Chile Gómez

José Luis "Chile" Gómez Gonzáles (March 23, 1909 – December 1, 1992) was a Mexican utility infielder in Major League Baseball who played between 1935 and 1942 for the Philadelphia Phillies (1935–36) and Washington Senators (1942). Listed at 5' 10" and 165 lb., Gómez batted and threw right-handed. He was the first Latino to play for the Phillies and the second Mexican-born person to play in the Major Leagues, after Mel Almada.

In his three-season MLB career, Gómez was a .226 hitter (142-for-627) with 56 runs and 50 RBI in 200 games, including nine doubles, three triples, and three stolen bases. Gómez did not hit a home run. He made 203 infield appearances at second base (126), shortstop (76) and third base (1). He had an extensive career in the Mexican League as both a player and manager before retiring in 1953.

Gómez played four seasons in the Cuban League: 1937–38 with Santa Clara and 1939–40, 1941–42 and 1945–46 with Cienfuegos.

He played 17 seasons in the Mexican League, from 1937 to 1954 with the following teams: Necaxa, El Águila de Veracruz, Cafeteros de Córdoba, Industriales de Monterrey, Pericos de Puebla, Diablos Rojos del México, Azules de Veracruz, Alijadores de Tampico and Tuneros de San Luis Potosí. In 1971, Gómez was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.

Gómez died on December 1, 1992, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, at age 83.

Source: