Luis Aparicio, Sr.
| Luis Aparicio Ortega | |||
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| Shortstop / Coach / Manager | |||
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Born: August 28, 1912 Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela |
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Died: January 1, 1971 (aged 58) Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| 1931 | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1970 | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Luis Aparicio Ortega (August 28, 1912 – January 1, 1971) was a Venezuelan professional baseball personality for 40 years, serving as a player, coach, field manager, and club organizer.
Born and raised in Maracaibo, Zulia, Aparicio came from a family whose name is synonymous with baseball in Venezuela. He was the son of Leónidas Aparicio and Adelina Ortega, who introduced their children to sport activities within the local community at an early age. As a result, the young Luis excelled both in soccer and track and field before deciding to play baseball. Besides, his older brother Ernesto developed into a successful baseball manager, coach and team owner, while his son Luis Jr. spent 18 years in the Major Leagues and is a Baseball Hall of Fame member.
Basically a line-drive hitter and speedy base runner, Aparicio was never a dominant hitter, but his defense though was what made him great, as he is widely regarded as the best Venezuelan shortstop of his era. He was prized by his wonderful range, smooth hands, and a quick and strong arm, while showing a great ability to make plays on the move and throw base runners out from all over the infield. Besides, he has been described as an intelligent player that possessed exceptional baseball sense and instincts to anticipate the play.
Aparicio played until the age of 41, and while his final batting average of .269 may not seem like top-10 material, he did it at a time when it was a respectable average for a middle infielder, let alone an outstanding defensive shortstop. Although his legacy at his position has been carried on from generation to generation of Venezuelan shortstops, through Chico Carrasquel, the first-ever Latin player to appear in a MLB All-Star Game, and later by his son Luis, Dave Concepción, Ozzie Guillén, Omar Vizquel, Asdrúbal Cabrera and Elvis Andrus, among others.
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