Pantín: Judging HOF Latino rookie seasons from Clemente to Pudge
From Efraín Ruiz Pantín at La Vida Baseball on September 14, 2017:
Can you judge a Hall of Famer by his rookie season? If we look at the nine Latinos who played Major League Baseball and ended up in Cooperstown, the player who shined the least in his first season ended up being called “The Great One.” From Roberto Clemente to Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, it wasn’t easy for any one of them, young kids in a strange land speaking another language, eating different foods and learning new customs.
That almost without exception they established their credentials and set the stage in their first campaigns for legendary careers is testament to their talent and determination. To celebrate their legacies, we not so much rank their rookie seasons as we relive them, one by one, from lesser to greater.
Read the full article here: https://www.lavidabaseball.com/hof-latino-rookie-seasons/
Originally published: September 14, 2017. Last Updated: September 14, 2017.