Chris Gutierrez (baseball)

Chris "Gutie" Gutierrez (born March 12, 1984) is an American professional baseball player of Cuban descent who mainly played in Minor League Baseball, having tallied 872 games with four different organizations: the Dodgers, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Angels affiliates. At the NCAA Division One level, he was a three-time All-Big 12 shortstop at Oklahoma State from 2002 to 2005. He is from Orlando, Florida and led Conway Little League with Zack Greinke to its first Senior League World Series in 1999.

Gutierrez attended Tom Emanski Baseball World based in Maitland, Florida.

Gutierrez is currently with the Dodgers as a AAA bench coach, and also involved in player development.

Professional career

Gutierrez played for the Pulaski Blue Jays, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. He then continued to play for Toronto affiliates till 2009, which included Auburn Doubledays, Lansing Lugnuts, Dunedin Blue Jays, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Syracuse Chiefs. In June 2009, he moved to the Salt Lake Bees, and then moved on to play for the Arkansas Travelers.

In 2010, he played for the Dodgers' affiliate Inland Empire 66ers in the California League. In 2011, he played for the Jacksonville Suns and the New Orleans Zephyrs, he continued to play for these teams until 2013.

He had an impressive collegiate career from 2003 to 2004. In 2004, he played as a shortstop in all 62 games and received recognition as a second-team All-Big 12 by the coaches. Throughout the season, he maintained a .269 batting average, hitting 10 doubles, a triple, and five home runs, while driving in 40 runs. Gutierrez showcased his consistency with 16 multiple-hit and 10 multi-RBI games. Notably, he led his team with 12 sacrifice bunts, matching his previous year's total and ranking third in school history. With a total of 24 sacrifice bunts, Gutierrez secured the second-best record in Oklahoma State University's (OSU) history, trailing behind Fred Ocasio's 36.

Gutierrez demonstrated exceptional fielding skills by not committing a single error in 26 conference games, making 106 attempts. Overall, he only made nine miscues throughout the season. In 219 at-bats, he grounded into just one double play. Notably, He displayed remarkable discipline at the plate, striking out only 29 times. In a series against Louisiana Tech, he went 4-for-10, scoring six runs and driving in five RBIs. During the same series, He achieved a career-high five RBIs and four runs scored in a single game. He also excelled in tournaments such as the Lake Area Classic and the Southwest Diamond Classic, where he recorded six hits and two doubles in each.

Throughout the season, Gutierrez had several notable performances against various opponents. He hit a crucial three-run homerun against Texas-Arlington, resulting in a tied game, which OSU eventually won. In another game against Texas A&M, He went 1-for-3 with an RBI. He had a productive series against Kansas State, going 5-for-12 with six RBIs and scoring five runs, even hitting for the cycle with a home run, a triple, and two doubles. However, he struggled during the Bedlam series, recording only one hit in 12 at-bats. In games against Nebraska, Texas Tech, and Western Illinois, Gutie showcased his offensive prowess with multiple hits, doubles, and RBIs. He concluded the season by making no errors in 13 chances during the NCAA Tournament.

In 2003, as a true freshman, he started 53 games and achieved a batting average of .304 with one home run and 23 RBIs. He proved to be a threat on the basepaths, stealing nine bases in 10 attempts. Gutierrez displayed consistency by recording 13 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games. Notably, he achieved a career-high of five hits in a game against Missouri. Against right-handed pitchers, he maintained a .327 batting average. Additionally, Gutie led the team with 141 assists and demonstrated his defensive skills by consistently making difficult plays look routine.

Prior to his collegiate career, Gutierrez had a successful high school tenure at Boone High. He received numerous accolades, including being named a first-team all-county, all-metro, and all-state selection for four consecutive years. Gutierrez was recognized as the team's offensive MVP from 1999 to 2001 and the defensive MVP in 2001–02. He exhibited exceptional discipline at the plate, leading the county in walks during his junior and senior years. He consistently maintained a batting average of over .400 throughout his high school career. His defensive prowess was evident through his remarkable fielding, as he made only one error during a 30-game errorless streak in his junior year, setting a school record. Furthermore, Gutierrez had the opportunity to represent the USA Youth National team in 1999 and 2000, winning the PAL World Championships

Personal life

He was born on March 12, 1984, in Orlando, Florida. He is the son of Eddie and Maria Gutierrez. He was an economics major at OSU.