Héctor Espino
Encyclopedia
Hector Espino was a Mexican
professional outfielder
, first baseman
and manager
.
Born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Espino has being considered the greatest player in Mexican League history. Sometimes called The Babe Ruth of Mexico, he played from 1960 through 1984 in both the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol
(Mexican summer league) and the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico
(Mexican winter league). After amassing 484 career home run
s, he is recognized as the all-time minor-league home run king. 481 of those homers came in Mexico, while 453 of them were in the LMB.
. In 63 games, he hit .362 with 20 HRs in just 229 at bats. A year later he played briefly for the San Luis Potosí Tuneros.
Espino entered the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in 1962 with the Sultanes de Monterrey (Monterrey Sultans) as an outfielder and right handed batter. He batted a .358 average
with 23 home runs and 12 triples
, driving in
105 runs (tying for the league lead) while scoring
106 times. He helped lead Monterrey to a league championship and was named Rookie of the Year.
In 1963, Espino missed some games due to an injury and his average dipped slightly to .346. In 99 games, he managed to hit 24 home runs and 80 runs batted in.
Espino moved from outfield to first base in 1964. Despite playing a new position, he won his first Mexican League batting title with a .371 average, adding 46 home runs, 115 runs, and 117 RBI. His run total was the third highest in Mexican League history, being surpassed only by Bobby Avila
and Cool Papa Bell. In addition, he set a new home run record, surpassing Ronnie Camacho's 39, and also set a record with 30 intentional walks
, while his 332 total bases
were second-best in league history. His impressive numbers drew the attention of the St. Louis Cardinals
organization, who signed Espino late in the year and sent him to their AAA club, the Jacksonville Suns
. Espino did well there, hitting .300 with three homers in 32 games, but he would never play outside the Mexican League again. Sources list several different reasons and Total Baseball reports that Espino himself gave different ones. Total Baseball says that Espino might have liked being a big fish in a small pond; some said homesickness; Mexican League writer Bruce Baskin says that racism discouraged Espino from playing in the US.
In 1965 the Cardinals invited Espino to spring training, but he did not report. Jamie Marshall writes that it was because Espino wanted a "fair share of the sale price." He hit .335 with 17 HR in just 67 games in the Mexican League that year.
Espino returned to full time duty in 1966 and hit a league-leading .369, beating out Minnie Miñoso by 21 points. He finished second in the league with 31 homers and third with 91 walks despite missing two road series due to conflicts with his manager.
In 1967 and 1968 Espino repeated as batting champ with marks of .379 and .365, respectively. He hit 34 homers, slugged .706 and scored 106 runs in 1967, winning in 1968 his second home run title with 27. His fourth batting title tied Al Pinkston for the Mexican League record. In the late 1960s, the California Angels
tried to sign Espino several times without success.
In 1969, after winning three straight batting titles, Espino's batting average fell to .304. He won another home run crown, leading the league with 37 homers. He also set a new single season record with 125 walks (this record would be broken the following year).
In 1970, Espino began a slight slump during his prime. He still hit .319, but only 18 home runs. The next year he moved to the Alijadores de Tampico
(Tampico Lightermen), and hit .311 with a subpar 20 home runs and 58 RBI.
In 1972, Espino bounced back to a .356 average and clinched his fourth and final home run title (37). He also scored 101 runs and drove in 101 more, with a league-high 94 walks. In 1973 his average rose again, to .377, good to win his fifth and final Mexican League batting championship. He also drove in 107 runs and hit 22 homers; while it was 15 fewer than his previous season, the 34-year old slugger would never again hit as many.
From 1974 through 1980, Espino remained in double digit homers, reaching 20 once, though he remained a .300 hitter through 1980 except for one .297 season.
In 1975 Espino helped lead Tampico to a Mexican league championship, while setting a league record for the most consecutive hits in 11 straight at-bats. His statistics declined drastically in his early forties, retiring in 1984 at the age of 45.
win.
Overall, Espino won 13 batting crowns, six home run titles, and six Most Valuable Player awards. He is the only player in LMP history with a career average over .300. The runner up, Matias Carrillo
, is 36 points behind Espino. He also played in six Caribbean Series and was inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame.
.
to finish his career as the all time minor league home run king with a career total of 484 home runs.
Over his 24 year Mexican League career, Espino played 2388 games, had 8205 at bats, scored 1505 runs, got 2752 hits, 373 doubles, 45 triples, 453 home runs, 1573 runs batted in, 54 stolen bases, and a .335 batting average.
During the course of his career, he rejected contract offers from the St. Louis Cardinals
, New York Mets
, San Diego Padres
, and California Angels which helped him earn the nickname, "The Rebel of Chihuahua."
In 1976, the baseball stadium, "Estadio De Beisbol Héctor Espino
", was renamed in his honor. Then, in 1988 he was selected for the Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Profesional de México
(Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame).
Héctor Espino died in 1997 in Monterrey, Nuevo León at the age of 58 after suffering a heart attack.
His number 21 has been retired by all professional teams in the Mexican summer and winter leagues.
broke Espino's Mexican League home run record (455 to 453), but did not break his all-time minor league home run title.
Espino's other Mexican League records fell over the years: Jack Pierce broke his season home run record in 1986; Jesús Sommers and Frank Estrada
broke his record for seasons played; Sommers took over the games played record; Daniel Fernández broke his career run record (1,479), while Sommers and Barrera broke his hit record (2,752). Sommers also was one of several to break his double record (373), Barrera broke his RBI record, Espino had never caught Camacho in walks (1,330 to 1,441) and Barrera broke his total bases record (4,574). Only his intentional walk records — 53 in a season (1969) and 408 career (over 200 more than #2 Barrera) — have not been approached.
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
professional outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
.
Born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Espino has being considered the greatest player in Mexican League history. Sometimes called The Babe Ruth of Mexico, he played from 1960 through 1984 in both the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol
Liga Mexicana de Beisbol
The Mexican League is a summer minor league baseball league with teams based across Mexico. Along with the International League and the Pacific Coast League, it is one of three leagues playing at the triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It is the only Minor League...
(Mexican summer league) and the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico
Liga Mexicana del Pacífico
The Mexican Pacific League is a winter minor baseball league in Mexico. The eight-team league's regular season runs from October to December and is followed by a playoff series in January to determine the league champion...
(Mexican winter league). After amassing 484 career home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, he is recognized as the all-time minor-league home run king. 481 of those homers came in Mexico, while 453 of them were in the LMB.
Mexican League career
Espino began his baseball career in 1960 with the San Luis Potosí Tuneros of the Mexican Central LeagueMexican Central League
The Mexican Central League was a summer minor league baseball league that operated for 19 seasons with teams based across Mexico. It was formed in 1960 and was recognized as Single-A level, which is three levels below Major League Baseball. In 1979, the Mexican Central League was absorbed into the...
. In 63 games, he hit .362 with 20 HRs in just 229 at bats. A year later he played briefly for the San Luis Potosí Tuneros.
Espino entered the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in 1962 with the Sultanes de Monterrey (Monterrey Sultans) as an outfielder and right handed batter. He batted a .358 average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 23 home runs and 12 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, driving in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
105 runs (tying for the league lead) while scoring
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
106 times. He helped lead Monterrey to a league championship and was named Rookie of the Year.
In 1963, Espino missed some games due to an injury and his average dipped slightly to .346. In 99 games, he managed to hit 24 home runs and 80 runs batted in.
Espino moved from outfield to first base in 1964. Despite playing a new position, he won his first Mexican League batting title with a .371 average, adding 46 home runs, 115 runs, and 117 RBI. His run total was the third highest in Mexican League history, being surpassed only by Bobby Avila
Bobby Avila
Roberto Francisco Ávila González to Maria Gonzalez and Jorge Avila, was a Major League Baseball second baseman and right-handed batter who played for the Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Tigres del México...
and Cool Papa Bell. In addition, he set a new home run record, surpassing Ronnie Camacho's 39, and also set a record with 30 intentional walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, while his 332 total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
were second-best in league history. His impressive numbers drew the attention of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
organization, who signed Espino late in the year and sent him to their AAA club, the Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
. Espino did well there, hitting .300 with three homers in 32 games, but he would never play outside the Mexican League again. Sources list several different reasons and Total Baseball reports that Espino himself gave different ones. Total Baseball says that Espino might have liked being a big fish in a small pond; some said homesickness; Mexican League writer Bruce Baskin says that racism discouraged Espino from playing in the US.
In 1965 the Cardinals invited Espino to spring training, but he did not report. Jamie Marshall writes that it was because Espino wanted a "fair share of the sale price." He hit .335 with 17 HR in just 67 games in the Mexican League that year.
Espino returned to full time duty in 1966 and hit a league-leading .369, beating out Minnie Miñoso by 21 points. He finished second in the league with 31 homers and third with 91 walks despite missing two road series due to conflicts with his manager.
In 1967 and 1968 Espino repeated as batting champ with marks of .379 and .365, respectively. He hit 34 homers, slugged .706 and scored 106 runs in 1967, winning in 1968 his second home run title with 27. His fourth batting title tied Al Pinkston for the Mexican League record. In the late 1960s, the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
tried to sign Espino several times without success.
In 1969, after winning three straight batting titles, Espino's batting average fell to .304. He won another home run crown, leading the league with 37 homers. He also set a new single season record with 125 walks (this record would be broken the following year).
In 1970, Espino began a slight slump during his prime. He still hit .319, but only 18 home runs. The next year he moved to the Alijadores de Tampico
Alijadores de Tampico
The Alijadores de Tampico were a professional baseball team from Tampico, Tamaulipas that played in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol . In the 1940s, they were an excellent team and won titles in 1945 and 1946. However, the team was not very profitable and from 1949 through 1970, the team was not a...
(Tampico Lightermen), and hit .311 with a subpar 20 home runs and 58 RBI.
In 1972, Espino bounced back to a .356 average and clinched his fourth and final home run title (37). He also scored 101 runs and drove in 101 more, with a league-high 94 walks. In 1973 his average rose again, to .377, good to win his fifth and final Mexican League batting championship. He also drove in 107 runs and hit 22 homers; while it was 15 fewer than his previous season, the 34-year old slugger would never again hit as many.
From 1974 through 1980, Espino remained in double digit homers, reaching 20 once, though he remained a .300 hitter through 1980 except for one .297 season.
In 1975 Espino helped lead Tampico to a Mexican league championship, while setting a league record for the most consecutive hits in 11 straight at-bats. His statistics declined drastically in his early forties, retiring in 1984 at the age of 45.
Mexican winter league
Espino also had a significant career with the Naranjeros de Hermosillo (Hermosillo Orange Pickers) of the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico. During his 24 seasons in the circuit, he hit .329 with 299 home runs and 1029 RBI. In 1976, he led the Mexican entry to its first Caribbean SeriesCaribbean World Series
The Caribbean Series , also called the Caribbean World Series is the highest baseball tournament at club level in Latin America. The league winners from the Winter Leagues of Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela participate in the tournament...
win.
Overall, Espino won 13 batting crowns, six home run titles, and six Most Valuable Player awards. He is the only player in LMP history with a career average over .300. The runner up, Matias Carrillo
Matías Carrillo
Matías Carrillo García is a former Major League Baseball player and currently manager for the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican Pacific League. He played in 1991 for the Milwaukee Brewers and was member of the Florida Marlins in 1993 and 1994 seasons.-External links:* Mexican Pacific League...
, is 36 points behind Espino. He also played in six Caribbean Series and was inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame.
Managerial career
In 1990 and 1991 Espino managed the Monterrey Industriales, posting a 110-138 record In 248 games for a .444 winning percentageWinning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
.
Legacy and death
When Espino retired from baseball in 1984, he had surpassed Buzz ArlettBuzz Arlett
Russell Loris Arlett , also known as Buzz Arlett, was an American baseball player of German descent. Sometimes called "the Babe Ruth of the minor leagues." Like Ruth, Arlett was a large man who began his career as a pitcher before becoming his league's dominant home run hitter...
to finish his career as the all time minor league home run king with a career total of 484 home runs.
Over his 24 year Mexican League career, Espino played 2388 games, had 8205 at bats, scored 1505 runs, got 2752 hits, 373 doubles, 45 triples, 453 home runs, 1573 runs batted in, 54 stolen bases, and a .335 batting average.
During the course of his career, he rejected contract offers from the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, and California Angels which helped him earn the nickname, "The Rebel of Chihuahua."
In 1976, the baseball stadium, "Estadio De Beisbol Héctor Espino
Estadio De Beisbol Héctor Espino
The Héctor Espino Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The field is located in the north side of the city...
", was renamed in his honor. Then, in 1988 he was selected for the Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Profesional de México
Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Profesional de México
The Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Profesional de México , commonly called the Salón de la Fama is a baseball hall of fame and museum located in Monterrey, Nuevo León. It is dedicated to recognizing people who have either contributed greatly to baseball in México...
(Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame).
Héctor Espino died in 1997 in Monterrey, Nuevo León at the age of 58 after suffering a heart attack.
His number 21 has been retired by all professional teams in the Mexican summer and winter leagues.
Post-retirement: broken records
After Espino's retirement, Nelson BarreraNelson Barrera
Nelson Barrera Romellón was a Mexican League baseball player, who at the time of his death in 2002 led the league in career home runs and RBIs .A right-hander and a native of the Mexican state of Campeche, Barrera entered...
broke Espino's Mexican League home run record (455 to 453), but did not break his all-time minor league home run title.
Espino's other Mexican League records fell over the years: Jack Pierce broke his season home run record in 1986; Jesús Sommers and Frank Estrada
Francisco Estrada
Francisco "Paquín" Estrada Soto is a former Major League Baseball player for the New York Mets. Estrada, a catcher, appeared in one game for the Mets in . Estrada is the current manager of the Chihuahua Dorados in the Mexican League , Hermosillo Naranjeros in the Mexican Pacific League...
broke his record for seasons played; Sommers took over the games played record; Daniel Fernández broke his career run record (1,479), while Sommers and Barrera broke his hit record (2,752). Sommers also was one of several to break his double record (373), Barrera broke his RBI record, Espino had never caught Camacho in walks (1,330 to 1,441) and Barrera broke his total bases record (4,574). Only his intentional walk records — 53 in a season (1969) and 408 career (over 200 more than #2 Barrera) — have not been approached.