by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

So now that the 2016 Class has two new members in Ken Griffey Jr and Mike Piazza, we can start thinking about next year.

History will be made in 2017. Never before in the history of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, at Cooperstown, New York, have all the players nominated were Hispanics.They are Manny Ramirez and Vladimir Guerrero from the Dominican Republic, Ivan Rodriguez and Jorge Posada from Puerto Rico and Magglio Ordonez from Venezuela. In my opinion Ivan Rodriguez, who was one of the most dominant catchers ever will go in. Manny Ramirez, leads this group with 555 home runs and his chances are very good, Vladimir Guerrero has also a very good chance.

Jorge Posada a 5-time World Series Champion with the New York Yankees, was a very good player, but I do not believe he has a very good chance and Magglio Ordonez another very good player, in my book, has the tougher odds to make it. But, without a doubt, this is the first and only time in history that all the nominees are born in Latin America.

The inaugural Hall of Fame election results were announced in the media on Feb. 2, 1936, and featured Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner as the Class of 1936. After 20 more members were added to the Hall of Fame in the elections in 1937, 1938 and 1939, the first Induction Ceremony was held on June 12, 1939 – with all 11 living electees present in Cooperstown. Lou Gehrig is recognized as a member of the Class of 1939, but Gehrig was not elected until late in the year after it became clear that his playing career was over due to complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. -National Baseball Hall of Fame.

As of today these are the Hispanics players elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown: Roberto Clemente,(1973) Orlando Cepeda(1999),Roberto Alomar(2001) Puerto Rico, Juan Marichal(1983) and Pedro Martinez,(2015)Dominican Republic, Luis Aparicio(1984)Venezuela, Rod Carew(1991)Panama, from Cuba Martin Dihigo(1977) Atanasio(Tony)Perez(2000), Jose Mendez(2006), Alex Pompez(2006), Cristobal Torriente(2006) of all the Cubans, except for Tony Perez, they were Negro Leagues and Cuban Leagues stars. Alejandro “Alex” Pompez was an American executive in Negro league baseball who owned the Cuban Stars and New York Cubans franchises from 1916 to 1950.

His family had immigrated from Cuba, where his father was a lawyer. Pompez was born in Key West, Florida.

National Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York. It is better than ever, and a great place to visit. November 2009, was the last time I visited it was a special trip, from here on the west coast all the way to New York by air, then took the train from New York City that borders the Hudson all the way up north to Albany, where I rented a car and drove to Cooperstown. A beautiful drive will green rolling hills, farms and then you get there. Downtown Cooperstown is like time has stopped decades ago, old red brick buildings,reminds you of a Norman Rockwell painting. It is always a great experience and there is no other sports Hall of Fame in the country like it.