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| Photo: Ronal Martinez / Getty Images |
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Hispanic hall of famers
Hispanic ballplayers have made history in one of America's favorite pastimes. In 1973, the National Baseball Hall of Fame opened its doors to an extraordinary outfielder and fearsome batter, Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente. Four years later, the immortal Cuban Martín Dihigo was inducted into the "Mecca of Baseball"—a posthumous homage to his matchless career in Cuba and other baseball-loving countries. Six years later, Dominican Juan Marichal, who had six 20-win seasons, received the honor. The famous Venezuelan shortstop Luis Aparicio was right behind him, the next year. Seven years passed before the Panamanian Rod Carew, a master in the art of batting, crossed into the hallowed ground in Cooperstown, New York. Puerto Rican Orlando Cepeda, a born homerun hitter, continued down that same road. Cuban Tony Pérez, one of the gears in Cincinnati's famous Big Red Machine, is the most recent inductee. The players are not the only stars. Three sportscasters who were born in Latin America have gained notoriety in their own field: Argentine Buck Canel, Ecuadorian Jaime Jarrín and Cuban Felo Ramírez. Jarrín and Ramírez were the exclusive announcers for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Florida Marlins, respectively. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a player must do more than just star in the Major Leagues. He must also undertake an aggressive campaign to impress the members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and the Veterans Committee, which decide the elections. Last year, Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant and Venezuelan shortstop David Concepción were half the way to immortality. "I believe that with the election of Ozzie Smith (a shortstop), my possibilities have increased. This means that now they are considering fielding," said Concepción during the sixth game of the Caribbean World Series in Caracas, Venezuela. "I played the same number of seasons as Smith. My numbers are there, and not to toot my own horn, but I believe that I was a better batter than he was. It is only a question of comparing statistics," added the man who played midfield with such ease for the Cincinnati Reds. As time passes, Hispanic baseball players are becoming
stronger in the Major Leagues. The names of Dominicans Sammy Sosa, Alex
Rodríguez and Pedro Martínez, Puerto Ricans Roberto Alomar,
Juan "Igor" González and Iván Rodríguez,
Panamanian Mariano Rivera, and Mexican Fernando Valenzuela will surely
appear in the not too distant future, after they decide to hang up their
uniforms. Although he has not announced his retirement, Valenzuela will
be eligible for consideration in next year's elections. |
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