David Concepcion

David Ismael Concepción Benítez, also known as Dave Concepción and nicknamed "King David" (b. Ocumare de la Costa, Aragua state, June 17, 1948), is a Venezuelan former baseball player, who played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds team in Major League Baseball and in his native Venezuela with the Tigres de Aragua (LVBP) team..

Concepción signed with the Cincinnati Reds, following in the footsteps of his childhood heroes Alfonso Carrasquel and Luis Aparicio. Concepcion originally pitched, later becoming one of the greatest shortstops in Major League Baseball. Wearing the number 13, he debuted on April 6, 1970. For the first three years he shared the position with Woody Woodward and Darrel Chaney.

In 1973, Concepción dazzled at bat and defensively, obtaining the position for good and was also named team captain for his fair-play attitude and leadership skills.

Following a mid-season injury, Concepción returned to his position in 1974, playing in 160 games that year and winning the first of his five Gold Gloves.

Concepción was part of the big red machine, along with Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Pérez, Ken Griffey, Sr., George Foster and César Gerónimo, winning two World Series in 1975 and 1976.

On July 13, 1982, during the All-Star Game in Montreal, Concepción was named Most Valuable Player.

David Concepción is the author of the first and only tripleplay made without assistance by any player in the history of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, at the height of the eighth inning in a game between his team, Tigres de Aragua, against Cardenales de Lara, held at the Antonio Herrera Gutiérrez stadium in Barquisimeto, on December 14, 1987.

Due to injuries, Concepción played only part of the seasons beginning in 1983 before retiring for good in 1988.

In the 1989-90 season of the LVBP, he had his first and only experience as manager of the Tigres de Aragua, but luck was not on his side, as the team left a negative record of 20 victories and 40 losses, placing in the basement of the standings.

In Venezuela, he also wore the jerseys of the Tiburones de La Guaira and Leones del Caracas teams, but he only did so as a reinforcement for the Caribbean Series and in the first of these teams in 1982 he did so on loan.

In 2000 the Cincinnati Reds inducted him into their Hall of Fame and on August 25, 2007 they retired his famous "good luck" number: 13. Being only the second Venezuelan with that merit (the other was Luis Aparicio with the number 11 of the Chicago White Sox). It should be noted that he is also retired from his number 13 in the Aragua Tigers jersey, a fact that took place on December 17, 1991 within the framework of the All-Star Game held that year at the José Pérez Colmenares Stadium in Maracay. Thus marking his final retirement from the baseball fields.

Most outstanding achievements

• 9 Game of the stars,
• 2 World Series,
• 5 Golden Gloves,
• 12 years as a player of the field position,
• 3 Championships conquered with the Tigers of Aragua (LVBP),
• Cincinnati Red Baseball Hall,
• Retired Number (13) of Cincinnati Reds on 25 August 2007

Batting Statistics

See also: Annex: Venezuelans in Major League Baseball