Angel Hermoso---1970
A .280-hitter early in his minor league
career, the Montreal Expos were
ultimately short-changed when they
selected Angel Hermoso from the
Atlanta Braves with the 34th pick of
the 1968 Expansion Draft. While the
native Venezuelan flashed some
leather and exhibited blazing speed,
Hermoso was a ‘zero’ at the plate.
Hermoso’s 1970 card touts that he
was the Texas League Rookie of
Year in 1967 and that:
“The versatile infielder will be battling
for a spot in the Expos starting lineup
in 1970.”
Unfortunately, the Topps writer didn’t
look at Hermoso’s .162 average in
1969 for the Expos before typing out
that bold prediction.
In 1970 the 5’8” middle infielder
played in just four games for
Montreal as he was slated to caddy
for shortstop Bobby Wine. Garnering
one pinch-hitting appearance,
Hermoso grounded out to the first
baseman, bringing a close to an
Expos career where he posted an
anemic .160 average in 75 at-bats
during two seasons for Montreal.
Shuffled off to Triple-A Buffalo,
Hermoso would play the next couple
of seasons at the top rung of the
minors before being traded to the
woeful Cleveland Indians in 1974,
where he hit .221 in 48 games as a
backup to Frank Duffy’s slightly
better .233 mark.
If Hermoso only could have hit just a
little, he may have had a nice major
league career as a backup. Yet,
should we be surprised, as Hermoso
didn’t even take his bunting seriously
as demonstrated in his 1970 card.
(9/30/08)
career, the Montreal Expos were
ultimately short-changed when they
selected Angel Hermoso from the
Atlanta Braves with the 34th pick of
the 1968 Expansion Draft. While the
native Venezuelan flashed some
leather and exhibited blazing speed,
Hermoso was a ‘zero’ at the plate.
Hermoso’s 1970 card touts that he
was the Texas League Rookie of
Year in 1967 and that:
“The versatile infielder will be battling
for a spot in the Expos starting lineup
in 1970.”
Unfortunately, the Topps writer didn’t
look at Hermoso’s .162 average in
1969 for the Expos before typing out
that bold prediction.
In 1970 the 5’8” middle infielder
played in just four games for
Montreal as he was slated to caddy
for shortstop Bobby Wine. Garnering
one pinch-hitting appearance,
Hermoso grounded out to the first
baseman, bringing a close to an
Expos career where he posted an
anemic .160 average in 75 at-bats
during two seasons for Montreal.
Shuffled off to Triple-A Buffalo,
Hermoso would play the next couple
of seasons at the top rung of the
minors before being traded to the
woeful Cleveland Indians in 1974,
where he hit .221 in 48 games as a
backup to Frank Duffy’s slightly
better .233 mark.
If Hermoso only could have hit just a
little, he may have had a nice major
league career as a backup. Yet,
should we be surprised, as Hermoso
didn’t even take his bunting seriously
as demonstrated in his 1970 card.
(9/30/08)
