by Catherine Taylor
Staff Writer
With a father and a brother who both played professional baseball, Astros shortstop Ricky Gutierrez seemed destined to make a name for himself out on the diamond.
"Coming up as a little kid my family played baseball," Gutierrez said. "It was all I thought about."
Thinking about it was not all he did. Gutierrez displayed his talent for baseball throughout his younger years. After graduating from American High School in Miami in 1988, Gutierrez was drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Orioles.
In his first year of pro baseball, Gutierrez led all Appalachian League shortstops in total chances and putouts, and then went on to lead the Carolina League shortstops with a .944 fielding mark.
In 1991 while playing for the AAA team in Hagerstown, Gutierrez was named top defensive shortstop for the Eastern League, and got his call up to the majors the following year.
Gutierrez made his major-league debut for the San Diego Padres, and in his first 491 chances committed only 14 fielding errors to rank fourth among all National League shortstops.
"Each year I come back and try to do better than I did last year," Gutierrez said. "I always try to improve my numbers and that's how you become a better ball player."
Gutierrez came to Houston along with center-fielder Derek Bell in a huge trade in December of 1994 when the Astros parted with third baseman Ken Caminiti and outfielder Steve Finley, among others.
Gutierrez spent a brief time with the Tucson Torros at the Triple A level, but was recalled to the majors after hitting .301 in 64 games with 26 RBIs.
By the end of the 1995 season, Gutierrez had become the Astros primary shortstop, starting 35 of their final 43 games.
The 6-1 Gutierrez went on to bat .309 as a starter in 1996, and hit safely in 38-of-50 starts. Gutierrez ended the 1996 season by going errorless in his last 17 games.
After spending the first two months of the 1997 season on the disabled list, Gutierrez came back into the lineup swinging his bat.
"I was kind of antsy just sitting around trying to find things to do," Gutierrez said, "and it was frustrating just watching the team out there playing, and I couldn't do anything.
"I did say when the time came for me to come back I was going to go out there and give it all I had."
Gutierrez has recorded a .352 batting average since his return in May, and according to manager Larry Dierker, he is on his way to earning the everyday job at the shortstop position.
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone come back from two months of inactivity and start hitting right away," Dierker said. "It was more than we ever could have expected. The way he is hitting, there is no question that he'll be the everyday guy if he plays the defensive end well."
When he is not playing ball, Gutierrez retreats to his Miami home where he resides with his wife Lisa and their four children.
Gutierrez said he is happy to be in Houston and to be a part of the Astros ballclub. Being a major league ball player has fulfilled his life-long dream, and he is exactly where he always hoped he would be.
"We have a great group of guys here. We do a lot of things together and we all get along," Gutierrez said of his teammates. "It's just great being here in Houston. There's nothing better than being a major league baseball player."