willie wells and the 1943 alijadores de tampico

Brian Campf sent me this postcard of the Alijadores (Lightermen) de Tampico of the 1943 Mexican League, featuring Willie Wells as player-manager (standing at the far left). Notable members of the team included the Mexican first baseman Àngel Castro, the Cuban outfielder Pedro Formental, and Negro league pitchers Berthum Hunter and Henry McHenry.

The team didn’t fare that well, unfortunately. The 37-year-old Wells did what he could, batting .295, and Formental (.312, 63 walks in 90 games) and McHenry (17-10 for both Tampico and Mexico City’s Red Devils) contributed; but Castro, probably the top slugger of the Mexican League’s early years, slumped to .248 with only nine homers, and Hunter won a grand total of three games for three different teams that summer. Wells was replaced as manager by Santos Amaro before the season was over, and Los Alijadores finished in fourth place with a 41-48 record.

Here’s a closeup of Wells:

And here are a couple of Formental photos, also from Brian, one of them signed:

Thanks to Brian for these great images!

Comments

[MANUEL ROCHA GARCIA]

perdón del comentario anterior respecto al campeón alijadores de 1945 y 1946 tengo la crónica que recopile del archivo histórico de tampico del periódico el mundo cuando quedaron campeones en 1945 si gusta con gusto se lo envio, mándeme su correo y lo envio, gracias.

[MANUEL ROCHA GARCIA]

BELLOS RECUERDOS DEL GLORIOSO EQUIPO ALIJADORES DE 1943, TENGO LA CRONICA DEL CAMPEON ALIJADORES DE 1945 CON ARMANDO MARSANS DE JUGADOR-MANAGER

[brian]

Thanks to you for doing such a magnificent job both illuminating and at the same time preserving this history.