Steven Robert Ontiveros (born October 26, 1951) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played from through for the San Francisco Giants (1973–1976) and Chicago Cubs (1977–1980). He also played six seasons in Japan for the Seibu Lions (1980–1985). Ontiveros was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He is of Mexican American descent.Talley, Rick, Chicago Tribune, "Peterson perfect for Sox ballpark"(Feb 20, 1977, Section B3); "Steve Ontiveros, Is of Mexican heritage but was born and raised in Bakersfield, Cal."
A solid third baseman with an average arm, Ontiveros won The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award in 1973. He reached the majors with the San Francisco Giants late in the season, spending four years with them. He was traded along with Bobby Murcer and minor-league right-handed pitcher Andy Muhlstock from the Giants to the Cubs for Bill Madlock and Rob Sperring on February 11, 1977."Madlock Goes to Giants As Cubs Obtain Murcer," The Associated Press (AP), Friday, February 11, 1977. Retrieved February 14, 2023. 1977 ended up being his most productive season for the Cubs, when he posted career-highs in games played (156), batting average (.299), home runs (10), RBI (68), hits (162), and on-base percentage (.390).
In an eight-season MLB career, Ontiveros hit .274 with 24 home runs and 224 RBI in 732 games. In mid-season 1980, having lost his starting 3B job to Lenny Randle, Steve (Ontiveros's registered name) negotiated a contract with the Seibu Lions of the Nippon Professional Baseball league, and the Cubs sold him to Seibu.https://www.newspapers.com/image/386932765/?match=3&terms=%22jim%20tyrone%22%20seibu He played for Seibu from 1980 to 1985, hitting .312 with 82 home runs and 390 RBI.
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External links
The Baseball Guru