RUBEN GOMEZ DEAD AT 77
By Max Silberman
Ruben Gomez, best remembered for his l954 rookie season with the World’s Champions New York Giants when he had a 17-9 record passed away July 26 in Puerto Rico after a long illness.
Gomez who had two tours of duty with the Philadelphia Phillies was one of the most unforgettable guests ever to appear at a reunion weekend of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society. For three days he signed autographs, chatted with fans and enjoyed spending time with his fellow former players and his family members who reside in the Philadelphia area. As the first Puerto Rican to win a World Series game, he was a hero to baseball fans throughout Latin America.
At the 2003 breakfast, Ruben Gomez asked to address the over 400 guests in attendance. He then told a story about his time in Vera Cruz (of the Mexican League) when a young boy begged him to buy a lottery ticket that he was selling to make some badly needed money. The boy insisted that Gomez buy the ticket because his uniform number appeared on it. Gomez, who did not normally buy such tickets agreed. To his great surprise, the ticket was a winner for $35,000, an enormous sum for that time and place. Gomez attempted to share the prize with the boy’s family and when they refused, he went to a local bank and set up a trust fund for the lad to be given to him at age 18.Fast forward many years when Ruben Gomez was undergoing very serious surgery in Puerto Rico. A doctor from Mexico requested permission to attend. Later, Gomez asked that doctor why he had come. The doctor looked at Gomez and replied: “I was that little boy. The money you left in trust paid for me to go to medical school.” Needless to say, there was not a dry eye in the house.
Now less than a year later, Ruben Gomez is gone but his weekend with us will never be forgotten. The Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society extends its deepest condolences to the Gomez family and we pray that God will grant him perfect rest.
Ruben Gomez Links:
Ruben Gomez Baseball Library