VI.
A little time before the start of the 1945 season, my father, Esparza and a few of the players made the trip over to Centenera for some kind of event. I think it was mostly meetings about changes to the schedule, rules questions and things of that sort. (They decided on an 84-game schedule for the 1945-46 season, by the way.)
While they were there they had some pictures taken for the new baseball cards. The Liga always issued new baseball cards every year, you know. Not like here though. They sent them to the teams to give out free to the fans that went to games. I used to love them. I still have most of mine from every season since then.
They also took a group picture to use for some advertising for the Liga. It had one player from each team in it, all together at the Parque Centrale. My father brought back a copy of the picture for me. I got every single one of the players to sign it over the course of that season. It must be worth something now!
Let me tell you who each of the people in the picture is – they’re some of the best players from the early days of the LNE. And I saw them all play!
The Rojos player in the picture is
Alonso Pérez, who I’ve already told you about. Just behind him is Atlético’s
Domingo García. He was a lefty hitting catcher, 25 years old in 1945. He had a .308 hitting average through his first three seasons, and he was brilliant behind the plate. Then there’s Los Metros’
Arturo Gonzáles. He was 32, and a big hitting outfielder. In 1943 he had 60 RBI – the season record at the time.
The next man is
José Silva. He was La Cruz’s star pitcher. He was only a little fellow, maybe 5’9, but he could throw the ball like nothing else. A big fastball and a biting curve. He’d won 29 games in three years, and had an ERA of just 2.25. Amazing.
Also amazing was
Juan Enríquez. He’d been drafted by Villardondiego from Tahon. It was the biggest surprise of the draft – Enríquez had hit 13 homeruns in 1944, equalling the early record. Even though he didn’t hit for much average, he was a thrill to watch – when he hit the ball, it really flew.
The Club Orientales player in the picture is
Jaime Ruíz. He played rightfield in San Rodrigo, and he could really hit. A .290 average in three seasons and 26 homeruns. He played a big part in Club Orientales winning the LNE in 1943-44.
Jorge García was the best player on the Tahón team. He was a big, burly pitcher, only 23 but he’d already started 58 games for the Leones. His record was only 22-24, but that team hadn’t been good in the early days. Last, but definitely not least, is the Tabaqueros’
Felipe Medina. He was the star of the show in Progreso. They loved his crafty pitching, and the numbers he put up. 26 wins, 5 shutouts, 189 strikeouts…