Before Shohei Ohtani came Pedro Guerrero.
The Los Angeles Dodgers shelled out $700 million to land Ohtani on a 10-year deal that eclipses any in baseball in 2024.
GettyGuerrero had a reputation as an aggressive hitter[/caption]But three decades earlier, the richest deal in team history was the five-year, $7 million contract awarded to Guerrero to avoid an arbitration hearing.
Forced to leave school to feed his family as a teenager, the Dominican’s big break came when he was spotted by Reggie Otero — a scout for the Cleveland Indians.
“He was five-feet-11, 157 pounds,” Otero later told Sports Illustrated.
“I looked at the width of his shoulders, back and front, and knew that he would get heavier and stronger. He had lived off of rice and beans,”
Traded to the Dodgers in 1974, Guerrero plied his trade in the minors until his call-up in 1978.
The five-time All-Star was named World Series MVP in the triumphant 1981 season and won the Silver Slugger award a year later.
Off the back of a career year following a move from outfield to third base in 1983, he agreed an historic contract hours before a hearing was set to take place to determine his value.
In June 1985, Guerrero hit 15 homers to equal a record held by Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and Robert (Indian Bob) Johnson.
It was during a hot streak that had the Dodgers purring and rivals sweating.
“The guy is scary. He lays off borderline pitches, and he hits everything else hard,” Chicago left-fielder Gary Matthews told Sports Illustrated.
GettyThe Dodgers broke the bank to tie him down in 1984[/caption] GettyThe Dominican grew into a physical specimin[/caption]“No one’s perfect. But I feel that no matter what the pitcher throws, I’m going to hit it,” Guerrero added.
“If he doesn’t want to pitch to me, I’ll take the walk. I feel there’s no way to get me out.”
The Dominican was traded the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher John Tudor in 1988 and spent his final four seasons in MLB there, earning two All-Star nods.
He retired after a brief stint in independent leagues and Mexico with a .300 batting average and 215 home runs over a career that spanned 15 seasons and 1,536 games.
In 2000, Guerrero was acquitted of conspiracy charges after his attorney argued that his low IQ meant he didn’t understand that he’d agreed to a drug deal.
Prosecutors argued that the former baseball star told an undercover agent that he would guarantee payment for a $200,000 shipment of cocaine.
GettyHe earned three All-Star nods in Los Angeles[/caption]His lawyer, Milton Hirsch, said that his friend Adan ‘Tony’ Cruz had duped Guerrero, who had an IQ of just 70.
“He really never understood that he was being asked to involve himself in a drug deal,” Hirsch said.
He was acquitted by a jury after after four hours of deliberation. Cruz pleaded guilty.
In 2016, Guerrero made a ‘miraculous’ recovery from a massive stroke.
Initial scans showed little brain activity but days later he woke up from an induced coma.
His wife Roxanna said it was a ‘miracle,’ adding that ‘a doctor basically declared him brain dead’ per NBC Sports.
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