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Beisbol Sudamerica added two players into the Hall of Fame in 1987 with both earning a first ballot induction. SP Raphael Grieco led the way with 92.6% and was joined by OF Tito Poma at 82.6%. Two others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. SP Franklin Flor had 58.7% on his tenth and final chance, while fellow pitcher Manuel Gonzalez had 51.0% on his seventh ballot.



Flor had gotten as close as 62.% on his fifth ballot, but never got the nod. He won three Copa Sudamerica rings between Buenos Aires and Santiago, but he was rarely dominant and never won Pitcher of the Year. Over 16 seasons, Flor had a 202-137 record, 3.00 ERA, 2999 innings, 3258 strikeouts, 96 FIP-, and 41.9 WAR. The advanced stats suggested sustained averageness and as such, he couldn’t find a spot.

Also dropped was 1B Marco Angeles, who won eight Silver Sluggers and the 1963 MVP with Buenos Aires. He was hurt by leaving BSA after the 1963 season and bouncing around between MLB and OBA. Angeles’ BSA tenure had him on track with 1397 hits, 686 runs, 261 home runs, 875 RBI, a .300/.363/.538 slash, 186 wRC+, and 59.3 WAR over around nine full seasons. But leaving kept his official tallies low, meaning he peaked at 43.4% on the third ballot and ended at 13.4%. His hometown Atlantics did retire his #15 uniform though, so he is still fondly remembered locally.



Raphael Grieco – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 92.6% First Ballot

Raphael Grieco was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Salta, a city of around 600,000 people in northern Argentina. Grieco was a power pitcher with 99-101 mph velocity and stellar stuff with a terrific fastball. He also had good movement and decent control along with a five pitch arsenal that included a great forkball, decent splitter, curveball, and changeup. Grieco had good stamina and the ability to go deep in games when healthy, although injuries plagued him for much of his career. He was a good defensive pitcher and considered very intelligent, although his work ethic was iffy at times.

Grieco emerged as one of Argentina’s most impressive prospects ahead of the 1967 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was picked 22^nd overall by Buenos Aires and ultimately played his entire career in the capital. He saw part time use in his rookie year with promising results, but missed a large chunk of his sophomore season to a herniated disc. Grieco’s third season was his first full one and he led the Southern Cone League in innings pitched and complete games, although he also led in walks. His control improved in later years, allowing Grieco to assume the role of staff ace. He also pitched from 1970-79 in the World Baseball Championship for Argentina with a 3.77 ERA over 167 innings with 239 strikeouts and 4.1 WAR.

From 1972-76, he had five seasons worth 8+ WAR and three that hit double digits. During this stretch, Grieco led in ERA thrice, strikeouts twice, WHIP four times, and WAR thrice. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting despite league and career bests of 438 strikeouts and 12.8 WAR. Rotator cuff inflammation cost him half of 1974, but he bounced back to win his lone Pitcher of the Year in 1975 with a league-best 1.85 ERA and 10.9 WAR.

1975 also marked Grieco’s first shot at the postseason, as Buenos Aires had been on a decade-long drought. The Atlantics went 111-51 and won Copa Sudamerica with Grieco posting a 1.87 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 33.2 playoff innings. This was the first of six straight playoff appearances for Buenos Aires, although they’d fall in the LCS for the next four. In 1980, they broke through again to win Copa Sudamerica, although Greico missed the playoff run due to injury.

The injury bug plagued Grieco for the rest of his career as he didn’t pitch a full season after 1975. 1976 and 1977 still at least got 200+ innings, getting second in Pitcher of the Year voting both seasons. Both years had a no-hitter as well with an impressive 17 strikeouts against Santiago on July 4, 1976 and a 16 strikeout no-no on May 2, 1977 versus Concepcion. Grieco maintained his effectiveness when he took to the mound, but he would miss the 1977, 79, and 80 postseasons entirely.

He saw the field less and less in his 30s, whether it be from a herniated disc in 1977, bone spur in his elbow in 1978, or a torn meniscus in 1979. Back trouble was his biggest issue though and in 1981, it finally caused Grieco to lose his effectiveness. Realizing his time had come, Grieco retired after the 1981 season at age 36. Immediately, Buenos Aires retired his #39 uniform.

Grieco’s final stats: 164-128 record, 2.39 ERA, 2604.1 innings, 3317 strikeouts to 521 walks, 244/331 quality starts, FIP- of 64, and 84.3 WAR. The injuries meant his accumulations are on the lower end, but as of 2037, he’s one of only three Hall of Famers to post 80+ WAR in fewer than 3000 innings pitched. His rate stats show Grieco was elite when healthy and he played an important part in making Buenos Aires a contender again. The voters didn’t hesitate and Greico became a first ballot selection at 92.6%.



Tito Poma – Left Field – La Paz Pump Jacks – 82.6% First Ballot

Tito Poma was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed hitting left fielder from Achacachi, Bolivia; a town of around 8,000 people located about two hours northwest of La Paz. Poma was an excellent power hitter who hit 35+ home runs in season 13 times. He also had nice gap power and averaged around 30-35 doubles/triples per year. Poma was a solid contact hitter and respectable at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was average at best. In his younger days, Poma had above average speed, but his baserunning aggressiveness could get him in trouble. He was a career left fielder and provided reliably steady defense. Poma was also a very smart and adaptable player who became one of the most beloved in Bolivian baseball history.

It helped that he was picked 18^th overall in the 1967 BSA Draft by La Paz and played his entire South American career fairly close to home. Poma was a regular for the national team with 131 games played in the World Baseball Championship from 1968-85, posting 116 hits, 96 runs, 59 home runs, 122 RBI, and 7.2 WAR. He remains Bolivia’s all-time home run leader in the WBC as of 2037. Poma was a regular in the lineup from the beginning for the Pump Jacks, although he had only middling production in his first two seasons.

Poma’s first of six Silver Sluggers came in 1971. He won it again in 1972, 73, 75, 78, and79. 1971 also saw him lead in home runs for the first time with 48, which earned him a third place in MVP voting. Poma was third again in 1972 and settled in until popping up with another third place in 1976. That year, La Paz ended a nearly 30 year playoff drought, as they had fallen into irrelevancy following their 1940s dynasty run. It began a streak of four straight division titles for the Pump Jacks. There was concern for Poma though in the 1977 season as a fractured ankle put him on the shelf for seven months,

Poma bounced back better than ever in 1978 and at age 33, had a career season. He smacked 58 home runs and led in runs (121), RBI (134), total bases (418), OPS (1.092), and WAR (10.6). Poma earned Bolivar League MVP, but he struggled in the postseason and the Pump Jacks fell in the BLCS to the Valencia dynasty. He was determined though to get La Paz over the hump, winning MVP again in 1979 with another 10+ WAR season. Poma won BLCS MVP and helped the Pump Jacks win the Bolivar League title, posting 15 hits, 8 runs, 4 home runs and 9 RBI. They lost in Copa Sudamerica to Salvador, but he succeeded in returning them to the final for the first time in 30+ years.

1979 was also a contract year for Poma, who knew a big paycheck was coming from somewhere. He opted to leave for MLB and signed a four-year, $2,640,000 deal with Boston. There was some initial animosity from some La Paz fans as the team fell into the mid-tier after this, but he ultimately remained a beloved local hero. Poma’s #37 uniform would be retired at the end of his professional career.

Poma’s power skills served him well in the United States, as he hit 39+ home runs in all four years with the Red Sox. Boston was a mid-level team and Poma didn’t win awards while there, but he was very good, especially for a guy in his mid 30s. With the Red Sox, Poma had 634 hits, 394 runs, 170 home runs, 427 RBI, a .280/.347/.570 slash and 27.2 WAR.

He was a free agent again at age 39 and signed a three-year, $3,240,000 deal with San Antonio. Poma had 41 home runs in his Oilers debut, but his overall productivity had dropped still. He struggled in 1985 and was reduced to a platoon role, then finally a full-time bench rider in 1986. Poma retired after the 1986 season at age 41 with 3.1 WAR in his San Antonio tenure. For his MLB career, he had 863 hits, 520 runs, 226 home runs, 582 RBI, a .271/.335/.545 slash and 30.4 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Poma had 2713 hits, 1505 runs, 423 doubles, 124 triples, 666 home runs, 1635 RBI, a .292/.352/.580 slash, 164 wRC+, and 107.9 WAR. For just his BSA and La Paz run, he had 1850 hits, 985 runs, 283 doubles, 440 home runs, 1053 RBI, a .304//.361/.599 slash, 171 wRC+, and 77.5 WAR. Leaving when he did meant his accumulations aren’t at the top of the leaderboard and some voters disliked guys who left South America for the allure of MLB. But plenty realized Poma was an elite power hitter of the 1970s and a great representative for Bolivian baseball. Perhaps most importantly, he had a stellar mustache. He earned the first ballot induction at 82.6%.