Luis Aparicio Baseball HOF Stats Bat

Few men Luis Aparicio’s size have starred at the big league level. Even fewer have controlled the diamond like the slick-fielding Venezuelan shortstop. Luis Ernesto Aparacio was born April 29, 1934, in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Signed as an amateur free agent by the White Sox in 1954, Aparicio spent two years in the minors before making his major league debut on April 17, 1956.The 5-foot-9, 160-pound Aparicio quickly made a name for himself as the starting shortstop, leading the league with 21 stolen bases and 14 sacrifice hits in his first season. His efforts earned him the American League Rookie of the Year award.  It marked the first of nine straight seasons where Aparico led the American League in stolen bases. No other player has ever led his league in steals more than six years in a row.

In 1959, “Little Louie” propelled the White Sox to the World Series with stellar regular season numbers, scoring 98 runs while stealing 56 bases – finishing second that year in AL MVP voting.