Gabriel Lugo

Gabriel Lugo Morales (19 April 1946 – 18 September 2017) was a Mexican professional baseball second baseman. Lugo, nicknamed "Jefe Cejas" (Chief Eyebrows), spent all his career in Mexican baseball, playing 18 seasons in the Mexican League and 15 seasons in the Mexican Pacific League. He was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2000. Lugo, who is considered as one of the best second basemen in Mexican baseball, spent most of his career playing for the Cañeros de Los Mochis and Saraperos de Saltillo.[1]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Lugo and the second or maternal family name is Morales.
Gabriel Lugo
Second baseman
Born: (1946-04-19)19 April 1946
El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico
Died: 18 September 2017(2017-09-18) (aged 71)
El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico
Career highlights and awards
Member of the Mexican Professional
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction2000

Career

Lugo was born on 19 April 1946 in El Fuerte, Sinaloa.[2] He started his professional career in the Mexican League playing for the Charros de Jalisco in 1966.[3] In 1971, he was signed by the Saraperos de Saltillo, where he would play for the next seven seasons. On 11 July 1976, Lugo hit his 100th home run in the Mexican League in a game against the Alijadores de Tampico. He finished his career with the Saraperos with a total of 894 games, 1048 hits, 157 doubles, 114 home runs, 545 runs and 601 RBIs.[2]

In 1978, Lugo left Saltillo and joined Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo; later that year, he was traded to Cafeteros de Córdoba. Lugo played for Azules de Coatzacoalcos in 1978 and 1979. In 1980, he joined Bravos de León. In 1982, Lugo was signed by the Broncos de Reynosa, where he spent two seasons. He played his last Mexican League season in 1983 for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes.[2]

Lugo also had a prolific career in the Mexican Pacific League (LMP), where he debuted in 1967 playing for the Cañeros de Los Mochis. The next season, 1968–69, Lugo was part of the Los Mochis team that won the LMP championship and he was crowned with the league's batting title, recording a batting average of .309. Lugo left Los Mochis on 1974–75 and played for Venados de Mazatlán, Mayos de Navojoa, Águilas de Mexicali, Yaquis de Obregón and Algodoneros de Guasave, retiring after the 1982–83 season.[4][5]

After retiring, Lugo coached amateur and semiprofessional baseball clubs in his home state of Sinaloa. In 2000, Lugo was elected to the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.[5] On 19 May 2002, Saraperos de Saltillo retired Lugo's number 5.[1][6] El Fuerte's local baseball stadium, Estadio Gabriel Lugo Morales (Gabriel Lugo Morales Stadium) was named in honor of Lugo, who was often seen seating on the stadium's bleachers.[7][8]

Death

Lugo died on 18 September 2017 in his hometown of El Fuerte, aged 71. The cause of death was diabetes.[3][8][9] On 19 September 2017, a memorial service was held in the Gabriel Lugo Morales Stadium, attended by hundreds of locals, authorities and players of the Cañeros de Los Mochis, who served as pallbearers.[10]

Career statistics

Mexican Pacific League
Season Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB BA
1967Los Mochis / Hermosillo712662855102210412.207
1968–69Los Mochis793174998141630618.309
1969–70Los Mochis64284397771323518.271
1970–71Los Mochis8533952871013341322.257
1971–72Los Mochis672703970150521920.259
1972–73Los Mochis7126730741001240218.277
1974–75Los Mochis / Mazatlán752913061110413114.210
1975–76Mazatlán843212176112637421.237
1976–77Navojoa471751846110221010.263
1977–78Navojoa62219215450318216.247
1978–79Mexicali66227214750321123.207
1979–80Mexicali58204154670217015.225
1980–81Obregón92628100403.308
1981–82Guasave72312000102.087
1982–83Obregón36111321100409.189
Total881334036982211875129447221.246

Source:[11]

References
  1. Jiménez, Jesús (19 September 2017). "Murió el 'Jefe Cejas', Gabriel Lugo Morales". Periódico Zócalo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. "Fallece Gabriel Lugo, gran segunda base". MiLB.com (in Spanish). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. Martínez Álvarez, José Félix (21 September 2017). "Recordando a Gabriel Lugo". Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  4. Estrada, Mary (18 September 2017). "Fallece el beisbolista Gabriel Lugo". El Debate (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. "Inmortales 2000". Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  6. "Recapitulación de una gran historia de Saraperos de Saltillo, que cumple 53 años siendo un referente en la Liga Mexicana de Beisbol". saraperos.com.mx (in Spanish). Saraperos de Saltillo. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. Lizárraga, Marco Antonio (10 July 2015). "Rehabilitan el estadio de beisbol Gabriel Lugo M. en El Fuerte". Entre Veredas (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  8. Valdés, Fernando (18 September 2017). "Muere el gran Gabriel "Jefe Cejas" Lugo". MiLB.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  9. "18 de septiembre muere Gabriel Lugo". Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano (in Spanish). 19 September 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  10. Soto, Christian (19 September 2017). "Despiden en el Fuerte, al historico Gabriel Lugo Morales". El Debate (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  11. Gastélum Duarte, Guillermo. Enciclopedia Conmemorativa del 75 Aniversario de la Liga Mexicana del Pacífico (in Spanish). Culiacán, Sinaloa: Moby Dick Editorial. p. 462–463. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
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