Título memorable de Córdoba en 1939
México, D.F (Tomás Morales) 18 de enero.- Por única ocasión en la historia de la Liga Mexicana, que ya llega a 90 años, un equipo se coronó campeón ganando un juego de 16 entradas. Ese fue el Cafeteros de Córdoba que en la temporada de 1939 viajó a Monterrey para el domingo primero de octubre y ganar un doble juego a los regios por 4-1 y 4-3, y de esa manera destronar al Águila de Veracruz de Martín Dihigo que llevaba dos títulos al hilo.
Después de ganar el primer juego del día 4-1, con brillante pitcheo de cuatro hits del zurdo Lázaro Salazar, también el manager, vimos el segundo partido que necesitaban ganar los Cafeteros para lograr su primer título de la historia.
Para el segundo encuentro el manager Lázaro Salazar puso al veloz Manuel "Ciclón" Echeverría que se enfrentó a Bugarini. Monterrey tomó ventaja de 2-0, pero los Cafeteros aprovecharon errores del Monterrey en la sexta entrada para empatar. Sin embargo, los Fantasmas Grises se subieron 3-2 para que en la octava los Cafeteros volvieran a empatar por un hit productor de Lázaro Salazar después de imparables de Molinero Montes de Oca y "Popeye" Salvatierra, los dos veracruzanos. Como vemos, Lázaro Salazar todo lo podía hacer y muy bien.
Empatados a tres, el juego se fue a entradas extras y en el inning 12, ya con dos outs, el pitcher Manuel Echeverría le dijo a Salazar que ya se sentía agotado y llamaron entonces a relevar al zurdo Guillermo "Loco" Prieto que además de lanzador era buen bateador. Prieto lanzaría cuatro entradas y un tercio en cero carreras y un hit para ser el pitcher ganador.
Por el Monterrey, el americano Bill Jefferson había relevado a Bugarini en el octavo inning. Finalmente, en la entrada 16, fueron por la victoria y el campeonato. El mismo Salazar abrió la entrada con un imparable, avanzando a segunda en toque de sacrificio del catcher "Sungo" Pedrozo. El zurdo Zenón Ochoa dio rola a segunda para el out dos, llegando Salazar a tercera.
Le tocaba batear al torpedero Jesús González, que no llevaba ningún hit, en el juego que terminaría con una jornada tan poco exitosa de irse en blanco en siete veces.
Entonces pensó Salazar que lo más indicado era la jugada suicida de robarse el home. Vio que el lanzador Jefferson tomaba bastante tiempo en hacer el wind up y entonces se vino rumbo al home ante el asombro de todos en el Parque Cuauhtémoc. Salazar llegó 'seif' con un exitoso robo de home que fue festejado jubilosamente en la caseta de los Cafeteros. Y así terminó el juego de las 16 entradas y del campeonato, 4-3 para Córdoba.
Nunca un campeonato se ha logrado en un partido tan largo de 16 entradas y decidido por un robo de home. Este fue el primero de los siete campeonatos ganados por Lázaro Salazar como manager y que es récord en la Liga Mexicana, seguido por los seis de Cananea Reyes.
Me atrevo a pensar que ese doble juego representó para Lázaro Salazar su día más completo en su gran carrera por los diamantes beisboleros. En el primer juego ganó con su gran brazo en que solo aceptó cuatro hits y el segundo lo ganó con su bat y con sus piernas.
"El Príncipe de Belén" era un jugador completo, un Martín Dihigo de zurdo, aunque sin ser tan fantástico lanzador como "el inmortal" y menos bateador también, pero si alguien se acerca a él, Lázaro Salazar debe estar allí.
Córdoba terminó ganando el campeonato con récord formidable de 46-12 para un promedio increíble de .793. Con razón el Águila, aun con sus 21 triunfos seguidos, no pudo alcanzarlo y los porteños terminaron con marca de 37-21.
FOTO: El Córdoba campeón de 1939, comandado por el gran Lázaro Salazar.
Un Cafeteros que tuvo como héroes principales además de Salazar a "Sungo" Pedrozo, "Comadre" Leal, "Molinero" Montes de Oca Agustín Bejerano, el jonronero "Popeye" Salvatierra, Joacho García, Zenón Ochoa y entre los pitchers al mismo Lázaro, Johnny Taylor que tiraba duro de verdad, Manuel Echeverría, "Loco" Prieto. El equipo de Lázaro Penagos le había puesto el cascabel al Águila.
A los pocos años estaría el mismo Lázaro Salazar manejando, ganando como pitcher y bateando con los que ya fueron llamados más adelante los Sultanes de Monterrey, ganando cuatro campeonatos con ellos, tres de ellos en forma consecutiva para ser récord en la Liga Mexicana.
Fue hasta 1972 cuando los Cafeteros le dieron a Córdoba otro campeonato al regresar a la Liga Mexicana con Chara Mansur y sus hijos Roberto y José Antonio.
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