Otto Vélez

Otoniel "Otto" Vélez Franceschi (born November 29, 1950 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1973 to 1983. Vélez was nicknamed "Otto the Swatto".

Major league career

New York Yankees (1973–1976)

Velez signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent on December 23, 1969, and worked his way through their minor league system and made his Major League Baseball debut with the team on September 4, 1973, where he recorded his first hit off of Detroit Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich. Velez hit his first career home run on September 23 off of Dick Tidrow of the Cleveland Indians in the second inning, then hit another home run in his next at-bat agaginst Tidrow in the fourth inning to lead the Yankees to a 9–1 victory over Cleveland. Velez finished the season hitting .195 with 2 HR and 7 RBI in 23 games with the Yankees.

Velez played in 27 games with the Yankees in 1974, batting .209 with 2 HR and 10 RBI, then in 1975, he hit .250 with 0 HR and 1 RBI in six games with New York.