Ex-MLB star Vic Davalillo dead after emergency surgery: Family announce two-time World Series champion did not survive procedure on ‘intestinal blockage’ in his native Venezuela
- Vic Davalillo played 16 years in Major League Baseball, spread across six teams
- He won the World Series twice – in Pittsburgh – and was an All-Star in 1965
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Former Major League Baseball outfielder Vic Davalillo died last week in Caracas, Venezuela, his family announced.
Davalillo died after emergency surgery due to an intestinal blockage and kidney problems, according to his family.
There are conflicting dates of birth for Davalillo, meaning he was 84 or 87 when he died.
Davalillo won two World Series rings during a 16-season big league career and was largely used as a pinch hitter in the latter stages of his career.
He had a career batting average of .279 with 36 home runs, 329 RBIs and 125 steals in 1,458 games with six teams.
Vic Davalillo, pictured during his time as a Pittsburgh Pirate, has died after emergency surgery
Davalillo began his Major League career with the Cleveland Indians (left) in 1963
Davalillo is pictured above right after being named to the Rookie All-Star Team in 1963
Davalillo was an All-Star with Cleveland in 1965 during his third of more than five seasons with the franchise. He also played for the California Angels (1968-69), St. Louis Cardinals (1969-70), Pittsburgh Pirates (1971-73), Oakland Athletics (1973-74) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1977-80).
In 22 postseason appearances, Davalillo hit .323 with four walks in 31 at-bats. He won his World Series rings with the 1971 Pirates and the 1973 Athletics.
He was also the first Venezuelan in Major League Baseball history to win the Golden Glove, taking it in 1965 during his time in Cleveland.
After news of his death broke, Davalillo's former team in Venezuela – Leones de Caracas – announced that his players would wear a patch with his name and number on it for the rest of their winter season.