José Becerra

José Luis Becerra Puente

• Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 187 lb.

• Born July 8, 1972 in Bilbao, Vizcaya Spain

Olympics-Reference page

Biographical Information

José Becerra pitched for the Spanish national team for most of the 1990s, including an appearance in the Olympics.

Becerra helped Spain take the Bronze Medal at the 1991 European Championship. In the 1991 Intercontinental Cup, he was 0-1 with 13 runs in 3 2/3 IP for a 31.91 ERA, easily the worst of any Spanish hurler. Of 28 batters he faced, he walked 9 and allowed 10 hits while retiring only 9.

Despite his '91 Cup performance, Becerra still remained with Spain for the 1992 Olympics. He gave up 14 runs (8 earned) in 3 1/3 IP with 14 hits in 27 at-bats, while walking five. He took the loss against Taiwan. On August 2, though, he got the win in perhaps the best win in Spanish baseball in the 20th Century. Relieving future minor leaguer Xavier Civit with two outs in the 9th, he allowed a hit and a walk before retiring Puerto Rican cleanup man Albert Bracero; at that point, Spain trailed 6-4. In the bottom of the 9th, though, Spain rallied for 3 wins to give Becerra the win. It would Spain's only win in Olympic baseball (through 2009, at which point baseball was no longer an Olympic sport).

In the 1993 European Championship, he was 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA, with 4 hits, 4 walks and 4 runs (3 earned) in 3 2/3 IP. His three games pitched tied for 8th in the event. Becerra was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in the 1995 European Championship, in which Spain finished 4th. In the 1995 Intercontinental Cup, the 23-year-old was 0-1 with 8 runs in 2 2/3 IP and hits to half of the batters he faced. He had a 1-0, 1.29 record in the 1997 European Championship to help Spain to a Bronze.

During the 1997 Intercontinental Cup, Becerra led Spain with four games pitched but also had their worst ERA (43.20) with 16 runs in 3 1/3 IP. He went 0-2. He allowed 12 hits in 21 at-bats and walked six.

The Bilbao native pitched in his last major event during the 1998 Baseball World Cup. He had a 17.36 ERA, once again the highest on the Spanish staff. He gave up 10 runs (9 earned) in 4 2/3 IP with 13 hits in 26 at-bats.