[FuzzyRussianHat]

Only pitcher Andres Ramirez earned induction with Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2009 Hall of Fame voting. He was a slam dunk choice, nearly making it unanimously with 99.0%. 2B Leonardo Salvador was the next closest to the 66% requirement, getting 61.0% on his fifth try. SP Orlando Salas had 56.1% on his second ballot and C Moises Avalos debuted at 55.1%. No one else was above 50%.



1B/DH Arnau Aceves was dropped after ten years on the ballot. His BSA run lasted 14 years before he left for MLB for four seasons. Aceves helped Cali win two Copa Sudamerica rings and was a big part of the playoff run, winning BLCS MVP in 1986 and 1988 and finals MVP in 1988. Aceves had two Silver Sluggers and the 1985 Bolivar League MVP.

With Cali, Aceves had 1843 hits, 1037 runs, 280 doubles, 489 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .286/.349/.567 slash, 151 wRC+, and 56.5 WAR. Adding his MLB numbers, he got to 610 homers, 1501 RBI, and 62.3 WAR. Just in BSA though, the accumulations were low enough to scare off some voters. Aceves peaked at 45.3% in 2003 with a low at 14.4% in 2008 before ending at 39.7%. Thus, a banishment to the Hall of Good, although he did get his #25 uniform retired by the Cyclones.

Also dropped was 1B Cabo Rossi, who had 16 years between three teams. He had one Silver Slugger and won the Cup with Barquisimeto in 1982. Rossi had 2689 hits, 1225 runs, 426 doubles, 458 home runs, 1385 RBI, a .307/.340/.528 slash, 148 wRC+, and 78.7 WAR.

The totals are pretty good, but voters often expect more gaudy power stats from a first baseman. He also lacked major awards and black ink. Rossi got as high as 35.3% in 2003 and as low as 8.5% in 2008, but survived for ten ballots.



Andres Ramirez – Starting Pitcher – Sao Paulo Padres – 99.0% First Ballot

Andres Ramirez was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from La Paz, Bolivia. Ramirez had strong stuff with great movement and above average control. His fastball regularly hit 97-99 mph and was bolstered by a great splitter, strong changeup, and decent curveball. Ramirez’s stamina was good, but he’d give you plenty of innings as an ironman. He had 235+ innings in all but his rookie season in a 19-year career.

Ramirez was excellent at holding runners and earned a Gold Glove in 1988. He was a very popular player with an even-keeled and steady personality. You knew you were going to get consistent positive production and he never really had a bad year.

In June 1981, a visiting scout from Sao Paulo noticed Ramirez among the top prospects at a Bolivian camp. They signed him and had him in the developmental system for three-and-a-half years. Ramirez debuted as a part-time starter in 1985 at age 21 with very respectable results. He was a full-time starter for the next 18 years after that and helped the Padres become a regular contender for the next decade.

Sao Paulo from 1986-96 had nine playoff appearances and seven division titles. The Padres won the Southern Cone League title in 1986, 1990, and 1993. In 1990 and 1993, Sao Paulo picked up Copa Sudamerica wins. They also had an LCS defeat in 1996. Ramirez was excellent in the playoffs with a 2.61 ERA over 148.1 innings, 9-5 record, 177 strikeouts, 34 walks, 126 ERA+, and 4.0 WAR.

By his fourth season in 1988, Ramirez had arrived as a top ace. That season had career and league bests in ERA (1.76), WHIP (0.74), shutouts (4), and WAR (11.0), earning Pitcher of the Year. With that effort, Sao Paulo locked him in to a six-year, $5,800,000 extension. In 1989, he led in wins (22-9), ERA (2.12), and WAR (8.6) to repeat as Pitcher of the Year.

Ramirez led in strikeouts for the first time in 1990 at 298, which was lower than his previous two years. He had a 2.00 ERA and 7.6 WAR, taking a third straight Pitcher of the Year. Ramirez also had an impressive 1.41 ERA over 38.1 playoff innings with 56 strikeouts as Sao Paulo beat Lima in Copa Sudamerica. The 56 Ks was the second-most in BSA history behind Mohamed Ramos’ 63 in 1935. His 2.09 WAR set a BSA playoff record that still holds in 2037.

That incredible playoff run helped cement Ramirez as a legend already. He was very popular both with Sao Paulo and back home in Bolivia, as he pitched for the national team from 1986-03 in the World Baseball Championship. Ramirez had a 14-14 record in 221.1 WBC innings, a 2.81 ERA, 275 strikeouts, 81 walks, 128 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR. He was third in WBC Best Pitcher voting in 1988.

After respectable 1991 and 1992 efforts, Ramirez took second in 1993 POTY voting, leading in wins at 21-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 8.7 WAR. This season also saw a no-hitter on April 7, 1993 with 12 strikeouts and two walks against Brasilia. His postseason was less remarkable with a 4.39 ERA in 26.2 innings, but Sao Paulo again beat Lima for Copa Sudamerica.

In March 1994, the Padres gave Ramirez a six-year, $13,720,000 extension. He earned his third ERA title in 1994 with a 1.97 ERA and was the WARlord at 7.4, taking his fourth POTY. Ramirez became the eighth pitcher in BSA history to win POTY four or more times. He finished third in voting in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999. Ramirez led in Ks and WAR in 1995, wins and innings in 1996, and WAR in 1999.

With Sao Paulo, Ramirez had a 270-128 record, 2.37 ERA, 3940 innings, 4551 strikeouts, 767 walks, 380/486 quality starts, 137 complete games, 139 ERA+, and 105.7 WAR. He was a beloved part of their 1980s and 1990s success and his #22 uniform would later be retired.

Ramirez’s Padres run ended after the 1999 season. That year was Sao Paulo’s first losing season since 1973 and they looked into a rebuild. Now 36-years old, the Padres bought out the remaining part of Ramirez’s contract. A free agent for the first time, Ramirez signed a three-year, $10,680,000 deal with Caracas.

He wasn’t a POTY candidate with the Colts, but Ramirez put up three respectable years in their rotation. Caracas made the playoffs in 2000 and 2002, but suffered a first round loss and a Bolivar League Championship Series loss. Ramirez had a 2.83 ERA over 35 playoff innings for the Colts.

While there, Ramirez became the fourth BSA pitcher to reach 300 wins and the sixth to reach 5000 strikeouts. In total for Caracas, Ramirez had a 49-34 record, 3.50 ERA, 757.2 innings, 669 strikeouts, 135 walks, 115 ERA+, and 14.9 WAR. A free agent again at age 39, he signed for 2003 with Cali on a three-year, $10,560,000 deal.

With the Cyclones, Ramirez had a 22-7 record, 3.42 ERA, 186 strikeouts, and 4.4 WAR in 2003. He struggled in two playoff starts as Cali suffered a first round exit, allowing 11 runs in six innings. Ramirez had been respectable in the regular season though and most figured he wasn’t going to end with that.

At 341 wins, Ramirez was only six behind Mohamed Ramos’ all-time mark of 347 and one behind Laurenco Cedillo at 342. Ramos was a revered figure in his native Bolivia and Ramirez told friends that he didn’t feel right trying to take that record from the GOAT. Thus, he retired after the 2003 season at age 40.

Ramirez ended with a 341-169 record, 2.59 ERA, 4934.1 innings, 5406 strikeouts, 937 walks, 462/616 quality starts, 166 complete games, 52 shutouts, 134 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 125.0 WAR. As of 2037, Ramirez sits third in wins, third in innings pitched, fifth in strikeouts, and eighth in pitching WAR.

He didn’t have the raw untouchable dominance of some of the other all-timers, but Ramirez was remarkably consistent for a long time. He was a critical piece of Sao Paulo’s decade of success and a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Ramirez headlined the 2009 BSA class alone with 99.0%, joining his hero and idol Mohamed Ramos among the Bolivian baseball legends.