Roberto Rafael Vargas (June 29, 1952 – January 14, 2017) was a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He was a right-handed pitcher who played for the California Angels in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1978 and 1979 seasons.
Early Life and Career
Vargas was born in Villa Tapia, Dominican Republic. He began his professional baseball career in the minor leagues, eventually signing with the California Angels organization. He spent several years honing his skills in various minor league levels before making his MLB debut.
Major League Career
Vargas made his Major League Baseball debut on September 9, 1978, at the age of 26. He appeared in 5 games for the Angels in 1978, pitching 7.0 innings with a 1.29 ERA. He returned for the 1979 season, pitching in 4 more games, accumulating 10.2 innings and an ERA of 5.06. Over his brief MLB career, Vargas pitched in a total of 9 games, all in relief, accumulating 17.2 innings, a 0-1 win-loss record, and an overall ERA of 3.57. He recorded 9 strikeouts and walked 11 batters.
Later Life
After his MLB career, Vargas continued to play professional baseball, primarily in the minor leagues and in winter leagues. He passed away on January 14, 2017, in Santiago, Dominican Republic, at the age of 64.
See Also
- List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
References
- Baseball-Reference.com. "Roberto Vargas Statistics."
- SABR BioProject. (Society for American Baseball Research)