As we continue to look at Topps All-Star Rookies, Raúl Mondesí is one who looked for all the world to be an all-time great. Is his story a tragedy? You be the judge.
Mondesí was born in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic- where baseball was big. José Rijo would precede him to the majors, and he would be followed by a flood of players including Ervin Santana, Francisco Liriano, José Guillén, Michael Pineda, Pedro Strop, Miguel Andújar, among others. By the time Mondesí arrived in the majors, he was drawing comparisons to the great Roberto Clemente for his prodigious outfield arm and the solid skills he displayed in all facets of the game.
After signing as a free agent in 1988 with the Dodgers, Mondesí spent 2 seasons in his home country developing his skills. He made his professional debut in 1990 with the Great Falls Dodgers in the Pioneer League. At the age of 19, he hit over .300, slugged .543, and stole 30 bases in just 44 games. The following season, he was promoted from A to AA to AAA, slashing .277 / .315 / .454 combined across all levels, with an OPS+ of 149. He had a setback in 1992, playing in just 53 games due to a rash of injuries. He would return to AAA in 1993 and posted career highs in nearly every offensive category. Most importantly, Mondesí played in 110 games, proving that he could remain healthy for a full season.
Eric Karros was the 1992 Rookie of the Year, Mike Piazza won the award in 1993, and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Mondesí would follow suit in 1994. The strike shortened campaign tempered his final tallies a bit, but he posted solid numbers across all categories. 16 homers, 11 stolen bases, a .303 batting average, and a league leading 16 outfield assists. He would follow up that rookie campaign with a monster year. In 1995, Mondesí made his only All-Star appearance, won his first Gold Glove, and posted 26 homers and 27 stolen bases.
As he reached his peak years in his mid to late 20s, Mondesí would find an even higher level of production. He became the first Dodger to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a season (1997), and continued to rack up outfield assists and a 2nd Gold Glove. All told, Mondesí hit 163 homers and stole 140 bases for L.A. in 7 seasons. He had a similar start to future Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Andre Dawson.
He was traded from L.A. to Toronto as the main piece of the Shawn Green trade, and he enjoyed a mostly productive stint over 2 and a half seasons. Injuries would start to creep in, sidetracking his 2000 season after 96 games. His average with Jays dropped from his .288 career mark to the .250s, but he continued to mix power and speed with 66 homers and 61 steals.
Following his Blue Jays career, Mondesí would bounce around to 5 different teams- New York, Arizona, Pittsburgh, the Angels, and finally Atlanta in 2005. He would conclude his career with 271 career homers, over 1500 hits, 229 stolen bases and 909 runs scored.
He returned to the Dominican Republic and ran for political office, ultimately becoming the mayor of his hometown San Cristóbal in 2010. The city was also the birthplace of the Domincan Republic´s long-time dictator, Rafael Trujillo, known for his cruelty and corruption. Mondesí did not fall into the former, but unfortunately became embroiled in a scandal involving the latter. During his playing career, he reportedly earned over $66 Million dollars on his contracts- but as mayor he was accused of misappropriating funds and embezzlement during his 6-year term. He is currently serving an 8 year prison sentence, and is barred from political office in the D.R. for 10 years. During his time as mayor, his son Adalberto Mondesí became a World Series champ with the Kansas City Royals. The younger Mondesí is still on the Royals, currently on the 10 day IL with a shoulder injury.
