INTRODUCTION
M
ARIO MENDOZA WAS A
shortstop who played for
nine seasons in the big
leagues—from 1974 to
1982—with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seat-
tle Mariners and Texas Rangers. Born in
Chihuahua, Mexico, he made it to the ma-
jors on the strength of his slick defensive
play—the graceful, bespectacled Mendoza
displayed excellent range, sure hands and
What Does
Success Even
Mean?
The defi nition is fuzzy, mixing public and
private, perception and reality
By Richard Jerome
a strong, accurate throwing arm. In 1980,
no less an expert than Hall of Fame second
baseman Bill Mazeroski, himself a legend-
ary fi elder, declared, “Mario Mendoza is the
best shortstop in the American League.” For
all his virtues, Mendoza was not, however, a
hitter. Over the course of his career, he com-
piled a .215 lifetime batting average, mea-
ger by any standard—though far from the
worst in major-league history.
