Tony González (baseball)
Cuban baseball player (1936–2021)
Andrés Antonio "Tony" González (August 28, 1936 – July 2, 2021) was a Cuban professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds (1960), Philadelphia Phillies (1960–1968), San Diego Padres (1969), Atlanta Braves (1969–1970), and California Angels (1970–1971).
Career
A fine center fielder, González spent his best years with the Phillies. He had an average, though accurate, arm with excellent range. As a hitter, González batted for average with occasional power, drew a significant number of walks, was a good bunter, and had enough power to collect an above-average number of doubles and triples. He hit a career-high 20 home runs in 1962; then, in 1963, González had career-highs in doubles (36) and triples (12), to place third and second, respectively, in the National League (NL). In 1967, his career-high .339 batting average was second only to Roberto Clemente’s .357 for the NL batting crown, which also ranked second in the major leagues.
In his twelve-season MLB career, González hit .286 (1,485-for-5,195), with 103 home runs, 615 runs batted in (RBI), 690 runs, 238 doubles, 57 triples, and 79 stolen bases, in 1,559 games. Defensively, he recorded a .987 fielding percentage, while playing at all three outfield positions.
In the 1969 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, González hit .357, with two RBI, one double, four runs, and one homer (off Tom Seaver). Following his big league career, González played part of the 1972 season for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB.)
During the 1964 season, González was the first MLB player to wear a batting helmet with a pre-molded ear-flap.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Tony González (baseball)” is cuban baseball player (1936–2021). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Tony, González and baseball, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “cuban baseball player (1936–2021)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7822457. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1936, 2021, 1960 and 1968.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Tony González (baseball)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Tony González (baseball) primary sources, Tony González (baseball) archive and Tony research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Tony González (baseball)”?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Tony González (baseball)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.