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Only one player was elected into the MLB’s 1929 Hall of Fame Class; shortstop Kyle Bartz. He earned a first ballot nod at 84.8%. Third baseman Rick Montgomery was again barely short, getting 65.3% on his fifth try, Pitcher Lanny Roberts on his third try was also a point short at 65.0%.

Mario Sanchez ended up surviving ten ballots, although his highest was 31.8% on his debut. The former Denver, Houston, Vancouver, and Albuquerque first baseman was a three time Silver Slugger winner with 66.9 WAR, 2260 hits, 1319 runs, 406 home runs, and 1357 RBI. Respectable tallies and above average in three of the five metrics, but zero black ink.

CABA’s Hall of Fame voted in two. Shortstop Jhoyce Hidrovo got 83.6% on his first time on the ballot. And first baseman Manny Arroyo on his third try just made the 2/3s cut at 67.8%.





Kyle “Punch” Bartz – Shortstop – Phoenix Firebirds – 84.8% First Ballot

Kyle Bartz was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right handed shortstop from Paterson, New Jersey. Nicknamed “Punch,” Bartz had an interesting skillset. He was a excellent contact hitter with solid speed. He very rarely would strikeout, but even rarer were walks. The ball was almost always put in play, as he wasn’t a power hitter either. Defensively, he played almost exclusively at shortstop, only switching to third base near the end of his career. He was generally thought of as a good to above average defender.

Bartz played college baseball at Auburn and was drafted in the 1904 MLB draft ninth overall by the Phoenix Firebirds, where he’d play for the first nine years of his career. He was in the lineup immediately as a rookie, helping Jason Salvage and others turn the Firebirds into a contender. In his first six seasons in Phoenix, they made the playoffs six teams; made the American Association final five teams, and won the World Series in 1907. Bartz was third in MVP voting in both 1906 and 1910, and won two of his four Silver Sluggers with the Firebirds.

In 1911, Phoenix went from 104 wins to 62 wins and Bartz struggled like his team. With no one to spell him on a mismanaged roster, he picked up more than 2/3s of his career strikeouts over the 1911 and 1912 seasons, destroying his confidence. In 1913, he bounced back and looked more like his old self, but it was time to leave Arizona.

Bartz signed a five-year, $20,800 contract with the Chicago Cubs and won two Silver Sluggers while there, twice leading the National Association in hits. He was back to being a solid top-of-the-lineup guy, but the Cubs were a bottom tier team. Before his age 34 season, the Cubs traded Bartz to Charlotte for five prospects. After picking up his 2500^th career hit with the Canaries, he signed a four-year deal with Portland starting in the 1919 season.

Bartz spend three years with the Pacifics, then signed with St. Louis for his final two seasons in MLB. With Portland in 1921, he became the first MLB player to 3000 career hits and the eighth to reach 1500 runs scored. Injuries to his ankles and age caught up to him, as he was released at the end of 1923. In July 1924, he signed with Atlanta’s minor league affiliate, but was unproductive and retired at the end of the year.

At his retirement, Bartz was the all-time hit king, although Corey Patrizio and Elijah Cashman both passed him in the 1930s. His 230 triples was the all-time mark until Wei-Ju Wang passed him in the 50s and remains eighth all-time even a century later.

He finished with a .303 average, 3383 hits, 1657 runs scored, 437 doubles, 230 triples, 163 home runs, 1210 RBI, and 62.7 WAR. His lack of walks and home run power hurt him when looking at advanced metrics, but his hit and run total alone was going to get him into the Hall of Fame.



Jhoyce “Frosty” Hidrovo – Shortstop – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 83.6% First Ballot

Jhyoce Hidrovo was a 5’9’’, 190 pound infielder from Bayamon, a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was a prolific batter, combining both excellent contact ability and power, along with a solid eye and good speed. He played most of his prominent years at shortstop with defense ranging from very good in his 20s to below average in his later 30s, eventually switching to first base in his later years.

Hidrovo became known around the island as one of the best players at the start of the century before more coherent leagues were around in the Caribbean. When CABA was formed to begin in 1911, his home team, the Puerto Rico Pelicans, were quick to bring him aboard. He signed an eight-year, $17,000 deal, beginning his CABA career at the age of 27.


Right away, he was a star, posting 11.9 WAR in his first season and taking second in MVP voting. He’d pick up seven Silver Sluggers and grab MVP in 1913, 1914, and 1916. He led the Caribbean in WAR four straight seasons, including a 13.7 mark in 1916 that stood as the all-time best for a CABA hitter until 1940. In 1914, the Pelicans would win the Caribbean League, falling to Tijuana in the CABA final.

Despite his efforts, 1914 was Puerto Rico’s only playoff appearance in his time. Now 34 entering 1918, the Pelicans traded him to Nicaragua for four prospects. Even missing a good chunk to injury, Hidrovo posted a 7.1 WAR season in 1918 for the Navigators, helping them earn a division title.

His contemporaries called him a greedy guy who didn’t have much loyalty. The allure of big money brought him to America, signing a four-year deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers. His previous top season salary was $2,600; he’d now be making $7,000 a year with the Dodgers. He provided a solid bat, but injuries and age started to catch up after his third year, leading Brooklyn to trade him that offseason to Kansas City. After one season with the Cougars, he played his final year back in CABA as a reserve for Merida.

His overall accumulation is low due to starting late and leaving CABA in his mid 30s, but he still amassed 1300 hits, 724 runs, 271 home runs, and a whopping 81.6 WAR in his CABA career. A key figure in expanding the game’s popularity in Puerto Rico, the three-time MVP Hidrovo earned his spot in the CABA Hall of Fame.



Manny Arroyo – First Baseman – Ecatepec Explosion – 67.8% Third Ballot

Manny Arroyo was a 6’0’’ 200 pound right handed corner infielder, born in Chetumal on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Often called a “sparkplug” by those who knew him, Arroyo was a well-rounded hitter with solid contact, power, and eye. He split his defensive career between first base and third, playing a bit more at the former. He was considered a very good defensive first baseman, thrice winning the Gold Glove, but thought of as a well below average third baseman.

Arroyo had already become known as one of Mexico’s better baseball players before CABA was formed. When it was created for the 1911, the 26-year old was signed by Ecatapec for five years, $10,640. His second and third seasons with the Explosion earned him MVP, both years getting the batting title and 10+ WAR. He wouldn’t reach those heights again, but picked up seven Silver Sluggers during his CABA run.

Ecatapec twice won the division during Arroyo’s decade with the team, but they were never able to make much postseason noise. Before the start of the 1921 season, he was surprisingly traded away to Costa Rica for three prospects. He won his final Silver Slugger in his lone season with the Rays, then decided to take the big money to play in the United States. His salary would more than double his two-year deal with Minneapolis.

While he never adjusted to the Minnesota cold, he did earn an All-Star appearance in a solid MLB debut at age 37 with the Moose. Before the 1923 season, he was traded to Kansas City, where he again was a respectable start. After one year there, he played his final two seasons in Memphis, where his skills had begun to diminish as he entered his 40s. He retired after the 1925 campaign.

His final CABA numbers were 1897 hits, 910 runs, 291 home runs, a .295 average, and a 74.5 WAR. A late start and final years in the US don’t put his totals as notable on the big leaderboards. But he was solidly a top-tier hitter in Mexico for CABA’s first decade, giving him a spot in the Hall of Fame.