Rafael Bournigal
| Rafael Bournigal | |
|---|---|
Bournigal with Florida State in 1987 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: May 12, 1966 Azua, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 1, 1992, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1999, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .251 |
| Home runs | 4 |
| Runs batted in | 85 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Rafael Antonio Bournigal Pelletier (born May 12, 1966) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 19th round of the 1987 draft, and played for the Dodgers (1992–1994), Oakland Athletics (1996–1998), and Seattle Mariners (1999).[1] He played college baseball for the Florida State University Seminoles.[2]
In 1992, Bournigal won the MVP award and the Jack Perconte Award for inspirational play with the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes.[3] Bournigal debuted with the Dodgers that year and was a September call-up in both 1992 and 1993, blocked by shortstop José Offerman.[4] Bournigal was a victim of the hidden ball trick on June 28, 1994, when San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Williams told Bournigal to step off the base so it could be cleaned.[5][6]
The Dodgers traded Bournigal to the Montreal Expos in June 1995 for pitcher Kris Foster, but Bournigal did not play in the majors that year. He fractured his thumb later that month, missing several weeks of the season.[3] His best years were with Oakland. In his three seasons with the A's he started about 36% of their games (173 out of 486), batted .249, and made 8 errors.[1]
In 365 MLB games, Bournigal hit .251 with 4 home runs, 85 RBI, 104 runs scored, and an on-base percentage of .301. In the field, his fielding percentage was .988.[1]
Career highlights include:
- One 4-hit game...two singles, a double, and a home run against the Mariners on June 25, 1997
- Eleven 3-hit games, including a single, two doubles, three RBI, and three runs scored against the Detroit Tigers on April 29, 1999[7]
Personal life
As a child, Bournigal contracted tetanus after an infection resulting from sliding into second base on a dirt field.[8]
Bournigal's late father, George, was a sports broadcaster in the Dominican Republic.[8]
Bournigal's son, also named Rafael, also played baseball for the Florida State Seminoles as well as Belmont University.[2] Bournigal also has a daughter.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "Rafael Bournigal Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ a b "Rafael Bournigal - 2018 - Baseball". Florida State University. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ a b c Oakland A's 1998 Media Guide. 1998. pp. 34, 35.
- ^ Hudson, Maryann (September 13, 1993). "Bournigal Sharp in Start at Short". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Turbow, Jason (May 21, 2019). "Hidden Ball Trick". The Baseball Codes. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Zumsteg, Derek (2007). The cheater's guide to baseball. Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 66, 67. ISBN 978-0-618-55113-2.
- ^ "Top Performances for Rafael Bournigal". Retrosheet. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Kettmann, Steve (June 10, 1997). "Bournigal Helped Make A Name for His Father". San Francisco Chronicle.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac