Some 1950s-1990s Winter Ball-Major League Convenios—Working Agreements (Part IV)

This final Working Agreements segment (Part IV) focuses on Ponce Lions’ efforts between 1966-67 and 1992-93. Part III ended with Ponce losing the Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL) finals to Mayagüez, four games to two.

Ponce Goes All Out: 1966-67

Luis «Tite» Arroyo was retained by Ponce owner Juan «Yuyo» González to manage Ponce after a second-place finish in 1965-66. Ponce’s 1966-67 squad marked the 20^th anniversary of its 1946-47 edition (38-22, .633 PCT), which topped Caguas in a seven-game finals, after losing the first three, and beat the 1947 NY Yankees, 12-8, in a February 24, 1947, spring training game at San Juan’s Sixto Escobar Stadium. Ponce’s 1946-47 starting four were 33-15, .688, versus 39-15, .684 by their 1966-67 starting rotation, per Table I. Tite was a 19-year-old rookie for 1946-47 Ponce (0-2, 4.19 ERA, 15 IP) and 39-year-old 1966-67 Lions’ skipper.

Table I: Ponce’s 1966-67 Rotation W-L Versus 1946-47 Ponce Lions

In PR Pro Baseball HOF.!In Cooperstown. >In Cuban Baseball HOF, Miami, Florida. Sources: Rafael Costas, Jorge Colón Delgado, and Tom Van Hyning.

Ponce (46-25, .634 PCT) topped second-place Santurce (45-26) in a 1966-67 tie-breaker to determine first. Ponce’s rotation was superb. Nelson Briles and Steve Carlton were St. Louis Cardinals (SLC) prospects, while veteran Pedro Ramos was the NY Yankees’ (NYY) ace reliever. Veteran John Boozer,  inducted into the 2023 PR Pro Baseball HOF class, had five retroactive saves. Ernesto «Tito» González was a spot starter. NYY prospect Dooley Womack joined Ponce late. Nine Ponce pitchers posted a 2.14 team ERA and 1.03 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched). Their 16 SHO remains a single-season PRWL team record. Tables II-A and II-B highlight their pitching excellence.

Table II-A: 1966-67 Ponce Lions Pitching Stats

!One tied game included. #Includes one combined SHO.

Table II-B: 1966-67 Ponce Lions Pitching Stats

Sources: Rafael Costas and Francisco E. Toste Jr.

Arroyo—former starter and reliever—was a 1955 National League All-Star for the SLC and a 1961 American League All-Star with the NYY. He recruited switch-hitter Roy White from the NYY to play second, due to Bobby Richardson’s retirement. Arroyo placed Horace Clarke at short, who—in 1967—took over at second for the Bronx Bombers, with White going to LF. Roger Repoz, traded by the NYY to KC for Fred Talbot in 1966, was Ponce’s All-Star CF. Dick Simpson, acquired by Cincinnati in December 1965; Frank Robinson trade with Baltimore; manned RF. An early-season bus trip from Ponce to SJ was one Briles never forgot. It took three hours for the modern autopista, or expressway, to be built, cutting this trip to 75 minutes.

Briles stated, «Whoever honked first on those narrow roads going up the mountains had the right-of-way. After the game, we always stopped at the top of the mountain on the way back to Ponce. The native players had a tradition where we drank two shots of regular rum and two of 151-proof rum. I drank my shots, and at the same time, an older, haggard-looking guy with one eye was doing the same, plus having four or five other shots. I’m the last one to get on the bus, and the bus driver was the guy sitting next to me! The one-eyed guy who had seven or eight shots of rum. I thought, you guys don’t understand what you’re doing, but they told me not to worry about a thing.»

Exciting Postseason

Ponce edged Caguas, four games to three, in the January 19-25, 1967, semis. Womack won Game 1, in relief of Boozer, 7-6, but Julio Navarro bested Carlton, 4-3, in Game 2. The next three were at Caguas. Briles, injured, was relieved by Womack in the 2^nd frame of Game 3, a 3-1 Ponce win. Carlton saved it in the ninth. Caguas’s Jack Hamilton—who beaned Boston’s Tony Conigliaro in the 1967 AL pennant race—outpitched Boozer in Game 4, a 4-1 Caguas victory. Deacon Jones’ HR accounted for Ponce’s only tally. Carlton’s 1-0 Game 5 SHO was a fans’ delight, as he allowed four hits to loser Grant Jackson’s five. «I loved pitching for Caguas,» recalled Jackson. «My wife is from there, and I often played dominoes with the fans from the mid-1960s to early 1970s.» Navarro blanked Ponce, 2-0, in Game 6 at the Lions’ Den, before Boozer did likewise, 2-0, in Game 7.

Meanwhile, Santurce swept the Arecibo Wolves, outscoring them 13-4. Rubén Gómez and Juan «Terín» Pizarro pitched SHO in Games 1 and 3, respectively, while Dick Hughes pitched seven-plus frames in Game 2, before Ted Davidson and William de Jesús relieved him. And de Jesús pitched a CG win in Game 4, giving them plenty of rest until the January 27 finals started.

Ponce started strong, forcing Crabbers’ skipper Earl Weaver to use five pitchers in Game 1, an 11-2 Ponce rout at Montaner Stadium. Carlton went the distance and homered. So did Repoz and Roy White. Hughes was removed in the first. Tito González blanked Santurce, 4-0, on January 28. Pizarro took the loss. A then-record crowd of 20,001 saw Rubén Gómez blank Ponce, 7-0, in Game 3, at Bithorn. Boozer was relieved in the fifth. Womack pitched a strong Game 4 outing, but Hughes was better, allowing one hit, in a 2-0 win. A pivotal Game 5 included Carlton’s throwing error on a pick-off play, as Darrell Osteen pitched a 5-2 CG win.

Paul Blair remembered the road trip to Ponce for Game 6, not planning to overnight in Ponce. «I told Earl [Weaver] and Tony [Pérez] not to pack extra clothes,» said Blair. «We were going to win Game 6 and return to Santurce.» Blair’s three-run HR off a Boozer spitball gave Santurce a 6-3 lead in the ninth. Ted Davidson then saved it for Pizarro. Dave May earlier homered for Santurce, and Orlando McFarlane did so for Ponce. Top hitters were: Roy White (9/23, .391 BA) and Deacon Jones (9/24, .375) for Ponce; and, Blair (10/25, .400), May (9/25, .360), and Orlando Cepeda (7/20, .350) for Santurce.

Anne Hughes remembered that her husband rented a Volkswagen during the season, one that transported Blair, May, and Dick Hughes to Bithorn Stadium. «I drove them to the stadium,» recalled Anne. «Our baby came with us. We paid $300/month for the VW rental—my husband, Paul, and Dave each chipped in with $100.»

1968-69 and 1969-70 and PRWL Titles

The California Angels hooked up with Ponce via skippers Rocky Bridges (1968-69) and 27-year-old Jim Fregosi (1969-70). Bridges, an Angels coach, led the 1968-69 Lions to their first crown in 22 years. He was ably assisted, as was Fregosi, by coach Carlos Manuel Santiago. Bridges felt Santiago, a Korean War Veteran, was an effective [bilingual] communicator who related well to the young players and veterans. Some clutch performers came from the Angels—Jay Johnstone, extra hitting and fielding work, and Ken Tatum, relief pitching. «One of the fellows we did play was «Torito» Meléndez,» per Bridges. «It was very unusual to play a younger player, and Yuyo [González] was surprised when I played the rookie. «He was one of the best players we had.»

Johnstone, at 23, was a three-year big leaguer who became a 1970 regular for California. «It was a fun thing, because it was my first experience in PR,» said Johnstone. «We lived in the beautiful downtown Darlington Hotel, and I remember going around with Pat Corrales and his wife and mine. Then I had a good year with the [1970] Angels. We had to go over those mountain roads. We used to have to get out of those buses and push… learning to live with Christmas at 85 degrees, and our wives bonding together, getting together with the native players, and doing things. I think I had a better experience, culture-wise, off the field than playing the game.»

Fregosi, age 27, debuted as a manager for Yuyo’s 1969-70 Lions. Fregosi laughed about the time his car broke down and Yuyo—who owned a successful Jeep dealership—bailed him out. «Yuyo said I was a smart manager as far as baseball was concerned, but to remember to put in the oil,» said Fregosi. «I wanted to find out if I could stay in the big leagues and manage. And I enjoyed the challenge of managing.»

Sandy Alomar Sr., Fregosi’s Angels teammate, was Ponce’s second baseman. Team leader Pat Corrales caught. Jackie Hernández was a dependable SS who turned 92 double plays in 69 games with Alomar Sr., tying a 1949-50 mark set by SS Johnny Logan with the 1949-50 Aguadilla Sharks (in 78 games). Chago Rosario (1B) and Quique Rivera (3B) were solid veterans. Ponce pinch-hitter deluxe Ramón «Wito» Conde (22/57, .386 BA) recruited Wayne Simpson and Bernie Carbo while playing for 1969 Indianapolis. Simpson won the PRWL pitching Triple Crown: 11-5, 1.55 ERA, 114 SO; Carbo batted .278 and led 44-25 Ponce with 48 RBI. Clyde Wright (6-4 W-L) was another Angels import. Conde’s pinch-hit against Santurce’s Fred Beene in Game 6 of the finals on February 2, 1970, gave Ponce a 3-2 win. Paul Doyle, a late-season addition, won it in relief. A record (Ponce) home crowd of 12,008 watched it. Ponce’s home stadium had a seating capacity of 9,900. Santurce’s Dave May (9/19, .474 BA) and Ponce’s Torito Meléndez (10/23, .435) were their team’s best hitters.

«I remember warming up in the bullpen that night,» noted Doyle. «The fans were encouraging me—I retired Tony Pérez, who I pitched against in 1969 when Atlanta played Cincinnati. (Doyle was the player-to-be-named-later when 1969 Atlanta acquired Hoyt Wilhelm from the Angels in September 1969; the Angels sent Doyle to Ponce in January 1970.) We [Ponce] flew to Caracas for the 1970 Caribbean Series (CS). Our hotel bodyguard looked like Tom Jones.» Fregosi opined that Doyle had a «great pick-off move» and was a key factor in getting us to Caracas, «where we finished second [4-4 W-L].»

Chris Zachary helps Ponce with the 1972 CS

Chris Zachary thrived on winter ball, giving fans their money’s worth but keeping it in proper perspective. He loved the 1971-72 Ponce set-up under Yuyo González, who facilitated the use of used vehicles for his players while owning the Jeep dealership. «I made $2,500 a month, but they paid you in $100 bills,» recalled Zachary. «They furnished me with a car, normally an old VW or Toyota. It wasn’t much, but it got you around. Heck, it was like a big paid vacation for me. If the team was going across the mountains and I had to pitch the next day, I didn’t have to go unless I wanted to. I’d just go to the ballpark and do a little running. It was great.»

Chris Zachary, 1971-72 Ponce Lions. Photo Credit: Personal collection of Luis Raúl Ramos Hernández.

Ponce (37-32) finished second to SJ and won the playoffs. The Lions’ convenio with Roland Hemond, Chicago White Sox (CWS) executive, brought Carlos May and hurlers Rich Hinton and Jim Magnuson to Ponce. Zachary (7-2, 2.20 ERA), Hinton (8-5, 2.64), and Magnuson (7-3, 3.06) combined for a 22-10 record. Bernie Carbo (.276, 9-38), José «Cheo» Cruz (.251, 7-23), and Carlos May (.271, 7-30) were consistent. Ponce, managed by Frank Verdi, upended SJ—a Pittsburgh Pirates farm team—in a six-game finals. Carlos May (.286) hit both Ponce HR in the finals. Daryl Patterson, the fourth starter, pitched seven scoreless innings in a win; Magnuson went 2-0, 1.00 ERA, while Zachary (0-1, 2.45 ERA) pitched well in two starts.

Patterson pitched well for 1969-70 Mayagüez (6-4, 2.86 ERA) when Detroit sent him there. He pitched the last game of 1971 for Oakland against the NYY, and someone from Ponce had seen him pitch that day. Charlie Finley—Oakland owner—gave Patterson the green light to pitch for 1971-72 Ponce, saying: «Go down there and show me something.» Because of arm problems, Patterson was on the PR disabled list until mid-December 1971. He worked his way back and won two semi-final games against Santurce before defeating SJ in the finals.

Ponce’s First/Only CS Title

Ponce outscored three opponents, 33-11, in Santo Domingo, finishing 5-1. MVP Carlos May went 10-for-22, a .455 BA. Santurce reinforcement Don Baylor was 8/22, .364, with a HR and series-leading seven RBI. Utility IF Mako Oliveras hit .400 (6/15). In 53 innings, Ponce’s 10 hurlers allowed 41 hits, seven earned runs, for a 1.19 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Gary Neibauer, 0-7 in the regular season, pitched a SHO. Patterson blanked Mexico’s Guasave Cottoneers on February 2. Zachary had a February 3 no-decision, allowing one run to Águilas Cibaeñas, on César Cedeño’s single. Rusty Torres’ walk-off HR off Charlie Hough’s knuckler gave Ponce a 2-1 win.

Goose Gossage Benefits from CWS-Ponce Convenio

In 1972-73, Rich «Goose» Gossage didn’t want to go (to Ponce), but the CWS «kind of forced me to go down there. The next time [1974-75] I went down to work on things and got a lot out of it. The more you play there, the more comfortable you become. I had to work on a breaking ball. That’s really what I was down there for—work and get my slider down.» The CWS realized that Gossage’s future success would be closing. In 1972-73, he started 10 of 16 games, going 1-2, 4.56 ERA. In 1974-75, he again started 10 contests, but relieved 10 times, with four saves, sharing bullpen time with Steve Blateric (5 saves) and Dave Tomlin (4 saves). He was 7-5, 2.67 ERA, in 97.2 innings, fanning 40 and walking 23.

Some Other Ponce Convenios—SLC, Cleveland Indians, and Atlanta Braves

Ken Boyer managed 1975-76 Ponce. SLC Keith Hernández reinforced the Lions but left after 24 games, a .232 BA, zero HR, and seven RBI. The PRWL was better than AAA then. On a positive note, Hernández walked 21 times, and his OBP was close to .400. Another SLC prospect, Harold (later Eric) Rasmussen, won six of 14 decisions. Pete Vuckovich, a Milwaukee Brewers prospect, went 8-6 with a 2.15 ERA. Boyer lamented the injuries and inconsistency for 26-34 Ponce, a fifth-place club, two behind 28-32 Santurce.

Roger Freed (1976-78 Lions) and LHP Dennis Kinney (1977-1981 Lions) were the team’s most dependable/valuable imports. Freed was an SLC pinch-hitter at the time, with a .398 National League BA in 1977. With Ponce, he homered 33 times in 405 AB for a HR every 12.3 AB. «Yuyo González took care of my family,» stated Freed. «I drove one of his Jeeps, and we lived in a nice house. Yuyo felt strongly that imported players should bond with the fans and live locally.»

Kinney, 21-16 as a starter and reliever, pitched 322 innings in four Ponce seasons. He reinforced Mayagüez in the 1978 CS and Bayamón in the 1980 CS. «When you lived in Ponce, you got to know the real locals,» noted Kinney. «I think they liked that; I got to be one of them. In four years with Ponce, I lived there for three seasons and in San Juan one year. It was a laid-back atmosphere between Thanksgiving and Three Kings Day [January 6] with lots of open houses and activities like block parties in the U.S. I also went on a U.S. Virgin Islands cruise with Sergio Negrón, one of our team officials.»

Charlie Manuel—manager in Cleveland’s minor-league system—monitored the play of prospects Wayne Kirby and Jim Thome, with 1992-93 Ponce. Cleveland star 2B Carlos Baerga played for SJ, and Manuel opined that the PRWL would help the young Thome. Manuel had played for the 1971-72 Mayagüez, hitting 12 HR, second to Caguas’s Willie Montañez, who hit 15. He later was a teammate of Roger Repoz in Japan, where he [Manuel] became an idol. «The PR fans are louder,» said Manuel. «In Japan, they love it and keep up with it on the radio and TV. I think fans have more knowledge about the way the game is supposed to be played in PR, and show more enthusiasm.» He later (2008) achieved fame as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, who won the World Series.

Lastly, Greg McMichael reinforced 1992-93 Ponce via the Atlanta Braves, leading the loop with 40 SO, five more than SJ’s Dennis «Oil Can» Boyd. He took this momentum into spring training and became Atlanta’s 1993 closer. «I enjoyed it a lot and played as well as I could,» said McMichael. «It was kind of a laid-back league and not as intense as the majors.»

Thanks to Tite Arroyo, Rocky Bridges, Nelson Briles, Yuyo González, Goose Gossage, Anne/Dick Hughes, Grant Jackson, Jay Johnstone, Dennis Kinney, Greg McMichael, Charlie Manuel, Daryl Patterson, Roger Repoz, Jim Thome, and Chris Zachary. Jorge Colón Delgado did the editing and photo placements.

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.