Gabriel Lugo Morales (19 April 1946 – 18 September 2017) was a Mexican professional baseball second baseman. Lugo, nicknamed "Jefe Cejas" (Chief Eyebrows), spent all his career in Mexican baseball, playing 18 seasons in the Mexican League and 15 seasons in the Mexican Pacific League. He was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2000. Lugo, who is considered as one of the best second basemen in Mexican baseball, spent most of his career playing for the Cañeros de Los Mochis and Saraperos de Saltillo.

Career
Lugo was born on 19 April 1946 in El Fuerte, Sinaloa. He started his professional career in the Mexican League playing for the Charros de Jalisco in 1966. In 1971, he was signed by the Saraperos de Saltillo, where he would play for the next seven seasons. On 11 July 1976, Lugo hit his 100th home run in the Mexican League in a game against the Alijadores de Tampico. He finished his career with the Saraperos with a total of 894 games, 1048 hits, 157 doubles, 114 home runs, 545 runs and 601 RBIs.

In 1978, Lugo left Saltillo and joined Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo; later that year, he was traded to Cafeteros de Córdoba. Lugo played for Azules de Coatzacoalcos in 1978 and 1979. In 1980, he joined Bravos de León. In 1982, Lugo was signed by the Broncos de Reynosa, where he spent two seasons. He played his last Mexican League season in 1983 for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes.

Lugo also had a prolific career in the Mexican Pacific League (LMP), where he debuted in 1967 playing for the Cañeros de Los Mochis. The next season, 1968–69, Lugo was part of the Los Mochis team that won the LMP championship and he was crowned with the league's batting title, recording a batting average of .309. Lugo left Los Mochis on 1974–75 and played for Venados de Mazatlán, Mayos de Navojoa, Águilas de Mexicali, Yaquis de Obregón and Algodoneros de Guasave, retiring after the 1982–83 season.

After retiring, Lugo coached amateur and semiprofessional baseball clubs in his home state of Sinaloa. In 2000, Lugo was elected to the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. On 19 May 2002, Saraperos de Saltillo retired Lugo's number 5. El Fuerte's local baseball stadium, Estadio Gabriel Lugo Morales (Gabriel Lugo Morales Stadium) was named in honor of Lugo, who was often seen seating on the stadium's bleachers.

Death
Lugo died on 18 September 2017 in his hometown of El Fuerte, aged 71. The cause of death was diabetes. On 19 September 2017, a memorial service was held in the Gabriel Lugo Morales Stadium, attended by hundreds of locals, authorities and players of the Cañeros de Los Mochis, who served as pallbearers.

Career statistics

Mexican Pacific League

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References

External links

1946 births
2017 deaths
Águilas de Mexicali players
Algodoneros de Guasave players
Azules de Coatzacoalcos players
Baseball players from Sinaloa
Bravos de León players
Broncos de Reynosa players
Cafeteros de Córdoba players
Cañeros de Los Mochis players
Charros de Jalisco players
Mayos de Navojoa players
Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
Naranjeros de Hermosillo players
Rieleros de Aguascalientes players
Saraperos de Saltillo players
Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo players
Venados de Mazatlán players
Yaquis de Obregón players