Felipe Rojas Alou (born May 12, 1935) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, coach and manager. He managed the Montreal Expos (1992–2001) and the San Francisco Giants (2003–2006). The first Dominican to play regularly in the major leagues, he is the most prominent member of one of the sport's most notable families of the late 20th century: he was the oldest of the trio of baseball-playing brothers that included Matty and Jesús, who were both primarily outfielders, and his son Moisés was also primarily an outfielder; all but Jesús have been named All-Stars at least twice. His son Luis, in turn, managed the New York Mets.
During his 17-year career spent with the Giants, Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, and Milwaukee Brewers, Alou played all three outfield positions regularly (736 games in right field, 483 in center, 433 in left), and led the National League twice in hits and once in runs. Batting regularly in the leadoff spot, he hit a home run to begin a game on 20 occasions. He later became the most successful manager in Expos history, leading the team from 1992 to 2001 before rejoining the Giants in 2003. On February 4, 2015, Alou was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted in the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame. He is one of just three men to have 2,000 hits, 200 home runs, and 1,000 managerial wins (the other two are Joe Torre and Frank Robinson).
Early life
Alou lived in poverty in the Dominican Republic, but his parents dreamed of him escaping it by having him aim to be a doctor. He was proficient in sports from a young age, having run on the track team for the Dominican national team. He entered the University of Santo Domingo in 1954 as a premedical student. He played baseball in college team while getting ready for the 1955 Pan American Games (held in March), aiming for track. However, at the last minute, he was switched to the baseball roster. The Dominican team would win the gold. He planned to stay with his studies, but he attracted interest in baseball due to his university coach, who had served as a scout with the Giants. In November 1955, he signed with the New York Giants for $200 due to family financial problems.
Playing career
After a few years in the minors, Alou made his major league debut at the age of 23 on June 8, 1958. He went 2-for-3 while driving in a run. He played sparingly in his first three seasons, playing 276 total games (with 199 hits) in his first three combined seasons (primarily in the outfield while spending a bit of time pinch-hitting); he walked 52 times while striking out 114 times. Felipe was joined by his brother Matty in 1960. He played in 132 games for the 1961 squad and batted .289 while collecting 120 hits with eighteen home runs.
Felipe was joined by his brothers, Matty in 1960, and Jesús in 1963. All three formed the first and only all-brother outfield in MLB history in the last two innings of a 13–5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field on September 15, 1963. Felipe was the starting right fielder but first moved to left in the seventh inning when Jesús entered the game in right and then to center in the eighth when Matty was inserted in left.