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Pitcher Franklyn Maldonado was the lone member of the 1997 class for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame. He was nearly unanimous at 99.7%, but it was a quiet ballot otherwise. The only other player who was even above 50% was catcher Hansel Morel at 52.8% in his seventh ballot. No one was dropped after ten ballots in 1997.



Franklyn Maldonado – Starting Pitcher – Guatemala Ghosts – 99.7% First Ballot

Franklyn Maldonado was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Real del Puente, Honduras; a small town of around 4,000 people in the northwest of the country. Maldonado was a well-rounded pitcher with very good stuff, movement, and control. He had a 95-97 mph fastball that he mixed with a slider and changeup. Maldonado was one of the best at changing speeds and holding runners. He was considered an excellent defensive pitcher and had respectable stamina in his early days. Maldonado was a fan favorite and was a popular player despite a relatively short peak.

Despite coming from humble origins, Maldonado did get some attention as a prospect in the amateur ranks of Honduras. He was picked in the second round of the 1976 CABA Draft by Guatemala with the 47^th overall pick. The Ghosts wouldn’t bring him up for his first two seasons under contract. Maldonado debuted with seven starts in 1979 at age 23, but showed promise. Maldonado was good as a partial starter in 1980, then entered the rotation full-time from 1981 after.

From 1981-86, Maldonado led the Caribbean League in WAR five times. He led in ERA in 1982, earning Pitcher of the Year. He took second in 1983, then won the award again in 1984. Maldonado would be a regular finalist, taking second in 1986 and 1987 with Guatemala. With the Ghosts, he also led the league in wins twice, WHIP twice, innings once, and quality starts three times. Maldonado was also quite effective in the World Baseball Championship for his native Honduras. From 1979-91 with the national team, he had a 1.95 ERA over 175.1 innings, 10-11 record, 220 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR.

From 1980-84, Guatemala had a five-year playoff streak. They got to the Caribbean League Championship Series in 1980, 81, and 83; winning the pennant in 1983. They would fall in the final to Hermosillo, but Maldonado gave them good playoff numbers. With the Ghosts in the playoffs, Maldonado had a 2.94 ERA, 64.1 innings, 89 strikeouts, 5-4 record, and 2.1 WAR. After the 1983 season, Guatemala locked him up with a five-year, $3,270,000 contract extension.

Guatemala was good, but just outside of the playoffs from 1985-87. It looked like a rebuild was in order and Maldonado had one year left on his deal at age 32. The Ghosts decided to trade him in late 1987 to Guadalajara for three prospects. For his time in Guatemala, Maldonado had a 145-68 record, 2.55 ERA, 2093.1 innings, 2307 strikeouts, and 69.0 WAR. He remained popular with Ghosts fans and did see his #38 uniform retired once his playing days were done.

Maldonado had a strong debut with the Hellhounds, leading in wins and quality starts with a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting. He also won his first Gold Glove with his second coming the next year. Guadalajara was happy with their acquisition and gave Maldonado a five-year, $4,750,000 extension in the summer of 1988. He pitched well the next two years as the Hellhounds made it to the Mexican League Championship Series both seasons, although they couldn’t claim the pennant.

Although he still had been effective in 1990, his velocity had suddenly plummeted without any major injury, going from 95-97 mph to 90-92 mph. In 1991, Maldonado’s fastball was in the 86-88 mph range. Although his control was still great, his stuff was now awful. He struggled in spring training and was only used for 24.2 innings. Maldonado retired that winter at age 36. With Guadalajara, he had a 56-32 record, 2.17 ERA, 787.2 innings, 804 strikeouts, and 20.2 WAR.

For his career, Maldonado posted a 201-100 record, 2.45 ERA, 2881 innings, 3111 strikeouts, 427 walks, 281/361 quality starts, a 66 FIP-, and 89.2 WAR. His rate stats were very impressive, although the grand totals were on the lower end with the quick end to his career. Before his sudden decline, many observers thought Maldonado would end up at the tip-top of the leaderboards. Regardless, even in only 11 full seasons, Maldonado’s resume was outstanding. He was nearly unanimously voted in at 99.7% as the lone member of CABA’s 1997 Hall of Fame class.