Julio Valdez

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Julio Valdez

|position=Shortstop

|image=Julio Valdez.jpg

|bats=Both

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1956|6|3}}

|birth_place=San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic

|death_date={{Death date and age|2022|7|23|1956|6|3}}

|death_place=Nizao, Dominican Republic

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 2

|debutyear=1980

|debutteam=Boston Red Sox

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=April 30

|finalyear=1983

|finalteam=Boston Red Sox

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.207

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=1

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=8

|teams=

Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1980}}–{{mlby|1983}})

}}

Julio Julián Castillo Valdez (June 3, 1956 – July 23, 2022)[https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/beisbol/2022/07/24/facelle-el-expelotero-julio-valdez/1967218 Muere el expelotero Julio Valdez] {{in lang|es}} was a Dominican professional baseball infielder and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 1980 to 1983, and later managed in Minor League Baseball. Listed at {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} and {{convert|160|lb|kg}}, he was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed.

Biography

Valdez began his professional baseball career in 1976 with the Winter Haven Red Sox, a farm team of the Boston Red Sox; he reached the Triple-A level in 1979.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=valdez002jul |title=Julio Valdez Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=October 13, 2020}} Valdez went on to play in MLB for parts of four seasons (1980–1983) with Boston, mainly as a shortstop. In 65 MLB games with Red Sox, Valdez hit .207 (18-for-87) with one home run and eight RBIs.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/valdeju01.shtml |title=Julio Valdez Stats |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=October 13, 2020}} In 1981, while with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, he played in the longest professional baseball game in history, batting 2-for-13 in the 33-inning contest.

On May 6, 1983, Valdez was arrested at Fenway Park by members of the Boston Police Department during a game against the Seattle Mariners. Valdez had not played for the team since the end of April,{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1983/Ivaldj1010041983.htm |title=The 1983 BOS A Regular Season Batting Log for Julio Valdez |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=October 13, 2020}} and was not in uniform when arrested.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61026421/red-sox-player-is-arrested-on-rape/ |title=Red Sox player is arrested on rape charge |first1=Betsey A. |last1=Lehman |first2=Wendy |last2=Fox |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=17 |date=May 7, 1983 |accessdate=October 13, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} Charged with statutory rape, it was subsequently reported that the minor involved had lied to Valdez about her age.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61026663/girl-says-she-lied-to-valdez-about-age/ |title=Girl says she lied to Valdez about age |first=Betsey A. |last=Lehman |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=25 |date=May 8, 1983 |accessdate=October 13, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} The charges were dismissed in July of that year, after a grand jury refused to return an indictment.{{cite web |title=Sports People; Rape Charges Dropped |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/14/sports/sports-people-rape-charges-dropped.html |date=14 July 1983 |page=B-14 |via=nytimes.com}}

Following his arrest, Valdez was suspended with pay by the Red Sox and later designated for assignment. He did not play in another major league game. He played in Minor League Baseball for the Red Sox organization though 1984, and then for the Chicago Cubs organization through 1988.

After his playing career, Valdez managed the Dominican Summer League teams for several MLB franchises, including the Cubs, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox.{{cn|date=October 2022}}