University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Jose Alvarez - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019
10/31/2019 1:57:00 PM | Athletics
Making an impact long after his last pitch in baseball, Alvarez has served with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since 1996
LAFAYETTE -Â It's the rare athlete whose impact in the world is more significant after his playing career is over.
That's the case with Jose Alvarez, despite the fact that the Tampa, Fla., native was a good enough baseball player at then-USL to make an all-decade team in the Southland Conference, and a good enough professional to have an 16-year career, including four years at the big-league level.
His impact on the mound for the Ragin' Cajuns and for the Atlanta Braves organization was significant, but Alvarez touched and continues to touch many more lives after he threw his last pitch. Since 2007, the former Southland Pitcher of the Year and eighth-round Braves draft choice has been a part of the national Fellowship of Christian Athletes staff, serving as director of professional golf's TourLife ministry and as a chaplain for the PGA Tour.
In that role, he travels the country to Tour events and provides faith-based programs to meet the needs of traveling tournament golfers, families, caddies and Tour staff.
"I've known Jose for over 40 years, and while he's as competitive as ever, it's with a different purpose now," said former college teammate and 1980 UL graduate Raymond Richard. "Every day, Jose competes to make a positive difference in someone's life. Along with his work with the Tour, he has a unique platform to reach the youth of America via golf campus and other FCA events across the country."
That platform is a big part of his legacy, but it was his athletic success that now has him as one of this weekend's inductees into the Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame, part of a group that will be honored as part of this year's Homecoming activities. Induction ceremonies are at 6 p.m. Friday at the Stadium Club at Russo Park, and the honorees will also be recognized during halftime of Saturday's 4 p.m. Homecoming football game against Texas State.
Alvarez was recruited by former Ragin' Cajuns baseball coach Don Lockwood, and led the Cajuns in both wins and strikeouts as a junior and a senior. He became the first Cajun pitcher since the legendary Ron Guidry to throw a nine-inning no-hitter when he fanned 10 batters in an 11-0 win over Texas-Arlington in April of 1978, the highlight of Louisiana's first year in what is now M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
"Jose was the epitome of a competitor," Lockwood said. "As his coach, I could always count on his competitive edge. But he also had the respect of his teammates because of his outstanding leadership qualities."
Alvarez was an All-Southland performer as a senior and was later named to the Southland's All-Decade team for the 1970's. He still holds school records for complete games in a season (12), shutouts in a season (five) and in a career (eight) and still holds the third-best career ERA in school history.
He was drafted by the Braves after his senior season and spent that season with the rookie league Kingsport Braves – an organization he spent nearly all of his nearly two-decade career with. He spent time with the major league club in 1981-82, and was brought back to the "big club" in 1988 and 1989, making enough of a contribution in 1988 to earn the "Atlanta Braves Outstanding Pitcher" award from the Atlanta 400 Club. He pitched with the San Francisco Giants in 1990.
He had an 8-9 mark and a 2.99 ERA with 134 strikeouts in 162 major-league innings during his career, and was still pitching on the AAA level with the Richmond Braves when he retired at the end of the 1995 season as one of the most popular players with his pro teammates.
"Jose was a mentor to me in so many ways," said former Brave great John Smoltz, a 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee in his first year of eligibility. "He was responsible for looking after me as a young player in Richmond, and his leadership brought me under his wing and cared for me as a human being, and not for just what I could do on the baseball field.
"He cared about my heart and my character and sought out a relationship that still exists today, and I do call him a dear friend. I am forever grateful for Jose in showing me how to pay it forward in the game of baseball and life."
Â
That's the case with Jose Alvarez, despite the fact that the Tampa, Fla., native was a good enough baseball player at then-USL to make an all-decade team in the Southland Conference, and a good enough professional to have an 16-year career, including four years at the big-league level.
His impact on the mound for the Ragin' Cajuns and for the Atlanta Braves organization was significant, but Alvarez touched and continues to touch many more lives after he threw his last pitch. Since 2007, the former Southland Pitcher of the Year and eighth-round Braves draft choice has been a part of the national Fellowship of Christian Athletes staff, serving as director of professional golf's TourLife ministry and as a chaplain for the PGA Tour.
In that role, he travels the country to Tour events and provides faith-based programs to meet the needs of traveling tournament golfers, families, caddies and Tour staff.
"I've known Jose for over 40 years, and while he's as competitive as ever, it's with a different purpose now," said former college teammate and 1980 UL graduate Raymond Richard. "Every day, Jose competes to make a positive difference in someone's life. Along with his work with the Tour, he has a unique platform to reach the youth of America via golf campus and other FCA events across the country."
That platform is a big part of his legacy, but it was his athletic success that now has him as one of this weekend's inductees into the Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame, part of a group that will be honored as part of this year's Homecoming activities. Induction ceremonies are at 6 p.m. Friday at the Stadium Club at Russo Park, and the honorees will also be recognized during halftime of Saturday's 4 p.m. Homecoming football game against Texas State.
Alvarez was recruited by former Ragin' Cajuns baseball coach Don Lockwood, and led the Cajuns in both wins and strikeouts as a junior and a senior. He became the first Cajun pitcher since the legendary Ron Guidry to throw a nine-inning no-hitter when he fanned 10 batters in an 11-0 win over Texas-Arlington in April of 1978, the highlight of Louisiana's first year in what is now M. L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
"Jose was the epitome of a competitor," Lockwood said. "As his coach, I could always count on his competitive edge. But he also had the respect of his teammates because of his outstanding leadership qualities."
Alvarez was an All-Southland performer as a senior and was later named to the Southland's All-Decade team for the 1970's. He still holds school records for complete games in a season (12), shutouts in a season (five) and in a career (eight) and still holds the third-best career ERA in school history.
He was drafted by the Braves after his senior season and spent that season with the rookie league Kingsport Braves – an organization he spent nearly all of his nearly two-decade career with. He spent time with the major league club in 1981-82, and was brought back to the "big club" in 1988 and 1989, making enough of a contribution in 1988 to earn the "Atlanta Braves Outstanding Pitcher" award from the Atlanta 400 Club. He pitched with the San Francisco Giants in 1990.
He had an 8-9 mark and a 2.99 ERA with 134 strikeouts in 162 major-league innings during his career, and was still pitching on the AAA level with the Richmond Braves when he retired at the end of the 1995 season as one of the most popular players with his pro teammates.
"Jose was a mentor to me in so many ways," said former Brave great John Smoltz, a 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee in his first year of eligibility. "He was responsible for looking after me as a young player in Richmond, and his leadership brought me under his wing and cared for me as a human being, and not for just what I could do on the baseball field.
"He cared about my heart and my character and sought out a relationship that still exists today, and I do call him a dear friend. I am forever grateful for Jose in showing me how to pay it forward in the game of baseball and life."
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