On Wednesday, January 5, 2011, the people of Puerto Rico received one of the most significant and special news regarding an athlete from their country. On his second attempt, Roberto Alomar got the necessary votes to become the newest member of the American baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) in Cooperstown. Alomar, a native of the southern town of Salinas was favored by 90% of the journalists who participated on the 2011 HOF ballot. That amount of votes is the third largest for any HOF candidate and the biggest percentage for a former player that failed to get the required minimum of 75% during his first year of eligibility.
The selection of Alomar vindicates the HOF selection committee after failing to give him the necessary votes on the 2010 election. For many baseball analysts, Roberto Alomar “revolutionized” the way second base fielding is played. This native man of the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico was a .300 lifetime hitter and ten times gold glove. Alomar also won two World Series (1992 and 1993) with the Toronto Blue Jays, participated on twelve Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star games, and was awarded with the 1992 MVP trophy for MLB’s American League. His batting numbers and in-field performance give him the distinctive of being one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
For Puerto Rico, Alomar’s selection to the Hall of Fame came at the right moment. 2010 was a difficult year for the island and its inhabitants. Besides some tough disappointments on international sports competitions that had Puerto Rican national representations, the Caribbean territory suffered an unprecedented wave of violence, political instability and economic crisis. Alomar’s selection to the HOF speaks once again to the refreshing discourses of cohesiveness and national unity developed around those Puerto Rican athletes who succeed abroad.
As an individual, Roberto Alomar publicly vindicated himself after a year of scandals and rumors about his personal health. For Puerto Ricans and baseball fans in general, this is a unique opportunity to remember Robbie Alomar for his accomplishments on the baseball field. His magnificent career gave glory to Puerto Rico and its people. Let’s celebrate his life and contributions to baseball. Hopefully other prominent former MLB players will soon join the Puerto Rican HOF trio composed by Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Alomar.
The selection of Alomar vindicates the HOF selection committee after failing to give him the necessary votes on the 2010 election. For many baseball analysts, Roberto Alomar “revolutionized” the way second base fielding is played. This native man of the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico was a .300 lifetime hitter and ten times gold glove. Alomar also won two World Series (1992 and 1993) with the Toronto Blue Jays, participated on twelve Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star games, and was awarded with the 1992 MVP trophy for MLB’s American League. His batting numbers and in-field performance give him the distinctive of being one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
For Puerto Rico, Alomar’s selection to the Hall of Fame came at the right moment. 2010 was a difficult year for the island and its inhabitants. Besides some tough disappointments on international sports competitions that had Puerto Rican national representations, the Caribbean territory suffered an unprecedented wave of violence, political instability and economic crisis. Alomar’s selection to the HOF speaks once again to the refreshing discourses of cohesiveness and national unity developed around those Puerto Rican athletes who succeed abroad.
As an individual, Roberto Alomar publicly vindicated himself after a year of scandals and rumors about his personal health. For Puerto Ricans and baseball fans in general, this is a unique opportunity to remember Robbie Alomar for his accomplishments on the baseball field. His magnificent career gave glory to Puerto Rico and its people. Let’s celebrate his life and contributions to baseball. Hopefully other prominent former MLB players will soon join the Puerto Rican HOF trio composed by Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Alomar.
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