sportingnews.com file photo: Former Oakland A’s hitter Erubiel Durazo who joined former Diamondback players Vinny Castillo and Miguel Flores into the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame this weekBy Lewis Rubman

Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico–Three retired players, Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland Athletics slugger Erubiel Durazo; two-time National League all-star Vinny Castillo; and Miguel Flores, who toiled for six seasons in the Cleveland farm system, were inducted this morning into the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame. All three were members of the 2005 Mazatlan Deers, that year’s Caribbean champions with a 5-1 record in the series.

Joining them as new members of the hall were journalis Alfonso Araujo Bojorquez; the late Juan Manuel Ley, founder of the Culiacan Tomateros, the host team of this year’s Caribbean classic; and Bejamin Cananea Reyes, considered by many to be the best manager in the history of Mexican baseball. Some of the loudest and most strident applause was for Alfonso Araujo Bojoraquez, a welcome experience for the innumerable sports chroniclers in the audience.

The hall’s membersare chosen for their contributions to the series, and since 2009 have been chosen among people born in the host country. A list of previous honorees includes Cooperstown Hall of Famers Willard Brown, Rod Carew, Willie Mays, Roberto Alomar, and Roberto Clemente.

The ceremony, which took place in downtown Culiacan’s MIA Theater, opened with the playing of the Mexican national anthem and closed with the playing of the anthem of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation.