Father of major league catcher Ozzie Virgil, the elder Virgil was the first Dominican to play in the majors. He was also the first dark-skinned player on the Tigers; he joined them in 1958 and went 5-for-5 in his first game with Detroit. Though used sparingly, he played every position but pitcher during his ML tenure. He began coaching for the Giants in 1969, became Dick Williams‘s third base coach in Montreal in 1977, and went with him to the Padres and Mariners.
