Julio Lugo

Infobox MLB player
name = Julio Lugo

---

width = 300
caption =
team = Boston Red Sox
number = 23
position = Shortstop
birthdate = birth date and age|1975|11|16
birthplace = Barahona, Dominican Republic
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 15
debutyear = 2000
debutteam = Houston Astros
statyear = 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .271
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 77
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 431
teams =
*Houston Astros (by|2000-by|2003)
*Tampa Bay Devil Rays (by|2004-by|2006)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|2006)
*Boston Red Sox (by|2007-present)

Julio Cesar Lugo (born November 16, 1975 in Barahona, Dominican Republic) is a major league shortstop for the Boston Red Sox. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo.

Baseball career

He attended Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, New York where he batted .350 overall. He also played sandlot baseball for the Youth Service League in Brooklyn, New York whose alumni include Manny Ramírez and Shawon Dunston. Lugo starred at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma prior to being drafted by the Astros in the 43rd round of the 1994 amateur draft. He signed with them on May 17, 1995.

After being released by the Astros in by|2003, Lugo signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After spending three seasons with the Devil Rays, he was traded at the by|2006 trade deadline, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor leaguers. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2535506 ESPN - Dodgers acquire Maddux, Lugo at deadline - MLB ] ]

On December 5, 2006, Lugo signed a four-year, $36 million contract with The Boston Red Sox. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2687827 ESPN - Red Sox agree to 4-year, $36M deal with Lugo - MLB ] ]

Lugo was brought on to bat leadoff, but was moved by manager Terry Francona to the bottom part of the order primarily due to his inability to consistently get on base. From June 15 to July 3 Lugo went 0-33 from the plate. Since 1996, only one other Major League player with more than 250 at bats 80 games into the season has had a lower batting average: Greg Vaughn, .163 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2002. [ [http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/06/28/schilling_out_until_after_break/ Boston Red Sox - Schilling out until after break - The Boston Globe ] ]

After the first week of July 2007, Lugo turned his hitting performance around, completing a 14-game hitting streak on July 25, 2007. He was 24-for-54 (.444) during the career-best streak, raising his average from an abysmal .189 back on July 7 to .226.

As of July 5, 2008, Lugo had committed 16 errors, which not only led all big-league players, but was also nearly one-third of the 50 errors made by the Red Sox as a team. He is hitting .268 with one home run and 22 RBI. The rookie shortstop Jed Lowrie has been solid in filling in for Lugo while he has been on the Disabled List.

Accusations of spousal abuse

On April 30, 2003, Lugo was arrested and charged with assaulting his wife. Mabely Lugo had reported that Julio had hit her in the face and had then slammed her head against a car hood. She was treated at a local hospital for injuries. [ [http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0501/1547624.html ESPN.com: MLB - Lugo demoted by Astros after attack on wife ] ] His wife filed a restraining order but later rescinded it. Lugo was found not guilty of misdemeanor assault after his wife stated that she had exaggerated the story; despite the fact that she had signed a sworn statement to the contrary. [ [http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0716/1581601.html ESPN.com: MLB - Lugo found not guilty of assaulting his wife ] ]

Personal life

Lugo and his wife Sulky have one son together: Josmael Aquiles and he has a son Julio Alejandro with his ex-wife Mabely. The family splits the offseason between homes in Houston and the Dominican Republic.

Career statistics

Baseball stats|name = Julio Lugo
update = 2008|g=1149|ab=4216|r=619|h=1141|2b=221|3b=27|hr=77|rbi=431|sb=184|ba =.271|cite=cite web
title = Julio Lugo
publisher = ESPN.com
date = 2007-06-20
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6451
accessdate = 2007-06-20]

References

External links

* [http://en.fundacionjuliolugo.com/ Julio Lugo Foundation]