Mendoza first caught the eye of the Pittsburgh Pirates while playing for the Mexico City Diablos Rojos of the Mexican League in 1970. His ability for picking grounders prompted the Pirates to purchase Mendoza's contract from Mexico City.
Mendoza played four seasons in the Pirates' farm system before debuting with the Pirates on April 26, 1974, as a pinch runner for Willie Stargell. With the Pirates down 3–2 in the ninth inning to the Houston Astros, Mendoza scored the tying run in the Pirates' 4–3 victory.[2] For the season, Mendoza batted .221 in 91 games, but had only 177 plate appearances as he was primarily a defensive replacement when starting Pirates shortstopFrank Taveras (who himself only had a .246 batting average in 1974) had been pinch hit for late in a game. He reached the postseason for the only time in his career during his rookie season. He started game three of the 1974 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and went one for three with a walk and an RBIinfield single.[3]
On June 28, 1977, Mendoza pitched two innings of mop up duty in the second game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirates, having used seven pitchers in a doubleheader with the Montreal Expos two days earlier, had already used three pitchers in the first-game 6–1 loss. Completely depleted of pitchers, Pirates manager Chuck Tanner started relief pitcherGrant Jackson in the second game, pitching six innings despite giving up ten runs (only six of which were earned), and the Pirates were already down 10–3 by the time Mendoza was handed the ball. After getting Keith Hernandez to line into a double play to end his first inning of work, Mendoza gave up a three-run home run to Ken Reitz the following inning, giving Mendoza a career 13.50 earned run average.[4]
Mendoza remained with the Pirates as a defensive replacement through 1978, playing some second and third base as well. In five seasons with the Pirates, Mendoza batted .221, .180, .185, .198, and .218, respectively.
Seattle Mariners
Mendoza's request for a trade was granted at the Winter Meetings on December 5, 1978, when he was dealt along with Odell Jones and Rafael Vásquez from the Pirates to the Seattle Mariners for Enrique Romo, Tom McMillan and Rick Jones.[5] In his first season with the Mariners in 1979, he made a career-high 401 plate appearances in a career high 148 games and 132 starts at shortstop. While providing the Mariners with a steady glove, he ended the season with a .198 batting average—making him only the fourth major leaguer ever to play as many as 148 games in a season and fail to break .200. The following year, Mendoza fared better at the plate, batting .245 in 277 at-bats.
Mendoza received an invitation to spring training with the Pirates in 1983. After failing to make the team, he accepted a player-coach position with their triple A Pacific Coast League affiliate, the Hawaii Islanders. After one season in Hawaii, Mendoza returned to Mexico as a player/manager of the Monclova Acereros.
Mendoza only managed Monclova for part of his first season back in the Mexican League, but his playing career in Mexico lasted seven seasons after his major league career ended. His career batting average in Mexico was a substantially better .291; he earned the nickname Manos de Seda, or Silk Hands, for his fielding prowess.
Managerial career
Bill Bavasi, an executive with the Anaheim Angels, believed Mendoza was someone who had potential as a manager and offered him the reins to the Angels' Class A advanced California League affiliate, Lake Elsinore Storm, for the 1998 season. He remained with the Storm until they became a San Diego Padres affiliate in 2001, managing his son, Mario Jr., in 2000.[7]
Mendoza claims that the term was invented in 1979 by his Mariner teammates Bruce Bochte and Tom Paciorek. Bochte and Paciorek would tease Mendoza about his low batting average, as he struggled to hit .200 for the season - and throughout his career, finishing below .200 five times in his nine seasons in the big leagues.
Although Mendoza finished his career with a batting average of .215, the Mendoza Line is almost universally accepted as being at .200, an average Mendoza flirted with all that year. From May 10 to the end of the season it fluctuated between .175 and .210, usually staying within just a few points of .200 before finishing at .198.[13]
The 'Mendoza Line' phrase was overheard by Kansas City Royals batting champion George Brett, who used it in an interview in 1980 during his pursuit of a .400 batting average. He reportedly stated, "The first thing I look for in the Sunday papers is who is below the Mendoza line." The reference caught the attention of ESPN announcer Chris Berman, and the "Mendoza Line" became part of popular culture. However, Brett also praised Mendoza's defensive abilities, claiming Mendoza robbed him of sure base hits on several occasions with exceptional defensive plays.[14]
