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In the 1953 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class, two starting pitchers earned induction. Oscar Blanco got in on the first ballot with 80.1%, while Rey Parisi crossed the line on his fifth attempt at 72.7%. Another pitcher, Daniel Rosado, was the only other player above 50% with a 53.1% for his first attempt. No player was dropped after a 10^th ballot.



Oscar Blanco – Starting Pitcher – Asuncion Archers – 80.1% First Ballot

Oscar Blanco was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Montevideo, Uruguay. He was a hard throwing pitcher with 98-100 mph velocity, extremely adept at drawing groundballs with a splitter, sinker, changeup, and curveball. He had solid control and movement, making him a very difficult pitcher to get on base against. After his college career, Blanco was picked seventh overall in the 1933 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Asuncion.

Blanco had a strong debut for a terrible 50-win Archers squad, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. In year two, he had a career best 9.7 WAR, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. That would be his highest finish, although he remained solid over seven years with Asuncion. Blanco threw two no-hitters as an Archer, on 6/10/37 against Rio de Janeiro and 4/2/40 against Rosario. He had 44.2 WAR, 89-93 record, 2.37 ERA, and 2026 strikeouts. They made one playoff appearance in1939 with Blanco struggling in his two starts.

For the 1941 season, the now 30-year old Blanco was traded straight up to Maracaibo for RF RJ Chapa. He had his third no-hitter on 4/16/45 against Callao. Blanco was a big part in Maracaibo winning the 1941 Bolivar League title, posting a 0.96 ERA over 18.2 playoff innings. He spent five seasons with the Mariners, posting 36.4 WAR, 79-58 record, 2.44 ERA, and 1586 strikeouts. At age 35, Blanco entered free agency and signed with his hometown Montevideo, where he played his final two seasons before retiring at age 36.

The final statistics; 184-175, 2.38 ERA, 3597.1 innings, 4045 strikeouts, 369/475 quality starts and 88.0 WAR. He was the fourth BSA pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and he very quietly put together a very solid and consistent resume. Blanco was ultimately a first ballot Hall of Fame selection at 80.1%.



Rey Parisi – Starting Pitcher – Brasilia Bearcats – 72.7% Fifth Ballot

Rey Parisi was a 5’9’’, 185 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Uba, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state Minas Gerais. Parisi had 96-98 mph velocity with strong movement and respectable control with a fastball, cutter, and changeup. He played in the early semi-professional leagues of Brazil prior to Beisbol Sudamerica forming in 1931. At age 27, he signed with Brasilia to start his BSA career. He’d ultimately spent his entire pro career with the Bearcats.

He barely played in his first season and was a part-time starter in year two, notably throwing a no-hitter in 1932 against Belo Horizonte. In season three, Parisi became an ace, leading the Southern Cone in ERA (1.49) and wins (19). He finished second in Pitcher of the Year in 1933, then won the award in 1935 with a league-best 1.76 ERA. He’d end up with three additional no-hitters, two in 1938 and one in 1939.

Brasilia was an early powerhouse in the Brazil division in the 1930s, winning Copa Sudamerica in 1935 and 1938, as well as the Cono Sur title in 1937. Parisi in his postseason career had a 2.87 ERA over 59.2 innings with 54 strikeouts and 12 walks. Parisi started to struggle into his late 30s, eventually moved to the bullpen for his final two seasons. He retired at age 40 after the 1943 season.

The final statistics: 159-84, 2.22 ERA, 2205 innings, 2106 strikeouts, 367 walks, 237/295 quality starts and 45.9 WAR. His career WAR would be the lowest of any HOF starter in BSA, but his totals were hurt a bit by his BSA career starting at age 27. It took Parisi five times on the ballot, but his integral role in Brasilia’s early success was enough to get him in at 72.7%.