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Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1993 Hall of Fame class featured two inner-circle level inductees. Career home run king Valor Melo received 98.6% and pitcher Thiago Granja got 98.0%, both on their debuts. The next closest to the 66 mark was 1B Cy Cavazos, who fell short at 55.9% on his tenth and final try. The only other player above 50% was SP Robinson Moreira at 54.9% for his fourth ballot.



Cavazos got as close at 62.0% in his ninth ballot and usually hovered between the mid 40 to upper 50% range. He played 22 pro seasons in total with all 18 of his BSA years with La Paz, posting 2475 hits, 1357 runs, 354 doubles, 639 home runs, 1582 RBI, a .253/.325/.490 slash, and 82.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the only eligible BSA player with 600+ homers to not make the cut. There were other guys who got in with less impressive tallies too, but Cavazos only won Silver Slugger once and never was a league leader, causing some to dismiss him as a compiler. La Paz being lousy during the run didn’t help.

Also dropped after ten ballots was another 1B, Martin Vera. He never got much traction, ending at 4.4% and peaking at 14.5%. His BSA run was too brief between Sao Paulo and Recife, although he won two Silver Sluggers with 1848 hits, 830 runs, 332 doubles, 109 home runs, 609 RBI, 793 stolen bases, a .323/.370/.481 slash, and 52.9 WAR. If a tenured home run hitting 1B didn’t get in, a high contact, low power one with a short career had no chance.



Valor Melo – First Base – Salvador Storm – 98.6% First Ballot

Valor Melo was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from ibiracu, a town of around 12,000 people in the eastern Brazilian state Espirito Santo. Despite his humble beginnings, Melo emerged as one of the most impressive home run hitters in baseball history. He combined his prolific power with excellent contact skills and a good eye, although his strikeout rate was middling. 12 times, Melo had seasons with 50+ homers, while also averaging around 25 doubles per year. He exclusively played first base defensively and was perfectly adequate with his glove. Melo was also a legendary ironman, starting in 145+ games in all but his first and final seasons. He was also a great leader, loyal, and a hard worker. Melo was a true fan favorite and a beloved baseball icon not just with his main team Salvador or his home country of Brazil, but with the entire South American baseball community.

Melo’s power potential was obvious to teams as he became eligible in the 1969 BSA Draft. With the 6^th overall pick, Salvador selected him and he became synonymous with the Storm. In 1970, Melo was barely used as a pinch hitter, but he became a full-time starter in 1971. He smacked 40 home runs as a rookie to win Rookie of the Year honors. Melo had 34 homers in 1972, which would be his last time hitting less than 45 until his final two seasons.

Melo always had the home run power, but he put together the complete hitting package in 1973. He crushed 66 home runs, setting a new BSA single-season record and passing Amadeus Ribieiro’s old best of 62. His 143 RBI also fell four short of Mike Andrades’ single-season best. Shocking no one, Melo won his first MVP and Silver Slugger. This also led Salvador to a franchise-record 110-52 mark, ending a decade-long playoff drought. Melo had 12 hits, 9 runs, and 3 homers in the playoffs as the Storm won Copa Sudamerica for the second time in franchise history. Clearly, Melo had arrived, but somehow he had only begun to scratch the surface.

Over his 15 years starting for Salvador, Melo led the Southern Cone League in runs scored six times, home runs nine times, RBI eight times, total bases seven times, OBP once, slugging six times, OPS six times, wRC+ five times, and WAR five times. Melo had eight straight seasons worth 9+ WAR and had 7+ WAR in all of his full seasons with Salvador sans his rookie campaign. He won seven straight Silver Sluggers from 1974-80, then won twice more in 1984 and 85. Melo also won five straight MVPs from 1976-80. As of 2037, he’s the only BSA player with six MVPs to his name. He also took second in 1974, 1975, 1984, and 1985.

In 1974 and 1975, he hit only 50 and 51 home runs. Salavdor won 108 games in 1974, but fell in the LCS to Cordoba. They remained good the next four years, but were just outside of the playoffs. Melo also played for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship from 1971-86. In 177 games and 153 starts, he had 152 hits, 115 runs, 21 doubles, 61 home runs, 114 RBI, a .269/.378/.636 slash, and 9.3 WAR.

In part inspired by Melo’s towering dongs, BSA adjusted the rules after the 1974 season to encourage higher scoring. Melo’s single-season home run record fell as Afonso Revela clubbed 69. A.J. Nunez also bested the RBI record, setting the new high mark at 151. Melo saw that as a challenge and in 1976, broke the homer record again with 74 and tied the RBI mark. 74 homers was also a new world record, passing Carl Valdes’ 71 in 1972 in EAB. Melo also set a new record for total bases (469), slugging (.807), OPS (1.241) and had only the 6^th 13+ season for a BSA hitter. His mark remained the OPS record until 2023 and the slugging record until 2029.

Melo had fewer hits and slightly lower numbers in most of the stats the next year, but he bested his own home run mark with 76. In 1979, he smashed another 76 home runs and beat his total bases record with 473. As of 2037, 76 home runs is still the Beisbol Sudamerica record and it wouldn’t be topped in any world league until 2006. He also was the first player to hit 70+ in three or more seasons. The total bases mark held as the BSA record until 2022 and is still fourth best even in present day.

1979 also marked the return of Salvador to the playoffs. Melo won LCS MVP and had 14 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in the playoffs as the Storm won Copa Sudamerica over La Paz. Salvador won division titles again in 1980 and 1981. In 1981, Melo was both LCS MVP and Copa Sudamerica MVP as the Storm took the title over Quito. In this playoff run, Melo smacked 8 home runs in 11 games with 16 hits, 13 runs, and 17 RBI. This would ultimately be his final time in the playoffs, but he certainly left a remarkable legacy in getting three rings for Salvador.

The Storm won 99 games in 1982, but just missed the division title to Recife. They would fall to 80 wins the next year and begin to rebuild for the rest of the decade. Melo wasn’t setting single season records anymore, but he was still excellent, hitting 57 home runs at age 36. He passed Digeo Pena’s 725 to become the career home run king. In 1985, he became the first BSA batter to reach 800. He also passed Pena’s 1754 for the most RBI and Javier Herrera’s mark of 1639 runs scored.

Reaching those milestones in a Salvador uniform was very important for Melo and the fans. The Storm had their fourth straight losing season though and Melo was entering the last year of his contract. Ultimately in February 1986, the 37-year old was traded to Caracas for prospects Nestor Padeira and Alarico Oliverira. It was heartbreaking for Melo and many Storm fans, although he remained a beloved franchise icon. His #7 uniform would be retired immediately at the end of his career and he would be an ambassador and icon for years to come.

Caracas had been a playoff team the prior year and hoped Melo could get them over the hump, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it. He had by far his worst season with a .265 average, 2.3 WAR and only 22 home runs. Melo became a free agent and Recife signed him to a two-year, $1,660,000 deal hoping to recapture the magic. He was clearly washed though and struggled even in a limited pinch hit role, only hitting one homer in 101 plate appearances. Melo retired after the season at age 39.

For his career, Melo had 2915 hits, 1708 runs, 414 doubles, 870 home runs, 1862 RBI, 854 walks, a .309/.371/.640 slash, 197 wRC+, and 140.9 WAR. At induction, Melo was BSA’s all-time leader in homers, runs, RBI, and total bases. He also had the best OPS of any Hall of Famer and was fourth in batting WAR and tenth in hits. Melo’s 870 homers at induction was also the fourth most for any pro player. Later eras of increased offense saw him fall down some leaderboards, but as of 2037, Melo is still third in homers, eighth in RBI, 11^th in runs, and fifth in batting WAR. He remains one of the pillars of South American baseball history and is one of the finest sluggers of any era, plus he helped Salvador win three rings. As a pure bat, he’s on the short-list when discussing who the BSA GOAT is among position players. Melo’s 98.6% percentage is too low.



Thiago Granja – Pitcher- Buenos Aires Atlantics – 98.0% First Ballot

Thiago Granja was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Mercedes, an Argentinian city of around 50,000 people located 100 kilometers west of Buenos Aires. Granja had overpowering stuff with a 98-100 mph fastball mixed with a devastating changeup and a good slider. His control was above average with his movement mid-grade. He was viewed as very durable, pitching 230+ innings in each of his South American seasons but one. Despite his regular innings, Granja was on the lower end in terms of complete games compared to his contemporaries.

Growing up not far from Buenos Aries, the Atlantics were very aware of Granja’s amateur exploits. Thus, BA picked him fourth overall in the 1972 BSA Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately and had an incredible rookie season with a 2.26 ERA, 350 strikeouts, and 9.5 WAR. Granja easily scored 1973 Rookie of the Year and his 9.5 WAR stands as the second-most ever for a ROY winner, behind only Timoteo Caruso’s 9.9 WAR on the mound in 1936. The Atlantics clearly struck gold with Granja.

He helped turnaround the team’s fortunes, as they had bottomed out at 58-104 in 1971. Buenos Aires would make the playoffs seven times from 1975-82. Granja led the Southern Cone League in strikeouts four straight seasons from 1974-77, including a high of 390 in his sophomore season. He struck out 300+ in each of his years with the Atlantics. He also led in WAR with 10.2 in 1974. Granja never won Pitcher of the Year despite his early success, taking second in 1975 and third in 1977. In his first six seasons, Granja had 54.1 WAR and 2167 strikeouts.

Granja was excellent in the 1975 playoffs, posting a 1.17 ERA and 3-0 record over 23 innings with 32 strikeouts. This helped Buenos Aires claim Copa Sudamerica. The Atlantics fell in the Southern Cone Championship in the next four seasons, but won the Cup again in 1980. After dropping to .500 in 1981, Buenos Aires won a weak division in 1982 at 84-78. Still, they won the pennant that season, falling to Barquisimeto in Copa Sudamerica. For his playoff career with the Atlantics, Granja had a 10-4 record, 2.23 ERA, 125 innings, 149 strikeouts, and 3.0 WAR.

Granja was also a regular for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship from 1973-88. He posted a 2.66 ERA and 16-10 record over 209.2 innings with 319 strikeouts, 69 walks, and 7.6 WAR. Despite the amazing start to his career, Granja never hit the same heights in the later two thirds of his career. He was still a fine pitcher, but he wasn’t a league leader or award finalist again. Still, over a decade with Buenos Aires, he posted a 168-103 record, 2.61 ERA, 2531 innings, 3459 strikeouts, 491 walks, 66 FIP-, and 77.3 WAR.

Granja also had two no-hitters with Buenos Aires, including a remarkable 20 strikeout, one walk effort against Rosario on September 21, 1975. This tied the record for most Ks in a no-no, previously reached in 1945 by Luisao Capucho. Granja’s second no-hitter also came against Rosario with 15 strikeouts and two walks on May 15, 1980.

Granja had signed a five-year, $2,326,000 contract extension with Buenos Aires after the 1977 season. He was 33 years old when that contract ended after the 1982 season, coming off statistically one of his weaker seasons. Granja was still a very good pitcher, but Buenos Aires wasn’t prepared to give him the big contract he wanted. Still, he remained an important part of the franchise’s impressive run and his #8 uniform would later be retired. Granja opted to stay in Argentina, signing a five-year, $3,270,000 deal with Cordoba.

The Chanticleer run ultimately lasted three and a half seasons with steady and reliable production. The signing immediately paid off, as Cordoba ended an eight-year playoff drought in 1983, although they fell in the LCS. After missing the playoffs in 1984, the Chanticleers won the 1985 Copa Sudamerica. This gave Granja his third ring, posting a 3.28 ERA over 35.2 playoff starts with Cordoba. For the full tenure, he had a 2.89 ERA, 54-40 record, 890.1 innings, 1117 strikeouts, 152 walks, and 22.0 WAR.

1986 statistically was actually Granja’s best year since his 20s, but Cordoba struggled and finished with only 70 wins. They were sellers at the trade deadline, moving Granja to La Paz for three prospects. He finished out the season for the Pump jacks and was ready for 1987, but Granja suffered his first injury setbacks. A sprained AC joint cost him 2-3 months, then a partially torn labrum shortly after cost him the rest of the year. Granja only made two starts in 1987 for La Paz and became a free agent that winter at age 38.

Granja wasn’t ready to call it quits and MLB’s Boston Red Sox were willing to give the veteran a chance with a generous three-year, $4,700,000 deal. He made 28 starts with Boston and was delightfully mid as his velocity had dropped into the mid 90s. The Red Sox cut him during spring training 1989. Phoenix signed him to finish out the year, although he only saw 32 MLB innings and one playoff relief appearance. Granja retired that winter at age 39.

For his Beisbol Sudamerica career, Granja had a 231-148 record, 2.70 ERA, 3539.2 innings, 4718 strikeouts, 657 walks, 329/453 quality starts, 69 FIP-, and 102.2 WAR. Many thought he could be on a GOAT trajectory after his first few years, but even though he wasn’t dominant in the back-end, Granja still put together impressive tallies. At induction, he was sixth in strikeouts and 13^th in pitching WAR. His playoff production was excellent as well, playing a key role in titles for both Buenos Aires and Cordoba. The voters didn’t need much convincing, as Granja was a first ballot selection at 98.0% to join Valor Melo in the impressive two-man 1993 class.