993. I know they hear a lot about those years. I think they’re ready. They are already in the state of mind. They know what they have to do. They’re professionals. Alex [Anthopoulos] has done a great job of putting together a great team. I think these guys are willing to play – you can see that. They’re focused and hopefully they can achieve what we achieved. I’m looking forward to that. It’s a lot of fun as a fan, especially when you’re involved it’s more fun. Hopefully we can achieve that goal this year.”
Roberto Alomar
Profession: Former Major League Baseball Player and #12 Hall of Famer
Age: 47
Hometown: Ponce, Puerto Rico
My Cars: 2015 GMC Yukon Denali and Bentley Flying Spur
Notable achievements:
• twelve-time All-Star, 1990-2001
• two-time World Series Champ, 1992-1993
• ten-time Gold Glove Award and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner
• inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays
• inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, 2010
• MLB debut with San Diego Padres in 1988; played last game with Chicago White Sox in 2004 and retired on March 19, 2005
• played with the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks
• Jays officially retired Alomar's #12 in 2011, the first retired number in franchise history
• Sandy Alomar, Sr., his father, was a former All-Star MLB second baseman; his older brother, Sandy Alomar, Jr., was a MLB All-Star catcher
Upcoming:
• Special Advisor to the Toronto Blue Jays
• Instructor with Blue Jays Honda Super Camps – the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy in partnership with Honda Canada host the Blue Jays Honda Super Camps and Blue Jays Honda Instructional Clinics where amateur players ages 8-16 learn skills and techniques from former Major League All-Stars and Blue Jays alumni
• Active in numerous charities, including his own, the Roberto Alomar Foundation
You may also like
