Key Moments & Notable Performances
Bigger and better - La Liga kicked off the 1935 season with two teams added to the contest - the Rio Hondo Rojos and the Villardondiego Tropicales - and an extra 24 games added to the season. With squads put together largely from a limited expansion selection, the two new sides struggled to make an immediate impact, but, with strong local support, look to be well set to build in future seasons.
Dominant - While the new teams felt their way into La Liga, defending champions Los Metros were simply unstoppable, bulldozing their way to a second consecutive Campeonato. The Centenera club - the first two-time champions - got off to a hot start, pulled away from nearest chasers Progreso through early October, eventually romping to a 65-19 record, good enough to clinch the title with 15 games to spare. Their record breaking season saw them score over 600 runs - an average of more than seven a game.El Presidente's choice - Leading los campeones from the mound in 1935 was, once again, veteran right-hander Ruben Alvarez. The hard-working pitcher put together an almost unblemished season, racking up a career-best 18 wins, against just three losses, while holding opponents to a 2.79 earned run average. Those 18 victories moved Alvarez into a share of the lead on La Liga's career record page, his 53 wins equalled only by 1932 El Supera Francisco Ramirez. For his effort, Alvarez was awarded the Premio del Presidente.
Runs galore - Liga new boys Rio Hondo were given a rude awakening to the professional game in just their second contest of the season. The visitors were humbled 28-8 by Los Metros, the defending campeones hitters making hay as they racked up new records for most runs, most hits, biggest margin of victory and highest scoring game. Outfielders Ricky Rodriguez and Lorenzo Lemus both collected 5 hits, with the former also collecting 7 runs batted in for his day's work.
100 up - The Tahón team secured their first ever winning record in 1935, led by a masterpiece season from centrefielder Jonathan Garza. Garza set new Liga records with a .431 batting average and 100 runs batted in, and was named El Supera at season's end. His year was highlighted with a record-breaking 9 RBI performance in a November win over Rio Hondo.Unstoppable power - 1934 Premio del Presidente winner Victor Herrera again shone for Los Metros as they defended the Campeonato in 1935. The popular outfielder hit .423 on the season, smashing a record 22 homeruns - three of which came in an August victory over Villardondiego, making Herrera the first man to pick up three round-trippers in a single game.
Going the distance - For the second season in a row, Tahón proved themselves to be the kings of extra innings during a late October epic in La Cruz. Down by a score of 7-3 after 7 innings the indomitable Leones tied it up in the eighth to send the game to extras. From there it was a war of attrition, with Tahón finally outlasting their hosts by a score of 12-10 after 20 innings and six hours of play. Jonathan Garza had a 6-8 day with five runs batted in, while Jose Hernandez scored 5 times, including the winning run. La Cruz second baseman Ramon Bonilla, meanwhile, had an unlikely-looking 4-11 day at the plate in the losing effort.
Injury blow - 1935 saw a number of serious injuries in La Liga, with Rio Hondo outfielder Jonathan Flores missing two months with a torn thigh muscle and Club Orientales pitcher Antonio Contreras losing twice that with a damaged shoulder. The worst blow, though, befell Progreso as erstwhile El Supera Francisco Ramirez wrecked his elbow pitching in a meaningless 6-4 defeat to Club Orientales near season's end. Recovery time is estimated at around 10 months, so Ramirez could miss the start of the 1936 season.
Sweet debut - Los Metros and Atlético traded infielders on the morning of a September contest between the two Centenera clubs, with first baseman Bill Gomez switching his yellow and black cap for green. The cheery 35-year-old made quick work of winning his new fans over in that afternoon's contest, belting two homeruns and driving home 7 in a 15-5 Metros win.Above and beyond - Tahón starter Mike Santiago had fans around La Liga in awe during a mid-October doubleheader. The Leones ace pitched an 11-inning, 10-hit complete game to shutout Villardondiego 1-0 in the lunchtime game, before taking to the hill again to start game two. There, he pitched another 7 2/3 innings, enough to claim his second victory of the day.
Change at the top - Two Liga teams were looking for new managers after the season's end, as Atlético skipper Sal Almonte retired, and Progreso cashiered boss Eddy Guzman. Almonte, 63, left the game with a 108-156 record in four seasons in Centenera, to be replaced by bench coach, and former Metros top man, Alex Vazquez. Guzman, meanwhile, was fired despite a 159-105 overall record and having won the first Campeonato in 1932. Progreso - who haven't finished lower than second in La Liga - have tasked 63-year-old Edward Miranda, formerly La Cruz's bench coach, with returning them to the top spot in 1936.
Statistically significant - Three men hit better than .400 in 1935, Garza, Herrera and Sergio Barajas. Barajas, the reliable Metropolitanos catcher, went an impressive .408 (116-284) at the plate, as well as leading La Liga in sacrifice flies with 12. Second baseman Jon Moreno, meanwhile, provided some positives in another frustrating season for Club Orientales, as he set a new season-best mark for doubles with 28. With ball in hand, meanwhile, righty Joel Magana once again asserted himself as the best of Progreso's impressive trio, leading all pitchers in wins (19 - a new Liga record), earned run average (2.64), innings pitched (245 2/3) and complete games (19, another record).
Around Escondida - Junior, Independent and Minor Leagues
For the third season in a row, 1935 saw a new winner in the Liga de Desarollo, with the Zuya squad building on their second place finish the previous season to claim top spot. The triumph was never in doubt, as they played their way to the best Liga D record yet, comfortably taking top spot by eight games over the improving Estollo team.
The Zuya charge was led by first baseman Jordan Barajas, who put up his second strong season in a row for the Elefantes, this time winning the Mejor Bateador honours for his work. On the year, he batted .377, with a league-best 11 homeruns and 54 runs batted in. Claiming the Lanzador Superior award, meanwhile, was experienced Estollo righty Andres Carrion. Carrion put together his best season yet, rolling to an 11-3 win-loss mark, with 87 strikeouts and a 2.72 ERA as his side posted their first ever winning record.Fittingly, the two award winners were also responsible for the highlights of the hard-fought season. Carrion's headline moment came in an early season game against Navalesa, striking out six on his way to a complete-game 1-hit shutout. Barajas, meanwhile, equalled the single-game record as he collected 7 RBI in a September win over the Navegantes - a pair of three-run homeruns doing most of the damage. Barajas's teammate Danny Martinez also shone in 1935, as the 27-year-old centrefielder became the first Liga D player to hit .400 for a season, his 80-200 effort hitting the mark dead on the nose.
The 1935 Torneo Desafío Juventud saw Meridional finally take the honours at the fourth attempt. The most consistent team in the Torneo's short history - posting a winning record every season - the boys in orange eased to the top of the standings and claimed the title with a comfortable three game margin over the Intermedio club.
For the second season in a row, young David Gaona of El Camino was named the Mejor Bateador, as the defending champions again performed well. Gaona - the first two-time award winner in the Torneo - finished with a .473 average, 7 homeruns and 39 batted in. Taking Lanzador Superior honours was Gaona's teammate Nelson Lara. The 17-year-old put together a superb 6-1 record, with 47 strikeouts and a 4.15 earned run average in his 10 starts.Undoubted performance of the season in the Torneo came in early May as Meridional hammered Centrale 27-12. 15-year-old Meridional first baseman Hugo Ruiz had a record-breaking day that may never be matched, driving in 10 runs in an other-worldly performance. His 4-5 day at the plate included an RBI single, an RBI double, a three-run home run, a grand slam and a bases loaded walk. Also catching the eye was El Camino second baseman Alberto Calle, who became just the second Torneo player to hit for the cycle, in a late-season contest against Costero.
In the Liga Segunda, the Atlético B side claimed the honours for the third year in a row, posting a 29-13 record in the newly-lengthened season. Tahón third baseman Jose Zamora put on the best solo show of the season, as he belted three homeruns in a losing effort against Atlético - his performance helping him earn a trade to Progreso a few weeks later. Award winners in the Liga Segunda were Atlético rightfielder Diego Aguirre (.333/5/26) and Metropolitanos starter Pedro Perez (9-3/2.18/82).
