Moisés Alou

[Brandon Glick]

Moisés Alou spent just three years as the Cubs' left fielder, but they were among the most productive and drama-filled seasons the team had experienced in nearly two decades.

Originally the second overall pick in the long-discarded MLB January Draft-Regular Phase in 1986, Alou was traded to the Montreal Expos shortly after making his MLB debut in 1990. He dealt with numerous injuries during his time in Canada, though he did explode onto the scene in 1994 under the stewardship of his father, Expos manager Felipe Alou, placing third in NL MVP voting in the strike-shortened season.

Alou left Montreal following the 1996 season, signing with the then-Florida Marlins as a free agent. His regular season performance wasn't too notable outside of the fact that he played in 150 games, but then, in the postseason, he and the rest of the Marlins roster caught lightning in a bottle. Alou led the team by hitting .321 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI in the World Series (although pitcher Liván Hernández earned the World Series MVP thanks to his wins in Games 1 and 5).

Alou then got traded to Houston, where he was unbelievable for three seasons from 1998-2001. Unfortunately, he missed the entirety of the 1999 season due a torn ACL sustained during a treadmill accident, but the .988 OPS he posted with the team was the highest of any stop in his career.

Finally, after budgetary constraints pushed him out the door in Houston, Alou signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Cubs at 34 years old. Serving as the team's primary left fielder for the duration of that deal, Alou didn't live up to that contract until the 2004 season when he slashed .293/.361/.557 with a career high 36 home runs. However, most Cubs fans remember him for his blistering 2003 postseason, when he had an OPS of .974 while driving in eight runs on the team's march towards the pennant.

Of course, that pennant win never came to pass for the Cubs, in part because of the infamous Steve Bartman incident. I won't belabor that play here (lord knows we've heard it described every which way by now), but Alou did have a chance, however remote, at catching that ball. He's said so himself in interviews, even though he's waffled on it over the years while "trying to protect Bartman's feelings". I've long been of the opinion that it was actually the error by shortstop Alex Gonzalez that sent the whole inning (and series) tailspinning — which I wrote about at length in his bio on the Players Project — but Alou's tenure with the team has always been defined by that moment.

On a happier note, one of my favorite (or least favorite, depending on how you look at it) facts about Alou was that he, supposedly, would urinate on his own hands in an effort to toughen them up. He disliked the feel of batting gloves, so the Ol' Number One was meant to serve as a "homemade" remedy to the wear-and-tear of facing major league pitching with bare hands. It clearly worked, considering he hit 332 home runs in his 17-year career, but I still question the validity of the locker room science to this day. At least he looked like a badass in the batter's box with no gloves on — which, to a kid watching his favorite team, was all that mattered at the time.

Alou left the Cubs after the team didn't tender him a new contract following that brilliant 2004 campaign, which they publicly said was due to the outfielder's numerous feuds with umpires (Alou never backed down from that, by the way, repeatedly claiming that all umpires were "out to get him"). He reunited with his father on the San Francisco Giants for the 2005 and 2006 campaigns before wrapping up his career with two nondescript seasons with the New York Mets. Though he received just six votes (1.1%) in his lone season on the Hall of Fame ballot, Alou ended his career with a gaudy .303/.369/.516 batting line that would have looked a lot more impressive had he not played during the heart of the steroid era.

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[Hot Sauce]

One of the all-time great batting stances in the history of the game. I hate that he is so often remembered first for the Game 6 incident. He was one of the best hitters of his generation. What he did from his time with the Cubs to his retirement is remarkable. OPS of .900+ in four straight seasons from age 37 to 40.

I still remember the injury in St. Louis on the old astroturf. 

[Brandon Glick]

8 hours ago, Hot Sauce said:

One of the all-time great batting stances in the history of the game. I hate that he is so often remembered first for the Game 6 incident. He was one of the best hitters of his generation. What he did from his time with the Cubs to his retirement is remarkable. OPS of .900+ in four straight seasons from age 37 to 40.

I still remember the injury in St. Louis on the old astroturf. 

It upsets me that his HOF candidacy was basically sapped by other players from his era cheating like hell. His numbers in any era would have been extraordinary, but they were especially gaudy for a (as far as we know) clean guy.

[Hot Sauce]

4 hours ago, Brandon Glick said:

It upsets me that his HOF candidacy was basically sapped by other players from his era cheating like hell. His numbers in any era would have been extraordinary, but they were especially gaudy for a (as far as we know) clean guy.

I could not agree more. Alou would have been a standout in any era. I miss ballplayers of his mold in the game. 

[17 Seconds]

one of my favorite regular season cubs moments ever

 

[Hot Sauce]

As Cubs fans we all imitated Alou at some point. It's incredible to me how good he was hitting out of that stance. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

That 2004 team not making the playoffs was just about as disastrous as not making the WS in 2003. It was right freaking there. That last week of the season was a nightmare. 

[CubinNY]

16 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

That 2004 team not making the playoffs was just about as disastrous as not making the WS in 2003. It was right freaking there. That last week of the season was a nightmare. 

I was at the Mets games in Shea when Brazille hit the HR and Hawkins threw the game away. I met CTCubs fan at that game, lol. He's probably a lawyer now with his own family. 

[17 Seconds]

non-pitching Cubs had a collective .811 ops in 2004

[richardbarryrichard]

On 3/21/2025 at 9:47 AM, Hot Sauce said:

One of the all-time great batting stances in the history of the game. I hate that he is so often remembered first for the Game 6 incident. He was one of the best hitters of his generation. What he did from his time with the Cubs to his retirement is remarkable. OPS of .900+ in four straight seasons from age 37 to 40.

I still remember the injury in St. Louis on the old astroturf. 

You're absolutely right! The player you're referring to is Sammy Sosa, and his legacy should certainly be remembered for his incredible talent and remarkable hitting ability. His batting stance was indeed unique and one of the most iconic in baseball history.

[Sammy Sofa]

On 3/21/2025 at 10:52 AM, Brandon Glick said:

It upsets me that his HOF candidacy was basically sapped by other players from his era cheating like hell. His numbers in any era would have been extraordinary, but they were especially gaudy for a (as far as we know) clean guy.

Alou ruled but the guy had the epitome of a Very Good career.

[cl smooth]

23 minutes ago, Sammy Sofa said:

Alou ruled but the guy had the epitome of a Very Good career.

yeah, injuries from the outset derailed one hell of a career. seemed to me he was always clutch. if the 2003 nlcs didn't go sideways, there's a good chance he's the nlcs mvp. 

does he gain or lose cool points for pissing on his hands to "strengthen the callouses?"