A slap hitter and decent defensive catcher, Eusebio bounced between a starting and backup role over the course of his career with the Houston Astros. He had little power but used his inside-out swing to consistently hit line drives to the opposite field. A backstop equivalent of super-sub Luis Sojo, he kept himself mentally ready to get the big hit off the bench, or to take over defensively in the late innings.
In September 2000, Eusebio must have felt like the golfer in the film Caddyshack who stands in a heavy thunderstorm, lifts his club in the air and declares “God wouldn’t ruin the best round of a man’s life!” — after which he was promptly struck by lightning. Posting the best numbers of his career, including a 24-game hitting streak, Eusebio saw his season end prematurely when he tried to make a difficult catch in foul territory on September 1st. As the ball drifted out of play toward the dugout, he dove over the railing, landed on the cement, and separated his shoulder.
