[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1956 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class inducted one player as pitcher Felix Hernandez was a first ballot pick at 96.8%. Only one other, 2B Ray Reyes, was above 50% with a 57.0% mark on his fourth attempt. No players were dropped after a 10^th ballot in the 1956 class.



Felix Hernandez – Starting Pitcher – Puebla Pumas – 96.8% First Ballot

Felix Hernandez was a 5’6’’, 160 pound right-handed pitcher from Juticalpa, Honduras, a small town in the central part of the country. Despite his tiny frame, Hernandez threw hard with 99-101 mph velocity with an excellent fastball and curveball, a good forkball, and a weak occasional changeup. His movement was unremarkable, but his stuff and control were excellent. He was also incredibly durable and reliable, posting 199+ innings in all 16 of his professional seasons.

Hernandez was discovered as a teenage amateur by scouts from Puebla, signing with the team in 1929. He made his CABA debut in 1935 and was third in Rookie of the Year voting in his debut. The Pumas never made the playoffs in his decade with the squad, but he was a reliable arm with three seasons of 7+ WAR and three seasons leading in FIP-. In 1942, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leaving Mexico in ERA (1.73) and WHIP (0.74). He finished third in 1939. In total with Puebla, he had a 123-97 record, 77 saves, 2.70 ERA, 2226.2 innings, 2656 strikeouts, 211 quality starts, and 54.3 WAR.

Hernandez entered free agency at age 32 and signed with Puerto Rico for the 1945 season. He had immediate success with the Pelicans, taking second in Pitcher of the Year in 1945 and 1947. He helped in the back half of their 1940s dynasty as Puerto Rico won the Caribbean League title in 1945 and were a playoff team in 1946. In the 1945 run, he had 31.2 innings in four starts with 1.99 ERA and 34 strikeouts. In five seasons with the Pelicans, Hernandez had an 88-59 record, 3.11 ERA, 1424 strikeouts, 1368 innings, and 28.5 WAR.

He became the fifth CABA pitcher to pass 4000 strikeouts in his last year with Puerto Rico. Before the 1950 season, Hernandez was traded at age 37 to Leon. He spent one year with the Lions and posted 4.7 WAR, opting to retire at the end of the year at age 38. He also played in his final four seasons for his native Honduras in the World Baseball Championship with varied results.

The final stats for Hernandez saw a 224-172 record,2.92 ERA, 3844.1 innings, 4316 strikeouts, 551 walks, 0.97 WHIP, 330/488 quality starts, and 87.5 WAR. With that, he was an easy first ballot choice, especially in a weak 1956 class. Hernandez made it in with an impressive 96.8% of the vote.