Luis Sojo

Luis Beltrán Sojo Sojo (born January 3, 1965) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball.

Sojo filled a role as a utility infielder and won four World Series championships with the Yankees.

After he retired he became the manager of the Venezuelan national baseball team.

He is a member of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Sojo signed with the Blue Jays on January 3, 1986.

Called up late in the 1990 season, Sojo played 33 games for the Toronto Blue Jays.

He went 18-for-80 (.225).

After the 1990 season, the Blue Jays traded Sojo, Junior Félix, and a player to be named later (Ken Rivers) to the California Angels for Devon White, Willie Fraser, and Marcus Moore.

Sojo played 219 games for the Angels over two years.

In 1991, he had 19 sacrifice hits, a career-high.

After the 1992 season, the Angels traded Sojo back to the Blue Jays for Kelly Gruber.

Sojo played only 19 games in 1993, and was only 8 for 47 (.170), although he managed to collect six runs batted in.

He earned his first of five World Series rings.

On October 15, he was granted free agency.

Sojo hit .277 over 63 games in the strike-shortened 1994 season, while also hitting 6 home runs, then a career-best.

He was once again awarded a starting role in 1995, where he played in 102 games, his second-highest career total.

He finished the season with 98 hits, and seven home runs, tying a career best.

In the 1995 American League Division Series against the Yankees, he played in all five games, going 5-for-20 with 3 runs batted in.

He continued his hot streak into the 1995 American League Championship Series, again going 5-for-20 as the Mariners lost to the Cleveland Indians.

Sojo began the 1996 season with the Mariners, hitting just .211 (52-for-247) over 77 games.

The New York Yankees claimed Sojo off of waivers on August 22, 1996.

He began his Yankee career 11-for-40 (.275) while only striking out four times with one walk.

After playing only 18 games with the Yankees, he was added to the postseason roster.

He did not receive a plate appearance during the 1996 American League Division Series, but played as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.

He did, however, play in the 1996 American League Championship Series, going 1 for 5 over 3 games.

Despite his limited playing time in that postseason, he played in five of the six games of the 1996 World Series, going 3 for 5 (.600) with a double and a run batted in.

Sojo earned his second World Series ring when the Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves.

On January 9, 1997, Sojo re-signed with the Yankees.

In 1997, Sojo began to see his playing time decrease.

He played in only 77 games, hitting .307.

Sojo's 25 runs batted in was his most as a Yankee.

He did not play at all in the 1997 postseason as the Yankees were defeated by the Cleveland Indians.

He was granted free agency on October 31, and again re-signed with the Yankees on November 12, 1997.

During the 1998 season, Sojo appeared in 54 games, hitting .231.

He had 34 hits and 14 runs batted in during the season, but did not play in the 1998 American League Division Series.

He rejoined the team for the Championship Series, where he played in one game.

He did not play in the World Series, but received a ring regardless.

In 1999, Sojo played in just 49 games, less than the previous year, but hit .252 and again missed the Division Series.

He re-joined the team for the 1999 American League Championship Series, where he had only one at-bat.

He was not much of a force in the World Series that year either, with just one at-bat, but nevertheless received a World Series ring.