Nelson Barrera
Encyclopedia
Nelson Barrera Romellón (October 17, 1957 in Ciudad del Carmen
, Campeche
, Mexico
– July 14, 2002 in San Francisco de Campeche, Campeche
, Mexico) was a Mexican League baseball player, who at the time of his death in 2002 led the league in career home run
s (455) and RBIs (1,927).
A right-hander and a native of the Mexican state of Campeche, Barrera entered the Mexican League in 1977 with the Mexico City Diablos Rojos (Red Devils), after playing three years in the Mexican Center League. He hit only .235 as a rookie, with 2 home runs, but he continued to improve. He broke 20 home runs, hitting .354 with 101 RBI in 1984. This earned him a look by the Chicago White Sox
, who placed him on their AAA Buffalo Bisons
American Association
team. He hit just .176 with 2 HR in 74 at bats, and was cut by the Bisons. He returned to Mexico with the Diablos Rojos, where he helped them win the pennant. He played for the Diablos Rojos for most of his career (1977-79, 1983-91, 1995).
He won his only league home run title with 42 in 1987. He led the league in RBIs that year and the following year, with 134 and 124, respectively. On April 22, 1997, Barrera drove in his 1,574th run, breaking the Mexican League record of Héctor Espino
. In 1998 he was player-manager for the Oaxaca Guerreros
(Warriors) when they won their only pennant. He contributed with a .321 average and 110 RBIs. This was his sixth season with more than 100 RBIs, something no one had accomplished before in the Mexican League. After he broke the career RBI record, his old team the Diablos Rojos organized an appreciation for him in the capital, at their old stadium, Seguro Social.
In 2001 he broken Espino's record for home runs, finishing the season with 455 to Espino's 453. Nevertheless, he was fired as the Guerreros' manager that year. He went on the disabled list as a player toward the end of the season.
Barrera was accused in 1988 of using a corked bat
by the Mexico City Tigers. The umpires disagreed and the Mexican League fined the Tigers 1 million pesos for defaming Barrera.
In 2002, he returned to his hometown of Campeche, where he was player-manager with the Piratas de Campeche
(Pirates), still in the Mexican League. (He had played there earlier, from 1992 to 1994.) He failed to homer in 2002. On April 13, 2002 he got his last hit, in Oaxaca against his old team.
On July 14, 2002 Barrera died instantly while trying to repair his roof. He was electrocuted when he accidentally touched a metal sheet that was in contact with some high voltage wires. He was 44.
On March 1, 2003 he was elected to the (the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame). Besides setting career records for home runs and RBIs in the Mexican League, Barrera is also:
His 455 home runs are second in all of minor-league baseball, to Hector Espino's 484. And his 2,045 RBI in the minors is 10% more than second-place Nick Cullop's 1,857. Besides the Diablos Rojos, Campeche Piratas and Oaxaca Guerreros, he played with the Nuevo Laredo Tecolotes. He played 26 seasons in Mexican baseball.
Parque Nelson Barrera, the 6,000-seat baseball stadium in Campeche, is named for him.
Ciudad del Carmen
Ciudad del Carmen is a city in the southwest of the Mexican state of Campeche. Ciudad del Carmen is located at on the southwest of Carmen Island, which stands in the Laguna de Términos on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The 2005 census population was 154,197 people...
, Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
– July 14, 2002 in San Francisco de Campeche, Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
, Mexico) was a Mexican League baseball player, who at the time of his death in 2002 led the league in 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 (455) and RBIs (1,927).
A right-hander and a native of the Mexican state of Campeche, Barrera entered the Mexican League in 1977 with the Mexico City Diablos Rojos (Red Devils), after playing three years in the Mexican Center League. He hit only .235 as a rookie, with 2 home runs, but he continued to improve. He broke 20 home runs, hitting .354 with 101 RBI in 1984. This earned him a look by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, who placed him on their AAA Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
team. He hit just .176 with 2 HR in 74 at bats, and was cut by the Bisons. He returned to Mexico with the Diablos Rojos, where he helped them win the pennant. He played for the Diablos Rojos for most of his career (1977-79, 1983-91, 1995).
He won his only league home run title with 42 in 1987. He led the league in RBIs that year and the following year, with 134 and 124, respectively. On April 22, 1997, Barrera drove in his 1,574th run, breaking the Mexican League record of Héctor Espino
Héctor Espino
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...
. In 1998 he was player-manager for the Oaxaca Guerreros
Oaxaca Guerreros
The Guerreros de Oaxaca are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League in Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is the Eduardo Vasconcelos Stadium.- History :...
(Warriors) when they won their only pennant. He contributed with a .321 average and 110 RBIs. This was his sixth season with more than 100 RBIs, something no one had accomplished before in the Mexican League. After he broke the career RBI record, his old team the Diablos Rojos organized an appreciation for him in the capital, at their old stadium, Seguro Social.
In 2001 he broken Espino's record for home runs, finishing the season with 455 to Espino's 453. Nevertheless, he was fired as the Guerreros' manager that year. He went on the disabled list as a player toward the end of the season.
Barrera was accused in 1988 of using a corked bat
Corked bat
In baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified baseball bat that has been filled with cork or other lighter, less dense substances to make the bat lighter without losing much power. A lighter bat gives a hitter a quicker swing and may improve the hitter's timing...
by the Mexico City Tigers. The umpires disagreed and the Mexican League fined the Tigers 1 million pesos for defaming Barrera.
In 2002, he returned to his hometown of Campeche, where he was player-manager with the Piratas de Campeche
Piratas de Campeche
The Piratas de Campeche are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League LMB based in Campeche, Campeche, Mexico.-History:...
(Pirates), still in the Mexican League. (He had played there earlier, from 1992 to 1994.) He failed to homer in 2002. On April 13, 2002 he got his last hit, in Oaxaca against his old team.
On July 14, 2002 Barrera died instantly while trying to repair his roof. He was electrocuted when he accidentally touched a metal sheet that was in contact with some high voltage wires. He was 44.
On March 1, 2003 he was elected to the (the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame). Besides setting career records for home runs and RBIs in the Mexican League, Barrera is also:
- first or second on the list of most games played in the league, with 2,733
- third in runs
- second in hits, with 2,938
- second in doubles
- first in total bases
His 455 home runs are second in all of minor-league baseball, to Hector Espino's 484. And his 2,045 RBI in the minors is 10% more than second-place Nick Cullop's 1,857. Besides the Diablos Rojos, Campeche Piratas and Oaxaca Guerreros, he played with the Nuevo Laredo Tecolotes. He played 26 seasons in Mexican baseball.
Parque Nelson Barrera, the 6,000-seat baseball stadium in Campeche, is named for him.
External links
His (Mexican) Hall of Fame page- Good article at Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen Obituary