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For the first time since 1974, the Central American Baseball Association had a four-player Hall of Fame class with the 1993 voting. Impressively, all four guys got in on their first ballot as well. RF Lobo Villanueva led the way with 95.9% with 2B Mesquito Delion close behind at 92.5%. SP Conrado Gonsalez received 78.0%, while 2B Ricardo Dias rounded out the group at 69.5%, narrowly crossing the 66% requirement. One other player was above 50% with SP Wilner Celestin at 52.5% for his debut. No players were dropped after ten ballots.



Lobo Villanueva – Right Field – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 95.9% First Ballot

Lobo Villanueva was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting right fielder from Leon, Nicaragua; the country’s third largest city with around 210,000 people. Villanueva was a prolific home run and power hitter that also could hit effectively for average. He was okay at drawing walks, although he did have a high strikeout rate. Villanueva scored a lot of runs despite having firmly subpar speed. He was very durable and rarely missed games to injury. Villanueva was a career right fielder and was absolutely abysmal defensively. Still, the man hit dingers, which made him a beloved star of the era throughout the Caribbean.

Villanueva’s power potential was noticed even as a 16-year old amateur in Nicaragua. A scout from Santo Domingo spotted him and signed him to a developmental deal, bringing Villanueva to the Dominican Republic. His entire CABA career would be as a Dolphin, making his official debut in 1973 at age 20. He only had a few at bats that year, followed by a more regular pinch hitter role the next year. In 1975, Villanueva was a full-time starter and would be for the rest of his career. He’d make 130+ starts in the all of the next 16 seasons sans one.

Santo Domingo had been just outside of the playoffs to start the 1970s, but Villanueva’s emergence helped make them a more regular contender. The Dolphins snapped a 12-year playoff drought in 1975, then won the Caribbean League title in 1976. Although they lost to Guadalajara in the CABA final, SD locked in their emerging star Villanueva to an eight-year, $2,936,000 contract extension. He also emerged as a regular for his home country Nicaragua in the World Baseball Championship. From 1974-92, he played 152 games with 153 hits, 106 runs, 72 home runs, 130 RBI, a .285/.365/.722 slash, and 10.0 WAR. As of 2037, he is Nicaragua’s all-time WBC leader in games, hits, and homers.

The Dolphins would miss the playoffs in the next four seasons, but Villanueva emerged as a bona fide star. In 1977, he led the league in the triple slash (.340/.391/.650) and runs (118), earning his first Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting. In 1979, he made CABA history with 70 home runs, beating the previous single-season record of 65. Villanueva’s mark held as the all-time mark until passed by Yohnny Galaz’ 72 in 1988, but as of 2037, he’s one of only seven CABA hitters to hit 70+. This effort got Villanueva his first MVP and second Silver Slugger.

Villanueva never quite matched that power again, but he still was prominent on the leaderboards. He led in runs scored four times, homers four times, RBI four times, total bases four times, batting average twice, OBP thrice, slugging, OPS, and wRC+ each six times, and WAR three times. Villanueva won five MVPs in total, also taking the award in 1980, 81, 83, and 85. He took second in 1982 as well. He finished with seven Silver Sluggers (77, 79, 80-83, 85).

In the 1980s, Villanueva helped lead Santo Domingo to a dynasty run. The Dolphins won the Island Division six successive seasons from 1981-86. They won Caribbean League pennants in 1981, 82, 84, and 85. In 82, 84, and 85, Santo Domingo took home the CABA Championship. Villanueva was 1981 CLCS MVP and over 58 playoff games in his career, he had 64 hits, 31 runs, 18 home runs, 45 RBI, a .288/.344/.568 slash, and 2.7 WAR.

After the 1983 season, Villanueva entered free agency for the first time. He only was on the market eight days, joining back with Santo Domingo on a five-year, $3,600,000 deal. The 1984 season saw his first major injury as a partially torn labrum cost him four months, including their 1984 playoff run. Villanueva bounced back in 1985 with his fifth MVP, fifth 50+ home run season, and fifth 100+ run season. However, to the shock of many, Villanueva exercised his contract’s opt-out.

This marked the close of his CABA career and essentially ended Santo Domingo’s dynasty. Although they’d still be a good team and regular playoff squad for the next few years, the 1985 title in Villanueva’s last year would be the franchise’s final pennant until 2012. While many were upset by him leaving, most Dolphins fans later forgave him and remembered him fondly as a franchise icon and star during their dynasty. The team would retire his #18 uniform in 1992 and he would be an ambassador for the club.

At age 33, Villanueva both wanted to try his luck in MLB and also bring home the bag. Although his 1985 SD salary of $1,040,000 was among the biggest in CABA, he upped it to $1,480,000 annually on a five-year deal with San Antonio. It was ultimately an unremarkable run with a struggling franchise with Villanueva being a decent starter. In total as an Oiler, he had 700 hits, 395 runs, 174 home runs, 433 RBI, a .246/.308/.467 slash, and 6.0 WAR.

In his final season, Villanueva had 39 home runs, but only a .228 average. He was a free agent in both 1991 and 1992 and hoped to continue his career. However, teams weren’t interested in an expensive aging slugger. He played in those years’ WBC for Nicaragua, but had to retire from the pro game in the winter of 1992 at age 40. For his entire pro career, Villanueva had 2695 hits, 1528 runs, 421 doubles, 699 home runs, 1735 RBI, a .296/.347/.586 slash, 151 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR.

For his CABA/Santo Domingo tenure, Villanueva had 1995 hits, 1133 runs, 326 doubles, 525 home runs, 1292 RBI, a .319/.365/.640 slash, 172 wRC+, and 70.2 WAR. His departure prevented a shot at potentially climbing to the top of the leaderboards, although it is hard to gauge if he would’ve maintained his CABA pace had he stayed. Still, Villanueva’s power thrilled fans in the DR and helped usher in an impressive dynasty run for Santo Domingo. Villanueva was an easy first ballot choice, getting 95.9% to lead the 1993 class.



Mesquito Delion – Second Base – Hermosillo Hyenas – 92.5% First Ballot

Mesquito Delion was a 5’7’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting second baseman from Obregon, Mexico; a city of around 435,000 people in southern Sonora. Delion was an excellent contact hitter with very good gap power and surprisingly quick speed despite his pudgy frame. He averaged around 25 doubles and another 25 triples per season while also getting you around 15-20 home runs. Delion very rarely drew walks, but he was good at avoiding strikeouts. He was a very intelligent baserunner that knew how to pick his spots. Delion made around 3/4s of his starts at second base with the rest at shortstop. He was a terrible defender at second and an atrocious one at short. However, his ability to get extra base hits and his unusually stubby build made him a very popular player.

Delion’s potential was noticed locally by Hermosillo, which was in the same state and about three hours north of his hometown of Obregon. The Hyenas picked him ninth overall in the 1974 CABA Draft and he spent nearly his entire pro career with Hermosillo. Delion was essentially a full-time starter immediately, earning third in Rookie of the Year voting. He took a Silver Slugger in his second season, his only one as a shortstop. He won the award six more times at second base (78, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85). Delion also started early in his career for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship. He was a backup in his later years, playing 71 games from 1977-86 with 66 hits, 33 runs, 10 doubles, 15 home runs, 46 RBI, and a .266/.303/.496 slash.

Delion led the Mexican League in hits three times, runs once, doubles once, triples four times, RBI twice, total bases three times, average once, OBP once, slugging thrice, OPS once, wRC+ twice, and WAR three times. 1978 and 1980 both saw 10+ WAR seasons, earning Delion two MVP awards. He also took second in 1984 MVP voting. Delion became one of the most beloved players in Hermosillo history. After the 1980 season, he signed a seven-year contract extension worth $4,730,000, locking him in with the Hyenas for the long haul.

1980 was the year that Hermosillo’s fortunes turned around, thanks in large part to Delion’s efforts. They had been a subpar team for most of the last 30 years. In 1980, the Hyenas earned their first playoff berth since 1963 and won the Mexican League title for the first time since 1947. Delion had an excellent postseason with 29 hits, 13 runs, 5 triples, 13 RBI, and a .439/.467/.667 slash, although they would fall to Jamaica in the CABA final. Still, Hermosillo fans finally had hope and they would end up a consistent contender in the 1980s.

Delion had a 32-hame hitting streak from late 1980 to early 1981. In 1981, the Hyenas fell in the MLCS, although Delion again had a solid postseason with 20 hits in 11 starts. In 1982, Hermosillo missed the playoffs and Delion was out for just over a month with a torn ligament in his thumb. The thumb injury continued to plague him and his worsening defense meant he was largely a bench piece even when healthy. Although he wasn’t used much in the run, 1983 saw the Hyenas go all the way and win the CABA Championship.

Delion got back into the lineup full-time in the next year and led in hits and WAR in 1984. Hermosillo fell below .500 that year, but bounced back to win another ML pennant in 1985. A strained biceps would keep Delion out for the postseason run. Despite still posting good batting numbers, his weight was becoming more of a liability and he was reduced to a bench role. Delion was only a pinch hitter in the 1986 playoff run, which saw a MLCS defeat. In his playoff career with Hermosillo, Delion had 41 games and 31 starts, 57 hits, 21 runs, 7 doubles, 9 triples, 22 RBI, a .422/.438/.630 slash, and 2.6 WAR.

Although still an extremely popular player, it was clear the Hyenas wanted to move on from Delion and his big contract. Just before the 1987 season, the 34-year old was traded along with $200,000 to defending CABA champ Costa Rica for two pitchers. Delion was primarily a backup with the Rays and only had five pinch hit at-bats in the postseason, but earned his second CABA ring with Costa Rica repeating as champs. His original Hermosillo contract expired and Delion was a free agent. After going unsigned in 1988, he retired at age 36. Still beloved by Hyenas fans despite the awkward ending, the franchise brought him back to retire his #29 uniform.

Delion’s final stats: 2018 hits, 923 runs, 296 doubles, 268 triples, 207 home runs, 985 RBI, 300 stolen bases, a .340/.370/.586 slash, 182 wRC+, and 76.0 WAR. At induction, he had the fourth best batting average of any CABA Hall of Famer. Perhaps his chonkiness cost him some longevity, but Delion was an incredibly effective bat in his prime and a key cog in Hermosillo’s 1980s success. This earned Delion the first ballot selection at 92.5%.