The San Francisco Giants will celebrate
Latin American Player Reunion at Pacific
Bell Park, Sunday June 23, 2002.

By Amaury Pi-GonzálezThe San Francisco Giants will be the

first professional Bay Area baseball

team to bring from different parts of

the world their great Hispanic players

and honor them in the city they played.

On June 23, 2002(Sunday)prior to the

last of a three-game series against

the Baltimore Orioles the Giants will

give the first 20,000 fans a Orlando

Cepeda Boblehead.

Mr. Peter Magowan, Principal Partner of

the San Francisco Giants invited a group

of Hispanic players that played for the

Giants to be on hand to receive the

Hispanic Pioneer Award by the Hispanic

Heritage Baseball Museum.

Orlando Cepeda, first ever Hispanic Rookie

of the Year in National League history,

in 1958 will be present. Orlando born in

Puerto Rico lives in the Bay Area and is

also in the Hall of Fame.

Ruben Gómez, Puerto Rican pitcher who

went 17-9 for the 1954 World Champion

New York Giants will come from his

home in Florida.

Juan Marichal, unquestionably the best


pitcher ever in the history of the Giants

since they moved to San Francisco in

1958 and member of the Hall of Fame

will fly in from the Dominican Republic.

Matty Alou, also a Dominican, presently

living in Florida will be on hand to receive

his Pioneer Award. Alou was the best hitter

for average and the fastest of the three

Alou brothers. Matty and brother Felipe

(presently a coach in Detroit)played together

in the 1962 World Series.

Puerto Rican shortstop José Pagán who in

1962 played the whole 162 game regular

season, plus a memorable 3 game playoff

against the Dodgers that catapulted the

Giants into the historic 1962 World Series

agains the Yankees.

Rigoberto(Tito)Fuentes, born in Cuba,

presently with residence in Nevada,

the most popular secondbaseman in

San Francisco Giants history.

These and others will be present on

June 23rd at Pac Bell Park.

The Giants are well known in baseball

as one of the pioneer organizations

in bringing Latin American talent to

play in the majors. Presently almost

30 % of all players in Major League

Baseball are Hispanics. Some of

the games greatest stars of today

are Hispanics: Alex Rodríguez, Sammy

Sosa,Pedro Martínez,Manny Ramírez,

Iván Rodríguez, Juan González, Rafael

Palmeiro, Vladimir Guerrero all these

Hall of Fame caliber players and more

are sure to increase in numbers as

“béisbol”is played all year ’round in

the Caribbean and throught Latin America.

During this season the Giants have

Puerto Rican natives Benito Santiago,

Ramón Martínez. Félix Rodríguez

and Pedro Feliz from the Dominican Republic,Yorbit Torrealba from

Venezuela, Marvin Benard from Nicaragua

plus coaches Carlos Alfonso(Cuba)and

Juan Lopez f(Puerto Rico). Even Dusty

Baker speaks Spanish on this team, his

interviews are frequently heard prior

to Giants games on KZSF 1370 AM.

The Giants designated this reporter to

be the Master of Ceremonies in the

field for this event. There will be Latin

Salsa Music on the field prior to the

game. The Giants are holding a fundraiser

on such day to help the Hispanic Heritage

Baseball Museum. A reception for the

players, VIP and their families will be

held prior to the ceremony.

“We want to help the Hispanic Baseball

Museum raise money for their worthy

cause” -Mario Alioto. Vice President of

Corporate Marketing for the San Francisco

Giants and Executive Producer of the

SF Giants Spanish Broadcasts over

KZSF 1370 AM Radio “La Caliente”.

“We are proud and happy to have the

Giants organization on our side”

-Gabriel(Tito)Avila Jr. Founder/CEO

and President of the Hispanic Heritage

Baseball Museum.

Among the personalities invited is

Mr. Gerardo Sandoval, Supervisor of

the City of San Francisco as well as

officers of the Hispanic Heritage

Baseball Museum. Mr. Mario Alioto’s

staff, specially Valerie McGuire and Alison

Vidal have worked very hard in order to

make this event a reality.

The San Francisco/Oakland/San José

Bay Area has a population of over

6 million, among them

aproximately 1.8 million Hispanics,

according to the most recent US Census

2000.

The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum’s

mission is dedicated to the recognition

of the contributions made to baseball by

Hispanic American players. During the

game on Sunday June 23rd, the Museum

will have a display at Pac Bell Park and will

be accepting donations as well as

memberships.

The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum is

a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization. There

is a great big “inter active site”under construction but in the meantime If you want to learn more about the HHBM you are

welcome to visit: www.hispanicbaseballmuseum.com

or call Toll Free 1-877-228-4426.

The Museum was founded in 1999 in the

City of San Francisco, numerous exhibits

have been displayed (including the SF Civic

Center Library)and this summer at

Cal-Expo, the California State Fair in

Sacramento. Soon the museum hopes to

inaugurate their first permanent location

in San Francisco.

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Amaury Pi-González is on his eighth year as
the Spanish Radio Play by Play Announcer
of the SF Giants on KZSF 1370 AM Radio:La Caliente”. During Postseason on LBC -Latino Radio Network and Fox Sports, also covering the Caribbean World Series of Baseball.

You can also read his articles on:

www.latinobaseball.com