Carlos Lezcano, an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs for two seasons who went on to a long career managing in the minor leagues, has died. He was 69.
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According to the Puerto Rican outlet primerahora.com, Lezcano succumbed following a long battle with cancer.
Leones del Caracas se une al duelo por el sensible fallecimiento de Carlos Lezcano, quién en vida fuera manager y coach de banca en nuestra organización.A todos sus familiares y allegados, nuestro más sincero y sentido pésame. Paz a su alma. pic.twitter.com/FQJ8vdk9r7
— Leones del Caracas (@leones_cbbc) September 6, 2025
A native of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Lezcano played collegiately at Florida State. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 1980, six years after his cousin, outfielder Sixto Lezcano, made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Despite winning the Opening Day center fielder’s job, Lezcano struggled at the plate while manning all three outfield spots as a rookie in Chicago. He hit .205 with a .294 on-base percentage and a .385 slugging percentage in 42 games, and spent most of the season with the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate.
The following season, Lezcano appeared in just seven major league games. They would be the last of his career.
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After splitting the 1983 season between Double-A and Triple-A without a promotion to the big leagues, Lezcano signed a minor league deal with the Oakland A’s that included a non-roster invitation to spring training in 1984.
But after two months at Triple-A Tacoma, Lezcano was released. He latched on with the Detroit Tigers’ Double-A affiliate, but was released with a .236 batting average in July, effectively ending his playing career.
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After several years bouncing around the affiliated minor leagues as a coach, Lezcano got his first managing job in 1992 with the Mariners’ affiliate in the Arizona Summer League, a circuit for players who were just drafted or just promoted from the team’s Dominican Republic complex.
While many men in his position would aspire to move up and manage older players at higher levels of affiliated baseball, Lezcano never strayed far from a position of mentoring entry-level professionals.
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From 1993-94, he managed the Mariners’ Class-A affiliate in the Midwest League. From 1995-96, he managed the advanced Class-A San Jose Giants. In 1997, he managed the Giants’ Double-A affiliate — the highest level of affiliated baseball he would manage in 20 years.
Lezcano was the first manager a young Alex Rodriguez had in professional baseball, with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League.
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Lezcano returned often to his native Puerto Rico. After the 1998-99 Puerto Rico Winter League season, he was named the league’s Manager of the Year with Leones Ponce.
Lezcano also won the league’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1977-78, and is one of only five men in history to win both awards.
Lezcano last managed in affiliated baseball with the advanced Class-A Lake Elsinore Storm, a Padres affiliate, from 2007-11. He held various managing jobs in independent leagues and the Puerto Rican Winter League in the years that followed.
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