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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-24-2023, 04:36 AM

Only one player made the 1948 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame, but it was a guy deserving of standing alone. Mexico City ER Kiko Velazquez received 98.9% of the vote on his first ballot. Barely missing the 66% cut was 2B Junior Mota at 65.3%. SP Rayan Montes was also right there at 64.9% on his third attempt. No other players crossed 50% and no one was dropped after a 10^th ballot.

Kiko “Bad Company” Velazquez – Right Fielder – Mexico City Aztecs – 98.9% First Ballot

Kiko Velazquez was a 5’11’’, 190 pound right-handed right fielder from the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. Few, if any, players in baseball history were better contact hitters. Velazquez also hit for excellent power and was a very good baserunner and base stealer. He played almost exclusively in right field and was considered an above average to good fielder. Velazquez’s personality rubbed many teammates the wrong way and he didn’t make many friends. But he was absolutely beloved by fans as one of the most impressive players in baseball history.

He was spotted in Nicaragua as a teenager by a scout from Mexico City, who signed Velazquez to an amateur free agent deal at only the age of 16. He was almost instantly named the top prospect in CABA and someone the Aztecs had extreme confidence in. Apart from their fluke 1924 CABA title run, Mexico City had been a bottom-tier franchise despite being a massive market. Team officials hoped that Velazquez could be the guy to eventually lead them to sustained success. And they would be right.

He briefly debuted in 1927 at age 20 in 28 games, but became a full-timer in 1929 at age 22. He immediately lived up to the hype, winning the Mexican League MVP and Rookie of the Year, leading the league in home runs (38), and WAR (8.1). This would be the first of a CABA-record 10 MVP awards, as he’d also win it in 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, and 41. Velazquez won seven in-a-row while only one other player in CABA history would go on to win seven total MVPs. He also won 14 Silver Sluggers, one of only two CABA players who would reach that feat.

Over his 14 full seasons with Mexico City, Velazquez led the league in hits eight times, runs eight times, home runs five times, RBI six times, stolen bases twice, batting average nine times, OBP seven times, slugging 11 times, OPS 11 times, and WAR 11 times. In 1931, he was the first CABA hitter to earn a Triple Crown on 44 home runs, a .374 average, and 118 RBI. He did it again in 1932 (49 HR, .348 avg, 122 RBI), 1937 (51 home runs, 118 RBI, .365 average) and 1940 (50 home runs, 136 RBI, .358 average). His 229 hits in 1931 set a then single-season record. His 144 runs in 1940 stayed the single-season mark until 1998. His .385 average in 1934 was a single-season record, as was that year’s 1.169 OPS. He had five 12+ WAR seasons including a 13.75 WAR 1940. Velazquez simply was untouchable.

With his success came team success for the Aztecs, who won six South Division titles from 1934-1940. They were Mexican League champ in 1934, 36, and 40; winning the overall CABA title in 34 and 36. Velazquez was named MVP of the 1936 and 1940 CABA championships. In 42 playoff stats, he would post 52 hits, 28 runs, 10 home runs, and 2.8 WAR.

At age 36, Velazquez had already established himself as an all-timer and perhaps the CABA GOAT at that point. Not satisfied with this (and also liking money), Velazquez left Mexico City for Major League Baseball. He signed with Las Vegas for $30,600; almost triple his Aztecs salary. He lived up to the hype in his Vipers debut in 1943, leading the American Association in RBI (140) with 43 home runs and 7.2 WAR. Velazquez also earned a Silver Slugger, becoming one of a select few to do it in multiple leagues.

His second year with Las Vegas was good for a 37 year old, but unremarkable by his standard. Velazquez was traded that offseason to Cincinnati. Age caught up with him as he struggled in a backup role with the Reds, retiring after the 1945 season at age 39.

Between CABA and MLB, he had 3121 hits, 1770 runs, 666 home runs, and 157.1 WAR. Just in CABA, Velazquez had 2714 hits, 1552 runs, 583 home runs, 1502 RBI, 808 stolen bases, a .349/.401/.660 slash, 1.060 OPS, 220 wRC+, and 147.3 WAR. He retired the CABA WARlord and would be third all-time by the end of the century. At retirement, he was the all-time runs leader, third in homers, and third in hits. His accumulations would slide down as time passed and CABA became more offense heavy. But no batter was more dominant in his time in Mexico. Beloved by the Mexico City fans and one of Nicaragua’s favorite sons, Kiko Velazquez is an inner-circle all-time CABA great.

03-24-2023, 04:36 AM	#198
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,643	1948 CABA Hall of Fame Only one player made the 1948 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame, but it was a guy deserving of standing alone. Mexico City ER Kiko Velazquez received 98.9% of the vote on his first ballot. Barely missing the 66% cut was 2B Junior Mota at 65.3%. SP Rayan Montes was also right there at 64.9% on his third attempt. No other players crossed 50% and no one was dropped after a 10^th ballot. Kiko “Bad Company” Velazquez – Right Fielder – Mexico City Aztecs – 98.9% First Ballot Kiko Velazquez was a 5’11’’, 190 pound right-handed right fielder from the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. Few, if any, players in baseball history were better contact hitters. Velazquez also hit for excellent power and was a very good baserunner and base stealer. He played almost exclusively in right field and was considered an above average to good fielder. Velazquez’s personality rubbed many teammates the wrong way and he didn’t make many friends. But he was absolutely beloved by fans as one of the most impressive players in baseball history. He was spotted in Nicaragua as a teenager by a scout from Mexico City, who signed Velazquez to an amateur free agent deal at only the age of 16. He was almost instantly named the top prospect in CABA and someone the Aztecs had extreme confidence in. Apart from their fluke 1924 CABA title run, Mexico City had been a bottom-tier franchise despite being a massive market. Team officials hoped that Velazquez could be the guy to eventually lead them to sustained success. And they would be right. He briefly debuted in 1927 at age 20 in 28 games, but became a full-timer in 1929 at age 22. He immediately lived up to the hype, winning the Mexican League MVP and Rookie of the Year, leading the league in home runs (38), and WAR (8.1). This would be the first of a CABA-record 10 MVP awards, as he’d also win it in 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, and 41. Velazquez won seven in-a-row while only one other player in CABA history would go on to win seven total MVPs. He also won 14 Silver Sluggers, one of only two CABA players who would reach that feat. Over his 14 full seasons with Mexico City, Velazquez led the league in hits eight times, runs eight times, home runs five times, RBI six times, stolen bases twice, batting average nine times, OBP seven times, slugging 11 times, OPS 11 times, and WAR 11 times. In 1931, he was the first CABA hitter to earn a Triple Crown on 44 home runs, a .374 average, and 118 RBI. He did it again in 1932 (49 HR, .348 avg, 122 RBI), 1937 (51 home runs, 118 RBI, .365 average) and 1940 (50 home runs, 136 RBI, .358 average). His 229 hits in 1931 set a then single-season record. His 144 runs in 1940 stayed the single-season mark until 1998. His .385 average in 1934 was a single-season record, as was that year’s 1.169 OPS. He had five 12+ WAR seasons including a 13.75 WAR 1940. Velazquez simply was untouchable. With his success came team success for the Aztecs, who won six South Division titles from 1934-1940. They were Mexican League champ in 1934, 36, and 40; winning the overall CABA title in 34 and 36. Velazquez was named MVP of the 1936 and 1940 CABA championships. In 42 playoff stats, he would post 52 hits, 28 runs, 10 home runs, and 2.8 WAR. At age 36, Velazquez had already established himself as an all-timer and perhaps the CABA GOAT at that point. Not satisfied with this (and also liking money), Velazquez left Mexico City for Major League Baseball. He signed with Las Vegas for $30,600; almost triple his Aztecs salary. He lived up to the hype in his Vipers debut in 1943, leading the American Association in RBI (140) with 43 home runs and 7.2 WAR. Velazquez also earned a Silver Slugger, becoming one of a select few to do it in multiple leagues. His second year with Las Vegas was good for a 37 year old, but unremarkable by his standard. Velazquez was traded that offseason to Cincinnati. Age caught up with him as he struggled in a backup role with the Reds, retiring after the 1945 season at age 39. Between CABA and MLB, he had 3121 hits, 1770 runs, 666 home runs, and 157.1 WAR. Just in CABA, Velazquez had 2714 hits, 1552 runs, 583 home runs, 1502 RBI, 808 stolen bases, a .349/.401/.660 slash, 1.060 OPS, 220 wRC+, and 147.3 WAR. He retired the CABA WARlord and would be third all-time by the end of the century. At retirement, he was the all-time runs leader, third in homers, and third in hits. His accumulations would slide down as time passed and CABA became more offense heavy. But no batter was more dominant in his time in Mexico. Beloved by the Mexico City fans and one of Nicaragua’s favorite sons, Kiko Velazquez is an inner-circle all-time CABA great. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)