Héctor José Valle passed away in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico (PR), on July 11, 2026, at age 88. Born in Vega Baja, PR, on October 27, 1937, he played/coached in 22 PR Winter League seasons, comprising four decades—1959-60, as a Caguas Criollos rookie, through 1980-81, as an Arecibo Wolves player-coach. Valle, a capable catcher, played at 5-9 and 180 pounds as the first PR-born backstop in the National League (NL), with the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers.
Valle’s Connection to Sandy Koufax
Valle only had 13 big-league at-bats with the 1965 Dodgers—winners of the Fall Classic—and hit .308. His biggest thrill in the majors was catching Sandy Koufax in a Monday night game at Philadelphia’s Connie Mack Stadium on June 7, 1965. They [Dodgers] rested [Johnny] Roseboro after Los Angeles had a 13-3 lead,” Valle remembered. “Koufax told me his [October-December 1956] experience was a pleasant one and good for his career. He is a very nice person.”
Walter Alston inserted Valle in the home seventh. Héctor went 0-for-1 in this three-hour-and-two-minute game, attended by 23,345. Six Dodgers had two-plus hits: Lou Johnson (3), Willie Davis (2), Ron Fairly (2), Koufax (2), Wally Moon (2), and Roseboro (2). Maury Wills got the other hit of the Dodgers’ 14 in their 14-3 win. Koufax fanned 13 and walked two. Lew Burdette, who pitched for the 1950-51 Mayagüez Indios, took the loss. Further details are at https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI196506070.shtml.
Solid PRWL Career
Valle was a six-year PRWL veteran by June 1965, beginning as a reserve catcher for manager Vic Power’s 1959-60 Caguas club. He hit .333 for Power in 39 at-bats. In our interview, he noted getting chills remembering the 1960 Caribbean Series: “Just being in Panamá was something. It was a joy being on the same team with players like Félix Mantilla and Roberto Vargas.” There was a Caguas-Dodgers connection, per Valle. Los Angeles scout Monchile Concepción coached and briefly managed Caguas in the early 1960s, a time when Frank Howard, Ron Perranoski, and Pete Richert played for Caguas.
A trade sent Valle and pitcher Carmelo Aquino from Caguas to Mayagüez for Joe Christopher before the 1965-66 winter season. Valle liked the Detroit-Mayagüez hookup, since young Tigers like Jim Northrup, Mickey Stanley, John Hiller, Ray Oyler, and (later, 1966-67), Willie Horton knew each other and played well together. The young “Bengals” were trying to impress Indios manager Wayne Blackburn, who was in the Detroit organization. Mayagüez (42-28) finished first in 1965-66, before besting Arecibo in the semis (four games to three) and Ponce in the finals, four games to two. Valle faced Ponce’s Steve Carlton in the finals.
Valle was traded to the San Juan Senators for catcher Willie Meléndez after the 1972-73 season, but he didn’t mind, since his 1973-74 San Juan skipper was Jim “Junior” Gilliam, his 1965 Dodgers teammate. Héctor batted .315 in 127 at-bats as a catcher and DH, his first PRWL season with a DH.
Special Praise for Valle
Long-time Mayagüez sportscaster and sportswriter Ismael Trabal stated: “Héctor Valle epitomized the character of the 1965-66 champion Indios. He was like an octopus behind the plate. After some games, his body was covered with black-and-blue marks.” Island media named Valle as catcher on the PRWL’s final 1965-66 All-Star Team, per Table I.
Table I: 1965-66 PRWL All-Star Team
| Player | Team | POS |
| Héctor Valle | Mayagüez | C |
| Tony Pérez | Santurce | 1B |
| Horace Clarke | Ponce | 2B |
| Joe Foy | Caguas | 3B |
| José A. Pagán | Caguas | SS |
| Dick Simpson | Ponce | LF |
| Mickey Stanley | Mayagüez | CF |
| Jim Northrup | Mayagüez | RF |
| John Boozer | Ponce | RHP |
| Grant Jackson | Caguas | LHP |
Source: Tom Van Hyning.
End of a 22-Year PRWL Career
Following 20 seasons as an active PRWL catcher, Valle served as a player-coach with the 1979-80 Ponce Lions and 1980-81 Arecibo Wolves under manager José A. Pagán. Valle was a rookie when Tommy Davis—his 1965 Dodgers’ teammate—patrolled LF for 1959-60 Caguas, and was a player-coach when Rickey Henderson played LF for 1979-80 Ponce. Héctor particularly enjoyed assisting Pagán with bullpen chores/hitting grounders and fly balls to infielders and outfielders. With Arecibo, he passed on his wisdom to Wolves players, among them closer Jeff Reardon, Mookie Wilson, Candy Maldonado, and Jesús “Samarito” Vega.
Two PRWL no-hitters Valle caught were Les Cain’s December 3, 1968, gem versus Santurce and Vic Albury’s January 15, 1972, one against Caguas. https://beisbol101.com/jugador/hector-valle/
Special thanks to Héctor Valle, Ismael Trabal, and Wayne Blackburn. Jorge Colón Delgado did the editing and photo placements.
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