- On August 12, 1984, the Venezuelan shortstop became the third Latino player to arrive in Cooperstown.
Luis Aparicio is one of the most important Venezuelan baseball players in the history of the Major Leagues. The shortstop is the only Creole who has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
On August 12, 1984, Aparicio received the distinction after obtaining 341 votes, out of a possible 403, to enter the Hall of Immortals in Cooperstown, New York (United States).
Luis Aparicio was born on April 29, 1934 in Maracaibo, Zulia state. The Venezuelan debuted at the age of 21 in the Major Leagues on April 17, 1956 with the uniform of the Chicago White Sox, being the seventh Creole to reach the Major League Baseball (MLB).
Aparicio, also known as Little Louie, He began to dazzle in the Majors from his first year as a rookie. In the 1956 season he won the American League Rookie of the Year Award after having 142 hits, scoring 69 runs and finishing as the leader in stolen bases with 21.
As of that campaign, the Creole shortstop finished as the leader in stolen bases for nine consecutive seasons. No player has managed to tie that mark.
In 1959, he finished second in the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player award with 157 hits, 51 RBIs, 56 stolen bases and a .256 average.
World Series Champion with the Baltimore Orioles
After five appearances in the All-Star Game and winning five Gold Glove awards, Luis Aparicio was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1963. Three years later, the Venezuelan joined the Orioles in the World Series in which they faced to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Baltimore Orioles overwhelmed the Dodgers in four games and the Venezuelan got his first and only World Series ring. During said final he had 4 hits in 16 at-bats and drove in two runs.
In 1968, Little Louie He returned for three seasons to the Chicago White Sox. Three years later, he made it to the Boston Red Sox for three seasons, where he retired at 39 years of age.
Luis Aparicio retired with 2,677 hits, 83 homers, 1,335 runs scored, 506 stolen bases (38th on the all-time list), and a .262 career average. In addition, he won 9 Gold Gloves, was selected for 13 All-Star Games, and the Rookie of the Year Award in 1956.
Luis Aparicio’s number 11 was retired on the Chicago White Sox team in 1984.
Omar Vizquel and Bob Abreu are two players who are candidates for the Hall of Fame. Both are on the election ballot for the year 2023 and must exceed 75% to be inducted.
Numbers in the LVBP
Luis Aparicio played for five teams in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (Gavilanes de Maracaibo, Leones del Caracas, Tiburones de La Guaira, Águilas del Zulia, Cardenales de Lara).
The Venezuelan was champion twice with the Tiburones de La Guaira, against the Leones del Caracas in 1965 and against the Industriales de Valencia in 1966. The marabino stole 56 bases, had 393 hits and drove in 136 runs.
As manager, Aparicio directed the Cardenales de Lara, Águilas del Zulia, Navegantes del Magallanes, Petroleros de Cabimas and Tiburones de La Guaira.
Starting in 2004, the Luis Aparicio Award for the best baseball player of the year in the Major Leagues began in Venezuela. The name of the award is in homage to the Hall of Fame and it is delivered on November 18, the Day of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá.
In 2005, Luis Aparicio threw out the ceremonial pitch at US Cellular Field in Chicago for Game 1 of the World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros.
