Ramón Conde

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(Redirected from Ramón L. “Wito” Conde)

RamonConde.jpg

Ramón Luis Conde Román
(Wito, Guito)

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 5' 8", Weight 172 lb.

BR page

Biographical Information[edit]

“You’d think a man who has hit .312 through six seasons of Triple A baseball would get more than a 14-game shot at the major leagues. So does Ramón Conde, but... time is against him now. Conde hasn’t given up hope... but can’t understand why he hasn’t had a good shot at a major league job. ‘I don’t know,’ he says in a soft, Spanish-accented voice, ‘they tell me I don’t have the speed. My wife and I sit down and look at all the players I have played with that have already gone up. They didn’t hit as well as I did then and they aren’t hitting that well now. It is hard to understand,’ he says wistfully, not bitterly.” - Dave Overpeck, Indianapolis Star, August 15, 1966

Puerto Rican infielder Ramón Conde had a long minor league career with only a brief cup of coffee in the majors.

The son of Puerto Rican Winter League star Cefo Conde and a distant cousin of Sandy Alomar, Conde helped the Puerto Rican national team win the 1951 Amateur World Series, their only world title (through 2019). He began his pro career in the Puerto Rican Winter League before signing with the New York Giants. He played four years in their organization before being selected by the Kansas City Athletics in the 1957 Rule V Draft. Over the next year, he moved from the Athletics to the Philadelphia Phillies to the Los Angeles Dodgers organizations. While playing for the Indios de Mayagüez in 1959-1960, he was named the Puerto Rican Winter League MVP.

In the spring of 1962, Conde was traded to the Chicago White Sox. After beginning that season with the Indianapolis Indians, he was called up to the majors in July. He played in 14 games with the White Sox that summer but did not record a hit. He did have one RBI, on August 2nd against the Boston Red Sox. He pinch hit in the bottom of the 9th inning for Eddie Fisher. Cam Carreon was on second base. Carreon advanced to third base on a wild pitch, Conde grounded out to first base, scoring Carreon. Overall, he played third base in 7 games for Chicago and committed one error in 9 tries. After a month in the big leagues, he returned to Indianapolis, ended his US playing career in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Overall, he spent part or all of 11 seasons at Triple A, playing 17 years in the minors in all.

After his playing days, Conde was a coach and executive in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He managed the 1981 Plataneros de Tabasco, 1985 Wytheville Cubs and 1986 Union Laguna Cotton Dealers. He settled down in his native Puerto Rico after his retirement but died of a heart attack in 2020 during a visit to Florida.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs Notes
1981 Plataneros de Tabasco Mexican League 10th none replaced by Hugo Rios
1985 Wytheville Cubs Appalachian League 39-31 3rd Chicago Cubs
1986 Algodoneros de Torreon Mexican League 10th none replaced by Gerardo Gutierrez

Related Sites[edit]