Jose Vizcaino makes a difference with Dodgers

LOS ANGELES – After breaking into the majors as a 21-year-old with the Dodgers in 1989, Jose Vizcaino spent 18 years in the majors. With a solid bat, defensive versatility in the middle of the infield and the utmost character, the native of the Dominican Republic was never out of a job long.

Vizcaino, who is now a special infield instructor with the Dodgers, was a respected leader in the clubhouse while playing for eight different teams. He helped the Yankees win the 2000 World Series. Vizcaino set the tone in Game 1 of the Subway Series with a walk-off single in the 12th inning against the Mets. He also earned a 2006 World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Two years after playing his final big league game in 2006, Vizcaino joined the Dodgers as a special infield instructor. He has spent the last 17 seasons with the Dodgers.

Our Esquina caught up with Jose Vizcaino recently at Dodger Stadium as part of a Q&A with Latinos making a difference in MLB. The answers were edited for clarity and brevity.

Our Esquina: Talk to me about this journey from a ballplayer to where you are now.

Jose Vizcaino:  I’m feeling really good. … Being able to play 18 seasons in the big leagues and now as a coach working with the Dodgers since 2008 has been a great experience. Working for a team that is always in the playoffs and in a run for the World Series, I’m very happy to be working with this organization. 

Adjusting to coaching

OE: I know it has been quite a minute since you have been with the Dodgers, talk about how that transition was. I know a lot of people don’t know about going from a player to a coach. 

Vizcaino: The first couple of years were hard because I still wanted to play for the first three years working here. Sometimes I would go in the minor league (side) and stay in the cage with the guys, you know, take some ground balls. But then I started picking up on golf a lot. I forgot about playing baseball. So after that it was easier transitioning to a coach than thinking that I wanted to play baseball.

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OE: Jose, let’s talk a little bit about your Latino background and heritage. I know your shirt says breaking barriers. Talk about the barrier and obviously MLB is full of Latinos, but the barriers guys still need to break through to get to the show? 

Vizcaino: You know coming from a small island like the Dominican Republic you come here and you know that you got to work hard. The barrier that we have is the English language. It was hard for us because when I first came here I did not speak one word of English. It was hard for me the first couple of years until I learned English through my teammates.

I just remember the first two weeks I was going to Kentucky Fried Chicken and pointing to the picture that I liked. That is how we ordered. Then we learned how to say, ‘May I have this?’ And we started going to different places like Burger King and McDonald’s. It was hard the first couple of years. but then after we learned a lot it was easy to communicate.

Helping players adjust

OE: How do you help younger Dominican, Puerto Ricans that come here. There is no Mangu in Kansas City. There are no arroz con gandules in Pittsburgh. How do you help those young Dominican and Latino players who come to the league who are trying to get adjusted but feel homesick?

4/25/1996 José Vizcaíno sets a franchise record with a hit in his ninth consecutive at-bat. pic.twitter.com/vnGUKmPMrT

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) April 25, 2025

Vizcaino: Just talking to them and telling them about our experience and telling them what they are going to expect. Just prepare them before they come here for the first time. I think now it is an easy transition because, especially in the Dominican every team has an academy. They introduce the food and language before they come here. So when they come here for the first time it is more easy for them to transition.  

OE: What is the part of the game you miss the most? 

Vizcaino: Playing every day. Just being on the field and competing, being a good teammate and trying to help the team win. 

OE: What is it like to be a father or if you are a grandparent.  What do you tell these ball players who are either going to be a father or are fathers? 

Vizcaino: Just with my experience it was hard. I had my kids when I was playing, and I was traveling a lot. It is hard to be away from your kids but every time  we came home I spent as much time trying to teach them manners and educating them to be a man. I tried to spend as much time with them as I could.