THE HISPANIC HERITAGE BASEBALL MUSEUM HALL OF FAME AT GIANTS FIELD
From The Press Box
Amaury Pi-González
Saturday, February the 4th, was a gray and rainy day in San Francisco, but that did not stop over 10,000 fan that showed up to mingle with other fans and players alike. Just over a week and days until Spring Training in Arizona, fans were in a festive mood, ready for another baseball season. The Giants open their 2023 season in New York against the Yankees on Thursday March 30th, but the 2023 Fanfest this past Saturday was like a home game for the Black and Orange.
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame (a veteran of these events) had their table at the Club Level of Oracle Park. Giants fan base is always very inquisitive. The HHBMHOF gave hundreds of brochures as they celebrated their 23rd year since they were founded in San Francisco. We talked baseball, with many Giants fans always ready to ask for players of the past and present. Some familiar and not-so-familiar faces were in attendance. The Museum President and Founder Gabriel “Tito” Avila Jr. was there with the Vice President as well as museum volunteers. Lisbeth Sánchez of Redwood City stopped in front of our table, there with her 9 year old son and husband, as she was holding a brochure said: “about time there is baseball Museum for us the Latinos”. Many of the people that visited were of Hispanic roots, some born in Nicaragua, México, El Salvador, there were people from Puerto Rico and other countries. Many fans of Hispanic Heritage were smiling and proud to see the colorful brochures. One middle age Hispanic man told us; “hermano los felicito por tan linda labor que estan haciendo” translation- “congratulations brother for the beautiful job you guys are doing”.
The ”número uno” question (always) asked by Giants fans:-“where is the museum?” We have been traveling all over the country for over 20 years, and with the help of the Giants we hope it will be within walking distance of Oracle Park, in the vicinity, of what is has become one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city by the bay. The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame is looking forward to its first permanent location, in San Francisco, a city that originally received the non-profit since it birth/foundation in 2000, the first season the Giants moved from Candlestick Park, today Oracle Park. The San Francisco Giants is leading the way as the first (of many MLB teams) to endorse the museum. As a traveling museum the HHBMHOF has inducted players in at least 15 different major league cities, as well as participating in All Star Game events across the country. In the early 2000s, the HHBMHOF was part of the national traveling exhibit ‘Baseball As America’ when they exhibited in the City of Oakland. As recent as 2018, the Museum had a big mural inside the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.
The San Francisco Giants franchise tradition with Hispanic/Latino players is well documented since the days of José Pagan, Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal and Rigoberto”Tito 23″ Fuentes, to Pablo Sandoval, to the current team with Wilmer Flores, Luis González, Camilo Doval, Thairo Estrada, Heliot Ramos and others. It makes all the sense in the world that Latino/Hispanic fans identify with these stars. The City of San Francisco with a population of 815,000 (as of the 2020 US Census) of which 15.2% are Hispanics/Latinos, the nine-county Bay Area is 20 percent Hispanic. The Giants have one of the best and most loyal fan bases in all of baseball.
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame will share with visitors the true meaning of diversity, while enlightening future generation on the vast Hispanic culture. Today the United States of America is more Hispanic than ever, according to 2020 Census data, there are 62.1 million living in the United States. This is by far the largest minority in the United States. Many believe it is as high as 80 million across the country.
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame was established on October 24th 1998 in San Francisco as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, very proud of bringing the community together with the greatest game on earth, Béisbol.
