José Oquendo

José Manuel Roberto Guillermo (Contreras) Oquendo (born July 4, 1963 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball infielder and the current third base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. He also served as manager of the team representing Puerto Rico in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic. Oquendo signed with the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1979 at only fifteen years old. When he made his major league debut with... more

José Manuel Roberto Guillermo (Contreras) Oquendo (born July 4, 1963 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball infielder and the current third base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. He also served as manager of the team representing Puerto Rico in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic. Oquendo signed with the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1979 at only fifteen years old. When he made his major league debut with the Mets in 1983, he became the first player in franchise history to be younger than the franchise (the Mets began play in 1962; Oquendo was born in 1963). After two seasons bouncing back and forth between the Mets and their triple A affiliate the Tidewater Tides, Oquendo was traded with Mark J. Davis to the St. Louis Cardinals for Angel Salazar and John Young. Oquendo spent all of 1985 with the Cardinals' triple A affiliate the Louisville Redbirds. With the Mets, Oquendo had only ever played shortstop; with perennial All-star Ozzie Smith... less