Kurt Bevacqua’s 1977-78 Mayagüez Indios Season Highlights a Colorful Career: Part I

Kurt Bevacqua became a 1975 baseball celebrity during the Boston-Cincinnati Fall Classic when he bested Johnny Oates in Joe Garagiola’s/Bazooka/Topps Bubble Gum Contest. Bevacqua, born in Miami, Florida, on January 23, 1947, graduated from North Miami High School in 1965 and attended Miami-Dade Community College before signing with Cincinnati in 1967 and making his big-league debut with the 1971 Cleveland Indians.

He played for the 1970-71 Caracas Lions, Venezuela Winter League (LVBP); 1971-72 Licey Tigers, Dominican Winter League (DOWL aka LIDOM); 1972-73 Magallanes Navigators (LVBP); 1973-74 Aragua Tigers (LVBP); and 1974-75 Estrellas Orientales (EO), DOWL—before winning the 1975 Bubble Gum Contest. Part I ends with Bevacqua’s 1977  Caribbean Series (CS) with Caguas, Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL). Part II picks up with his magical 1977-78 Mayagüez Indios season, when he earned PRWL MVP laurels, a turning point for him.  

Kurt Bevacqua, 1975 Joe Garagiola/Bazooka/Topps Bubble Gum champ. Photo credit: Topps.

Historic 1970 Homer off Oklahoma City’s Jim Bouton and Pete Rose-Inspired Nickname

Bevacqua was a top 1970 Cincinnati Reds prospect with the Indianapolis Indians when he drilled a HR off a knuckler from Jim Bouton. Bouton, age 36, was “so annoyed” that he retired the next day! (Bouton, 4-1 in five OKC starts, took a five-year hiatus from pro baseball before returning in 1975; he also mentioned Bevacqua in his best-selling book, Ball Four.)

Sparky Anderson notified Bevacqua the following spring (1971) that he was the “final cut” before Cincinnati completed spring training. During March 1971, Pete Rose noticed that Bevacqua always got his uniform dirty during drills coordinated by coach Alex Grammas and during games. Rose began calling Bevacqua “Dirty Kurt,” which stuck.

Three LVBP Winters

In Venezuela, rabid fans called him “El Loco” Bevacqua (Crazy Bevacqua). He reinforced three teams: Caracas (1970-71), Magallanes (1972-73), and Aragua (1973-74). One of his roommates was Pete LaCock, son of Hollywood personality Peter Marshall (Hollywood Squares, 1966-1981, whose real name was Ralph Pierre LaCock. Bevacqua’s .270 BA (44-for-163) for Caracas included two HR and 17 RBI. Magallanes showed 70-for-211, .332 BA, two HR, and 21 RBI. He went 52-for-211 with Aragua, .246 BA, 26 runs, 1 HR, and 33 RBI. Overall, his LVBP totals were a .284 BA (166-for-585). He scored 77 runs, cracked five HR, and had 71 RBI.

Kurt Bevacqua, with the 1970-71 Caracas Lions. Photo credit: Germán Rivas.                

Two DOWL Seasons

Bevacqua starred for Les Moss’s 1971-72 first-place Licey Tigers: .347 BA, seven HR, and league-leading 48 RBI. He went 76-for-219 in 56 games, was popular with the “Blue Team” fans, and appeared in a DUBBLE BUBBLE GUM newspaper ad. “I have so many memories of winter ball that it’s hard to isolate one specific one,” noted Bevacqua. “The fans liked my hustle and style of play.” Table I includes the 1971-72 DOWL standings and doubles leaders. Table II reflects the top BA and HR. Junior Félix, a rabid AC fan then, idolized Charlie Sands, the loop’s top HR hitter. He was ecstatic when his favorite team upset Licey in the finals. Ozzie Virgil Sr. managed AC. A decade later, he would be Bevacqua’s third-base coach with San Diego.

Table I: 1971-72 DOWL Regular Season Standings, Doubles, RBI Leader

#Defeated LIC, five games to three, finals. AC=Águilas Cibaeñas, EO=Estrellas Orientales, ESC=Escogido Lions, LIC=Licey Tigers. Source: Winterball data (Tables I/II).

Table II: 1971-72 DOWL BA (183+ plate appearances) and HR Leaders

Bevacqua, 1971-72 season with Licey Tigers, LIDOM. He located this newspaper clipping and posted it on Instagram. Photo credit: El Listín Diario.

Gene Garber (3-0, 2.00 ERA) propelled AC to the 1971-72 finals win versus Licey. Julián Javier (.476 BA) was AC’s best hitter. Bevacqua went 12-for-37, .324 BA, one HR, and six RBI. When he joined first-place EO (33-22) in 1974-75, he had 12 hits/48 AB. EO was upset five games to four in the finals by AC despite three HR by George Foster and Joaquín Andújar’s 1.74 ERA. Bevacqua posted a .212 BA (7-for-33). J.R. Richard, 8-4, with a league-leading 103 SO in the regular season, was 0-3 in the finals. Bevacqua faced Tom Lasorda’s Licey Tigers in the regular season. They would later make news when San Diego faced the Dodgers.

1976-77 PRWL Season with Caguas

The 1976-77 Caguas Criollos (40-20) posted the best team BA (.307) in PRWL history. Their regulars had a .311 BA with 45 HR per Tables IIIA. and IIIB. Five of the league’s top six BA belonged to them, led by batting champ Sixto Lezcano. Tony Scott’s 25 SB led the loop.  José “Cheo” Cruz was the PRWL MVP. The IF had Eddie Murray at first, Félix Millán at second, Bevacqua at third, and Julio César González at short. John Wockenfuss caught all 60 games for skipper Doc Edwards. DH José M. Morales was coming off a 1976 Montreal Expos season with 25 pinch-hits, an NL record at the time. Fourth OF Jerry Morales (37-for-135) batted .274 in 35 games. Jesús “Bombo Rivera went 21-for-79, a .266 BA. Wockenfuss’ nickname was “Caballo de Hierro” (Iron Horse), one he mentioned to the author in Bradenton, Florida, in March 1993.

Table III.A. Nine 1976-77 Caguas Regulars’ AB-R-H-D-T

Table III.B. Nine Caguas Regulars’ HR-RBI-SB-BA-SLGSource: El Mundo Digital Archive, January 16, 1977.

Bevacqua got valuable experience with the 1976-77 Caguas Criollos. Photo credit: Facebook.

Caguas’s primary starters—Dennis Martínez, Eduardo Rodríguez, Mike Cuéllar, Mike Krukow, and Ed Figueroa—had big-league success. Cuellar, a 1969 AL Cy Young Winner, was a 4x 20-game winner with Baltimore: 1969-1971 and 1974, one of four 20-game winners with the 1971 O’s. Martínez won 245 big-league games in 23 seasons, with a perfect game for the 1991 Montreal Expos. Krukow went 20-9 for the 1986 SFG in his 14-year major-league career. Figueroa (20-9, 1978 NYY) was the first PR-born hurler to win 20 big-league games. Rodríguez went 42-36 in seven major-league campaigns, mainly with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Roric Harrison, the primary “closer,” was once traded with Dooley Womack (Houston Astros) for Jim Bouton, Seattle Pilots, on August 24, 1969. And 22-year-old reliever Willie Hernández won the 1984 AL Cy Young with Detroit. Table IV has the 1976-77 Caguas pitching stats.

Table IV: Caguas Criollos 1976-77 Basic Pitching Data (Selected Starters/Relievers)

#Harrison had six SV; Hernández, two SV; Collins, one SV. El Mundo Digital Archive, January 16, 1977 and Compilación Oficial, PRWL.

Island sportswriters named Ed Rodríguez (RHP) and Cuéllar (LHP) to the final PRWL 1976-77 All-Star Team, with six position players: Wockenfuss, Millán, J.C. González, Lezcano, Cheo Cruz, and DH José M. Morales. Ponce’s Roger Freed was at first, Bayamón’s Art Howe was chosen at 3B, and Santurce’s Juan J. Beníquez got the nod in CF. Cheo’s .615 SLG eclipsed Tetelo Vargas’ old standard of .610 set 30 years earlier for the same 1946-47 franchise.

Caguas wins the Semi-Finals

The Criollos topped Santurce, four games to two, in the semis. Jack McKeon’s Crabbers put up a fight. Here is a game-by-game summary:

• January 15, 1977—A four-hit Ed Figueroa SHO, five SO, two BB. Caguas, 5-0 win. Bevacqua went 0-for-4.
• January 16—Santurce (7) Caguas (6). Bevacqua homers/doubles, 2/4, two R, two RBI. Eduardo Rodríguez is ineffective. Long reliever Don Collins allows the winning run.
• January 17—Caguas (12) Santurce (2). Dennis Martínez CG, six-hitter, 3 SO, one BB. Bevacqua 2-for-4, double, run, RBI. Jerry Morales, Millán, Lezcano, Wockenfuss homered.
• January 18—Caguas (4) Santurce (3). Mike Cuéllar 8.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 SO, 2 BB. Bevacqua 1-for-5. Juan Pizarro takes the loss. He and Cuéllar were both age 39. The 1984 AL Cy Young Winner Willie Hernández gets one out, 9^th, for Caguas. Roric Harrison, the SV.
• January 19—Santurce (3) Caguas (0). Jackson Todd four-hit SHO. Don Collins 5 IP, 6 H,

3 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB. Bevacqua 0-for-3.

• January 22—Caguas won Game 6 after two nights of rain. The box score: unavailable. Bevacqua: 5/20, double, three runs, three RBI.

The Finals (January 23-28, 1977)

Caguas upended defending champion Bayamón, five games to one, in the finals. The Cowboys won Game 2, 6-4, after Ed Rodríguez won Game 1, 3-0, with Roric Harrison’s ninth-inning save. Bevacqua sizzled in Games 1-3, including a three-run HR off 49-year-old Rubén Gómez in Game 3. His seventh-inning blast on January 25 was the last HR Gómez allowed in his illustrious 29-year PRWL career: a 174-119 regular season W-L record, and 27-10 post-season mark, that includes his 6-2 W-L in the CS. Caguas’ 20-hit attack in their 15-5 win included a leadoff HR by Tony Scott. Mike Cuéllar won with relief help from Roric Harrison and Dave García. Bevacqua was 5-for-12, with four runs, two doubles, a homer, three RBI, in Games 1-3.

Bayamón’s fortunes took a hit when Ken Griffey Sr. and Dan Driessen left PR after the first two games. Driessen’s contract stipulated that he play the entire postseason, but he flew to his South Carolina home to be with his family. Griffey Sr. had a special January 25-26, 1977 commitment in the States, and also departed.

An 11-1 Caguas win in Game 4 was highlighted by Jerry Morales’ double, HR, and six RBI. Bevacqua (0-for-4) drove in one. Krukow went eight before giving way to Willie Hernández in the ninth. Rusty Torres’ solo shot off Krukow (2^nd inning) was the “Polish Prince’s” only blemish. Ed Figueroa won Game 5, 11-3, going eight, with Roric Harrison pitching a hitless ninth. Bevacqua’s 2-for-4 night included a double, two runs, plus one RBI. José Morales was limited to postseason pinch-hitting duty when Doc Edwards inserted Jerry Morales in CF and Tony Scott as DH.

Caguas’s 6-1 Game 6 win was the franchise’s 10^th PRWL title. Bevacqua’s 3-for-4 night, one RBI gave him 10 hits/24 AB for the finals (.417 BA), three doubles, one HR, six runs, six RBI. Ed Rodríguez, aka “Volanta,” pitched a CG, allowing six hits, fanning nine, and walking one. Ed Whitson, the losing pitcher, gave way to Vic Albury in the fourth. John Montague mopped up with five scoreless frames. He pitched for Caguas in the 1974 Caribbean Series (CS) and Bayamón (1975 CS). The Criollos added five players: catcher Eliseo Rodríguez (Bayamón), SS Iván de Jesús (Arecibo), and hurlers Joe Henderson (Ponce), Rogelio “Roger” Moret (Santurce), and Ed Whitson (Bayamón). Henderson, a Lake Cormorant, Mississippi native, was the uncle of big-league OF Steve Henderson.

 Four-Team 1977 Caribbean Series (CS), Caracas, Venezuela

Favored Caguas was defeated in their February 4 opener, 6-2, by Licey. Rico Carty’s two-run HR off Volanta in the opening stanza set the tone. He allowed four runs in two frames before Manny Mota’s third-inning solo HR sent him to the showers. Whitson/Henderson pitched the remaining seven. Licey’s line-up: Rafael Landestoy (SS), Rennie Stennett (2B), Manny Mota (LF), Bob Beall (1B), Carty (DH), Jim Dwyer (RF), Mario Guerrero (CF), Ted Martínez (3B), and Ike Hampton (C). Ed Halicki stifled the Criollos.

Caguas’s only win was on February 5, when Cheo Cruz homered in the 10^th off  Wayne Granger. Bevacqua went 3-for-4, with a HR and two RBI. The Criollos lost four straight, including two to Mazatlán (Mexico), 2-1 on February 6, and 5-4 on February 9. George Brunet pitched superbly against Caguas in both games, a team he pitched for in the 1960 CS. Mike Krukow was the hard-luck loser versus Licey, 3-2, on February 7. Magallanes’ Paul Reuschel bested Caguas and Volanta, 9-1, on February 8.

Bevacqua posted a .238 BA and .524 SLG, going 5-for-21, with a double, triple, HR, two RBI, and one run. Wockenfuss and Millán were the only Criollos chosen for the All-Star Team. Buck Rodgers’ Licey club was undefeated (6-0), followed by Magallanes (3-3), Mazatlán (2-4), and Caguas (1-5). Don Leppert, Magallanes skipper, hit the first HR at Hato Rey’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium when it opened in October 1962. Leppert was with the 1962-63 Ponce Lions. Carty, the 1977 CS MVP, homered five times—to eclipse Willard Brown’s four in 1953—and drove in 10.

Special thanks to Kurt Bevacqua, Miguel Dupouy Gómez, Doc Edwards, Junior Félix,  Germán Rivas, and John Wockenfuss. Jorge Colón Delgado did the editing and photo placements.

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Tom Van Hyning

Tom Van Hyning se crió en Santurce, Puerto Rico. Su familia se mudó a esta preciosa Isla cuando tenía dos años. Tom es el autor de tres libros: “Puerto Rico’s Winter League”, “The Santurce Crabbers” y “The Caribbean Series: Latin America’s Annual Baseball Tournament 1949-2024, que fue publicado en 2025. Laboró como Economista de Turismo en el estado de Mississippi y es miembro de SABR, Capítulo Cool Papa Bell en Mississippi. Sus artículos han sido publicados por SABR en la revista National Pastime y Baseball Research Journal. Igualmente escribe para las páginas web negroleaguerspuertorico.com y safabpp.com.