Today, looking at the inert body of Guayaquil sports, we can only go back in our memory and remember the great triumphant moments we experienced when we were the first sports force in Ecuador, and they looked at us with amazement abroad when they said that for insignificant sums, the only with a managerial effort, we reached the title beyond our borders.
Old baseball fans from the days of Reed Park and Yeyo Úraga will today remember the supreme moment of national small ball when we celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of winning the South American title, in a tournament played in January 1963 in Buenos Aires. It was probably the most emotional moment in the entire history of our baseball because of the circumstances in which the championship was won and because it opened the door to international fame for a sport that has been identified with the people of Guayaquil since the beginning of the century. .
For this reason, this column is dedicated with deep love to that delegation that made us experience such great emotions: Juvenal Sáenz Gil, its president; delegates Gustavo Mateus Ayluardo and Jorge Ayala, former baseball great; Reinaldo Ramírez Ycaza, head coach, and his assistant, former Reed Club third baseman, Medardo Haro; Gustavo Ramírez Ycaza, the referee, and the small group that traveled with the players to encourage them: Carlos Raúl Gimeno, who we saw playing center field for the unbeaten Reed; Virgilio Avilés Morán and Nélson Campuzano. And those who exuded pride and class in the gaucho diamond: Vicente Maldonado, Raúl Látigo Gutiérrez, Pedro Fuentes, Manuel Mikemo Pérez, Julian Trottman, Francisco Panchón Sánchez, Ricardo Chico Rodríguez, William Luzuriaga, Ernesto Weisson, José Banchón, Freddy Uzcátegui, Eloy Guerrero, Raúl Foyaín, Félix Avilés, Enrique Santos and Francisco de la Torre, some of them already deceased.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/eluniverso/2GPUMFQ6YNAZNII6CG6ZNMUWVY.jpg)
The multiple economic difficulties for the delegation’s mobilization were solved by three Guayaquil athletes: the president of the republic Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy, former soccer player of Guayaquil Sporting, the selection of the Faculty of Law and the Discount Bank team in the Commercial Sports Union; Miguel Salem Dibo, former player and former president of Barcelona SC, who was Minister of Public Works, and Governor of Guayas, Voltaire Paladines Polo, former soccer player in his native El Oro and Guayaquil, who dedicated much of his life to the service of porteño sports. Thanks to them, a two-engine military vehicle was organized to transport the delegation to Buenos Aires.
They arrived in the capital of Argentina on January 4, 1963, to make their debut the next day against Peru, which had 90% Japanese players. With Julio Trottman pitching, the game was close until the sixth inning when the Ecuadorian artillery was found to have scored 6 runs to 1 for the Peruvians. Clarín, a Buenos Aires newspaper, noted on January 6: “Ecuador has a very bright and elegant style, similar to that common in Central American countries.”
On January 11, Ecuador faced Argentina, who beat us 10 to 9 in the 1959 South American Championship, winning the title of South American Champion. Gallo Ronco Ramírez used the formidable Raúl Látigo Gutiérrez on the mound to strike with Pedro Fuentes. Maldonado, Banchón, Uzcátegui and Pérez operated in the infield, while Guerrero, Rodríguez and Kike Santos patrolled the outfield.
Ecuador scored four runs in the first inning, while the Gauchos scored one. A shutout remained in the remaining eight innings. Rodríguez and Sánchez shined with the bat, hitting two home runs each. Panchónov was on first with the bases loaded. Ramírez and Haro moved their men intelligently. Foyaín struck for Uzcátegui to score the comeback. Trottman replaced Maldonado and had a hit and run. Weisson came in for Banchón and gave up third place. Sánchez hit for Santos and hit an incredible 400-foot home run. Avilés replaced Weisson to score and reverse. It was a real performance from the powerful Ecuadorian team who won by 20 races to 1.
On January 12, Ecuador faced Chile. It was a walk for the Ecuadorian team, which defeated the “Rotos” 20-2. Trottman returned to the mound with Pedro Fuentes. Félix Avilés replaced Banchón at second base while the starting lineup remained the same. The highlight of this match, apart from the striking victory, was the performance, from the seventh inning, of the national battery Luzuriaga-Weisson against the Chilean stoppers. Luzuriaga didn’t allow a single goal to his rivals, Weisson directed him well from a passing ball. Weisson excelled when he scored for third place, and Luzuriaga, thanks to his speed, was able to turn the sacrifice bunt into a goal. It was an extraordinary performance by the newcomers from Guayaquil.
On the 15th, the grand final was played, which was postponed due to rain. Brazil was a two-time South American champion and beat us 5-3 in the South American Championship in 1959. All of its members, except for the godfather, were Japanese and they played great baseball. Ramírez and Haro set up Látigo Gutiérrez as the pitcher for this game and provided a lot of offensive power in the ninth by putting Panchón Sánchez and July Trottman on the field and in the lineup.
Until the fourth inning, the battle between Látigo and Brazilian pitcher Ogasawara was close. Then came the fifth inning. Panchón reached base with one out and successfully stole second base. That great player, Chico Rodríguez, stood in front of the opposing pitcher. He hit the first pitcher and the ball went into the basket to score the first two strikes. The rest was a mangrove concert featuring someone we will always remember: Kike Santos. Brazil used three hurlers, but all were useless against the attacking power of Ecuador and the magnificent defensive line-up of its players.
When the ninth inning arrived with 10 runs in favor of Ecuador, Gutiérrez struck out the batter Nakada. Samir was grounded to the third and was ejected. Buba also hit the third and Uzcátegui secured the ball. He made a precise throw to first and it fell right into Maldonado’s glove for the third out. Everyone jumped on the diamond to cheer on Látigo Gutiérrez and to thank Gallo Ronco Ramírez and Medardo Haro for their excellent leadership. Don Juve Sáenz came to the celebration and drove the Olympic circuit, leading Gustavo Mateus behind him, who could not give more.
On January 18, 60 years ago, the national delegation returned to Guayaquil and was received by a crowd estimated at 20,000 people to lead its members in a joyous procession through the streets of the city. No one could forget the moment when the captain of the ninth Vicente Maldonado appeared with the South American trophy held high and kissed it to hand it to Voltaire Paladines Polo, while the military band sang ‘Guayaquil de mis amores’.
They were beautiful moments that are worth remembering when we watch the funeral of Buenos Aires sport every day. (OR)
Source: Eluniverso
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
