Prospero Baca

Erasmo Arturo Baca (Próspero González)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 9", Weight 200 lb.

• Born November 25, 1965 in Chinandega Nicaragua

Olympics-Reference page

Biographical Information

Prospero Baca (born as Erasmo Baca, listed Prospero Baca in many international records, but known as Próspero González primarily in Nicaragua) was one of Nicaragua's top hitters in the 20th Century.

Baca was with Nicaragua when they won the 1986 Central American Games and he remained with them for the 1987 Pan American Games. In the 1988 Baseball World Cup, he hit .290/.421/.389 with 7 walks in 10 games while playing primarily first base. He helped Nicaragua to s Silver Medal in the 1990 Central American Games. He batted .275/.326/.475 in the 1990 Baseball World Cup, but was only 1 for 8 against Cuba in the Gold Medal Games as Nicaragua had to settle for a Silver.

He hit .351/.444/.568 for Nicaragua in the 1991 Intercontinental Cup with 13 runs and 12 RBI in 10 games as their DH. He tied Luis Casanova and Wei-Chen Chen for second in the event in RBI, behind Carlos Manriquez, and made the All-Tournament Team at DH. He was 2 for 4 with a run in the Bronze Medal game win over Taiwan. He played in the 1991 Pan American Games, when Nicaragua failed to win a Medal.

Baca slumped to .267/.286/.300 in the 1993 Intercontinental Cup. He went 2 for 4 in the Bronze Medal game loss to Hidekazu Watanabe of Japan. In the 1994 Baseball World Cup, the 28-year-old DH batted .241/.313/.310. Despite his poor show in the Cup, he still hit cleanup for Nicaragua in the Bronze Medal game. He was 1 for 4 versus Masanori Sugiura, who held the Nicaraguans to four hits as Japan won.

Prospero fared well in the 1996 Olympics, producing at a .306/.342/.472 rate as Nicaragua's designated hitter. He was 1 for 4 with a RBI against Seth Greisinger and Braden Looper in the Bronze Medal game loss to Team USA as he just missed out on an Olympic Medal.

Baca hit .250/.375/.550 for Nicaragua in the 1997 Intercontinental Cup, moving to first base as Henry Roa was given the role at DH. He helped Nicaragua to a Silver in the 1997 Central American Games. In the 1998 Haarlem Baseball Week, the veteran slugger was 2 for 13 with a walk and a double.

In the 1998 Baseball World Cup, Baca hit .222/.263/.389 as the Nicaraguan DH. He remained with the team for a Silver in the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games. He was 1 for 8 in the 1999 Pan American Games and wrapped up his international career in the 2001 Baseball World Cup by batting .280/.333/.400 11 years after his first Baseball World Cup.

Baca's star shone even brighter in his homeland. In the Nicaraguan amateur league (through 2007), he was among the all-time leaders in average (.322, 8th), games played (1,510, 3rd), at-bats (5,315, 3rd), runs (1,010, 2nd to Nemesio Porras), walks (758, 3rd), home runs (254, 2nd to Ernesto López) and RBI (1,117, 2nd, 15 behind leader Ariel Delgado). His 69 walks in 1999 were a record until Arnol Rizo broke it in 2014.