Arturo González

Arturo González Mata (El Rey)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 152 lb.

• Born October 29, 1955 in Tampiquito, Nuevo Leon Mexico

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Arturo González grew up in a suburb of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and began his career with the 1972 Monterrey Sultanes of the Mexican Center League and hit .256/~.347/.384, though he struck out 26 times in 86 at-bats at age 16. Playing only nine games with the Ciudad Victoria Henequneros the next year, he hit .367/~.367/.667, with three triples in 30 AB. He spent most of the year with the Cedar Rapids Astros, batting only .161/~.181/.169 in 59 games, walking just three times and fanning 45 trips in 124 AB. He was error-free in 36 games in the outfield.

In 1974, the teenager was with the Sultans, now in the Mexican League and he hit .289/~.308/.289 in 14 games. He also spent time with Cedar Rapids, improving to .195/~.235/.230, stealing five bases in five tries and making no miscues in 33 outfield contests. In 1975, Gonzalez was playing regularly for Monterrey and batted .236/~.267/.332 with 72 strikeouts and 12 walks in 313 AB. After managing a weak .183/~.225/.238 in 202 AB in 1976 at age 20, González was converted to pitching.

González saw limited duty in 1977, pitching in 26 games, 22 out of the bullpen with a WHIP of 1.96 and an ERA of 5.17; he was 2-2. In 1978, at age 22, Arturo won a career-high 18 games and began a streak of double-digit win seasons which would carry him into the 1990s when active in Mexico. He was 18-12, 2.67 with 18 complete games in 33 starts, though he did walk 101 batters in 229 innings. He also threw a no-hitter on June 28 against the Torreon Cotton Dealers.

In 1979, González lost the most games of his career at 12-18, his last last record before 1995. He walked 105 in 243 innings and again completed 18 starts. He was part of a four-way tie for the league lead in losses. The next year, Arturo joined the Chattanooga Lookouts and went 5-5 with a 2.63 ERA in 13 outings. He would have been third in the Southern League in ERA had he finished among the qualifiers.

Returning to the Liga Mexicana in 1981, González went 14-13 with a 2.30 ERA for Monterrey (with whom he spent his entire LMB career). In '82, Arturo was 13-12, 2.81 and he followed that up with a 12-8, 1.92 season. His control improving, he now walked only 33 in 173 1/3 innings and surrendered only two homers all year. He led the Liga in ERA in one of his few great (instead of good or very good) seasons. He got a brief look with the El Paso Diablos, going 3-2 with a 4.63 ERA. That winter he threw a no-hitter in the Mexican Pacific League on December 18.

In 1984, the 28-year-old hurler went 13-12, 3.29 for Monterrey and he was also 3-3, 3.45 for the Reading Phillies. González spent the next two seasons with the Portland Beavers, going 10-10, 3.22 in '85 and 10-11, 4.68 a year later. He was fifth in the Pacific Coast League in ERA in 1985. He had now completed 15 seasons as a professional baseball player - but was not even half done!

The 1987 season brought González to the Denver Bears (2-0, 3.65) and El Paso (1-0, 3.38) but he spent most of the year with Monterrey, posting a 12-6, 3.77 record, 10th in the Liga in ERA. That winter ball season, he led the LMP in strikeouts. In 1988, Arturo was 13-12 with a 3.35 ERA and 15 complete games; he would not return to a US-based team again. At age 33 in 1989, he went 15-6 with a 2.17 ERA, was third in the Mexican League in wins and second to Mercedes Esquer in ERA.

In 1990, González won 14, lost five and had a 2.61 ERA, cutting his walk total to 30 in 165 2/3 innings. He was fifth in ERA and tied for sixth in wins. In '91, Arturo only pitched in 11 games, going 4-3, 3.32. He saw limited time again the next year, starting 16 contests and having a 6-3, 4.75 season, his highest ERA in 15 years.

1993 was a rebound year for González. At age 37, he went 13-8, albeit with a 4.12 ERA. The veteran won another 13 the next season, losing six and cutting his ERA to 3.65. In 1995, González slipped back to 7-8, 4.55. He then had his 18th double-digit win season in 1996 with a 12-2, 1.78 year for the Sultanes, allowing only 86 hits and 35 walks in 121 1/3 innings. At age 40, he was third in the Liga in ERA, behind Sixto Baez and Isaac Jiminez.

In 1997, Arturo went 8-6 with a still-respectable 2.68 mark, then he was 7-5, 5.04 in 1998. The 1999 year was one in which he had a 6-6 record and a 4.23 ERA. In 2000, at age 44, González went 7-5 with a 4.01 ERA and completed one game, his 35th career shutout. The old-timer had his 19th and last season with double-digit wins at age 45, going 10-7, 3.68 in 2001. Arturo fell apart in 2002, posting a 10.13 ERA and 1-4 record. He finished his career in 2003, with no decisions and a 3.00 ERA.

Overall, González was 232-169 in the Mexican League with a 3.26 ERA, 522 games, 3,228 innings pitched and over 1,750 strikeouts. In Organized Baseball, the man with the wicked slider, a low-90s fastball and other breaking pitches went 266-200. He also was 125-85 in the Mexican Pacific League. As of early 2006, he ranks 4th all-time in the LMP in wins, 6th in winning percentage, tied for 9th in ERA (2.81) and sixth with 1,079 strikeouts. In the Mexican League, he is tied for second all-time in seasons pitched as of 2005 with 25. That doesn't count his four years as an outfielder or three years strictly in US-based leagues - overall, he was a professional baseball player for 32 years.

Additionally, as of 2006, González ranked in the top 5 in Mexican League history in starts, 6th in innings, fifth in wins (one behind fourth-place Antonio Pollorena), in the top 15 in shutouts and top 10 in strikeouts.

González was voted into the Salón de la Fama on his first ballot, in 2009. He was a coach for the Sultanes de Monterrey in 2011-2012.

Sources include many Baseball Guides, a couple Baseball Almanacs, Pat Doyle's Professional Baseball Player Database, the Viva Beisbol newsletter by Bruce Baskin and (my main source) The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros