ICON: Bernie Williams
There may have been bigger names in the New York Yankees’ lineups of the late 1990s dynasty, but those four World Series rings in five years wouldn’t have happened without Bernie Williams, the Bombers’ switch-hitting, smooth fielding centerfielder. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Williams began his Yankees career in 1991 at 22 years old and became a regular two years later as he led the charge of young players finally being given a chance to prove themselves in the Majors with an organization hardly known for its patience in developing young talent. He established himself as one of the
ICON: Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols capped his Hall of Fame-worthy career with a dream final season. While his return to the Cardinals in 2022 ended with St. Louis losing the NL Wild Card series to the Phillies, Pujols had a remarkable resurgence in the last half of the year to climax a brilliant 22-year career — highlighted by his becoming only the fourth member of the 700 home run club. The Dominican-born superstar known as “The Machine” cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hitters ever when he bashed his 703rd home run — the final one of his career — on
SUPER CINCO: LatinoBaseball’s all-time hits leaders
Here are the Top 5 all-time hits leaders among Latino players: ALBERT PUJOLS 3,384 The Hall of Fame-bound Dominican native, a three-time NL MVP with the Cardinals, is arguably the greatest Latino slugger in history with 703 lifetime homers (fourth all-time). MIGUEL CABRERA 3,174 The former Marlin and Tiger is a rare member of the 3,000 hits and 500 home runs club. The Venezuela-born Cabrera hit 511 HR, tied for 25th on the all-time list. ADRIAN BELTRE 3,166 The 2024 Hall of Fame inductee was an excellent two-way player, earning five Gold Glove Awards, two Platinum Glove Awards, and four
SUPER CINCO: LatinoBaseball’s Top 5 wins leaders, career
Here are the top five Latino pitchers with the most lifetime wins: 1. BARTOLO COLON, 247 wins He may be built like a beer-league softball player who spent too much time tapping the keg, but looks were definitely deceiving when it came to the popular righty affectionately known as “Big Sexy.” The Dominican Republic native won 247 games over a 21-year career with 11 different teams — good for No. 1 on the all-time list for Latino hurlers. 2. DENNIS MARTINEZ, 245 wins He was never included among the elite pitchers of his day, but Dennis Martinez wrapped up
SUPER CINCO: LatinoBaseball’s Top 5 batting average leaders, career
These are the Top 5 lifetime batting average leaders among Latino players: 1. ROD CAREW .323: The Panama-born Hall of Famer, a seven-time batting champ with 3,053 lifetime hits, had a career-best .388 for the Twins in 1977 when he won AL MVP. 2. VLADIMIR GUERRERO .318: The free-swinging Dominican slugger (449 HR) hit .290 or better over 15 straight seasons with a career-best .345 in 2000. 3. ROBERTO CLEMENTE .317: The Pittsburgh Pirates icon from Puerto Rico had four NL batting titles including a career-high .357 in 1967. 4. NOMAR GARCIAPARRA .313: The slugging shortstop and Red Sox fan
ICON: Andres Galarraga
At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Andres Galarraga was an imposing figure on the diamond known as “The Big Cat” for his unexpected quickness and agility at first base. But as good as he was with the glove, the Big Cat also swung a big bat. He was a lifetime .288 hitter over 19 seasons, smashing 399 homers and averaging 102 RBI a year. A five-time All-Star, Galarraga played for six teams, including eight seasons with the Montreal Expos before signing with the expansion Colorado Rockies as a free agent in 1993, when he won his only batting title. He hit
The forgotten All-Star game: Latino legends played in Polo Grounds’ last game ever in 1963
It was the All-Star game few baseball fans witnessed, and few today know it was ever played at all. More than 60 years ago, on a warm and sunny autumn afternoon in New York, two teams comprised of Latino players from the Major Leagues squared off at the Polo Grounds for an exhibition game billed as a charity event to benefit a new Latin American Hall of Fame. Held on Oct. 12, 1963 — a week after the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the New York Yankees in the World Series — it would be the last baseball game ever played
PICTORIAL: Baseball in Puerto Rico, old-school style
Baseball in Latin America — and the fan fervor for the game — goes back more than a century. But it's in the winter when the fun really heated up as MLB players from stars to scrubs —including plenty of future Hall of Famers — would head to the sunny climes of the Caribbean to keep their skills sharp. Click on the photos for a look back at how baseball was played in Puerto Rico.
