Key Moments & Notable Performances
Second time lucky - Competition for the inaugural Campeonato got underway a day later than originally planned, after rain washed out the two games scheduled for Opening Day. When the skies finally cleared on Monday 22nd August, Los Metros shut out Atlético in both games of a double-header, while Tahón split a pair with La Cruz.
The streak - Through the first two months of the season, Los Metros had looked comfortable at the top of La Liga standings. Then Progreso started winning. They were four games behind on October 21st, but twenty-two days and 13 consecutive wins later, the Tabaqueros were 4 games atop the standings with a lead they wouldn't surrender.
El Supera, el campeón - Progreso's star performer was starting pitcher Francisco Ramirez. The laid-back lefty dominated La Liga all season, claiming the pitching triple crown with an 18-3 record, a 1.89 ERA and 95 strikeouts. So dominant was his fastball-cutter combo that he collected 5 complete game shutouts, including a 5-hit, 1-0 win over La Cruz that clinched El Campeonato for Progreso. For his efforts, he was named El Supera, and awarded the Premio del Presidente.
One and done - A single swing was all it took Manny Buenrostro to create a little bit of Liga history on August 27. He came to the plate as a pinch hitter with one out in the bottom of the ninth and his Tahón team locked in a 6-6 tie with Atlético. After watching two pitches go by, Buenrostro swung for the third, and deposited the ball over the leftfield fence - La Liga's first pinch-hit homerun, and a walk-off to boot.
Any which way - Los Metros centrefielder Jonathan Flores walked three times and hit a sacrifice fly on his way to a 3 run, 1 RBI performance in a 10-9 win over Atlético in which he officially batted 0-0.Full house - Progreso rightfielder Tony de Pena had a day to remember in a 14-3 demolition of Atlético in late September. Along the way to scoring 4 and driving home 5, the 27-year-old became the first player in La Liga to hit for the cycle. de Pena walked in the second, hit a two-run triple in the third, doubled in the fourth, hit a two-run homer in the 5th, struck out in the seventh and drilled an RBI single in the eighth.
I'm walking here - Atlético battery-mates Victor Fuentes and Alfredo Morel set an unlikely pair of records in a 12-3 loss to Club Orientales in October. Young lefty Fuentes gave up 11 walks in 7 1/3 innings pitched, while catcher Morel managed to draw 4 bases on balls at the plate himself.
Bad call, skipper - Los Metros lost a close one to La Cruz, 6-5 on October 5th, as La Cruz scored 6 runs in the top of the ninth to overhaul the capital squad. All six runs were charged to reliever Rafael Ortiz, who entered the game to begin the ninth after starter Ruben Alvarez was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 8th. Through his eight innings pitched, Alvarez had held La Cruz scoreless on just 3 hits.
Hitting every day - It wasn't a pretty year for Atlético, but their fans did at least get the excitement of the longest hit streak in La Liga in 1932. Through September and October, centrefielder Jerry Prieto racked up at least one base hit in 27 consecutive appearances, before finally being held hitless by cross-town rivals Los Metros.Hit King - Across town for Los Metros, Lorenzo Lemus was racking up the hits all season long. His 87 safeties (including 20 doubles, 3 triples and 5 homeruns) led all Liga hitters for the season. Lemus hit .354 for the year, and also topped La Liga with 26 stolen bases.
Big inning - Los Metros sent 16 men to the plate as they set the new Liga record by scoring 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth on November 17th. The outburst came as part of a 14-1 win over Club Orientales. Their inning contained 8 singles, 7 walks, a flyout, a groundout, and a runner cut down at the plate.
Statistically significant - Though Club Orientales fans didn't have much to cheer during their first Liga season, they did get to watch the top homerun hitter in Escondida, Jose Rivas, going about his business. The 24-year-old rightfielder led La Liga with 12 round-trippers. Meanwhile, La Cruz first baseman Bob Gonzales surprised many by topping the batting average charts with an impressive .395 mark after starting the season on the B team. On the mound, spare a thought for Atlético righty Arturo de Leon, whose 16 losses were the most by any Liga hurler. He did, at least, have one big day - his nine strikeouts in a close loss to La Cruz in October were the most in a single game by anyone in 1932.
Las Layendas Inductee
Unanimous Inductee, for contribution to Escondidan baseball
Around Escondida - Junior, Independent and Minor Leagues
The Torneo Desafío Juventud began its new era of play in April, and it was Costero who were crowned champions after a dramatic, rain-affected finale. Storms forced the season to be extended by two days, but their 17-11 record was eventually enough to hold off Intermedio and Meridional by a single game.
16-year-old Centrale second baseman Willie Gonzalez won the Mejor Bateador award, hitting .495 (55-111) with 5 homeruns and 39 batted in. Centrale teammate Emilio Pedro, also 16, picked up the Lanzador Superior honour, thanks to a 7-1 record in his 10 starts, and a 3.82 ERA.
Elsewhere, Meridional centrefielder Jordan Gonzalez batted an impressive .505 (51-101), including a 22-game hit streak. He was also responsible for one of the individual performances of the season, collecting 8 RBI in a 13-12 win over eventual champions Costero. 15-year-old Adelante sensation Gustavo Jaramillo, meanwhile, made plenty sit up and take notice, twice picking up 6 hits in a game - going 6-8 (2 2B, 6 R, 5 RBI) in a wild 37-3 win over La Isla, and a month later going 6-6 (HR, 5 RBI) in a 14-10 loss to the same opponent.
In the Liga Segunda, it was the Progreso back-up squad who topped the standings with a 14-6 record. The performance of the season belonged to 18-year-old Tahón righty David Orellana, and his September 19 effort against La Cruz. The teenager pitched 11 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit - but was still tagged with a 1-0 loss after hitting a batter to lead off the 12th who subsequently came round to score once the relief corps came into the game.
