Francisco Laureano

Francisco Santana Laureano

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 160 lb.

• Born October 4, 1957 in Santo Domingo D.R. (as per BR Minors and the Mexican League encyclopedia; Chinese Wiki Baseball lists Colombia)

Francisco Laureano played eight seasons in the minor leagues and seven in Taiwan.

Laureano hit .317/~.465/.442 with 49 runs, 62 walks (to 18 strikeouts) and 21 steals in 67 games for Puerto Plata in the 1985 Dominican Summer League. He was 6th in the league in average in the loop's first season in Organized Baseball. Coming stateside in 1986, Francisco batted .275/~.348/.393 for the Burlington Expos with 31 doubles and 79 runs. He was three doubles shy of Midwest League leader Mark Higgins.

Francisco had his best US season in 1987, hitting .323/~.408/.474 for the Appleton Foxes with 86 runs, 87 RBI, 70 walks, 16 homers and 19 steals. He led the MWL with 11 sacrifice flies and was named the All-star second baseman. He was much worse in 1988, split between the Virginia Generals (.225/.340/.274 in 117 G, 65 BB, 21 SB) and Baseball City Royals (.205/.303/.308). His 95 double plays led Carolina League second basemen.

In 1989, the lightweight infielder hit .260/~.380/.324 for Baseball City, drawing 88 walks, stealing 25 bases and scoring 71 runs. He was second in the Florida State League in bases on balls, 8 behind leader Rodney McCray. Laureano had a batting line of .241/.357/.334 for the 1990 Memphis Chicks.

Francisco wrapped up his US career in 1991 with the Chicks (.298/~.400/.382 in 99 G) and the Omaha Royals (3 for 19, 2 BB, HR). He was second in the Southern League in average behind Jim Bowie.

Coming to Taiwan in 1992, Laureano hit .315/.438/.567 for the President Lions with 20 home runs. He led the Chinese Professional Baseball League with 68 RBI, three ahead of runner-up Luis Iglesias, and with 65 walks. He led in OBP by .024 over Iglesias. He was 4th in home runs and made the Best Nine at third base.

In 1993, Laureano batted .280/.414/.392 with a more characteristic seven home runs. His 71 walks were 21 ahead of runner-up Chung-Chiu Lin and he led in OBP by .022 over Min-Ching Luo. The next season, his batting line for the Lions read .316/.379/.540. He hit a CPBL-record 41 doubles, 12 ahead of runner-up Luis de los Santos. He finished third with 71 RBI behind Sil Campusano and George Hinshaw. The double record stood for 18 years until Yi-Chuan Lin topped it.

Francisco faded to .292/.385/.427 in 1995 but rebounded to .342/.405/.488 in '96. He then left the Lions for the rival Taiwan Major League's Kao-ping Fala, hitting .282/.385/.427 in 1997 and .317/.393/.439 in 1998. He wrapped up his career with the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the 1999 Mexican League, hitting .289/.389/.402 in 28 games.

Sources

• 1986-1987 Baseball America Statistics Reports
• 1988, 1990, 1992 and 1995 Baseball Guides
• KT Choi's Taiwanese Baseball Database
• 1991 Baseball Guide
• Chinese Wiki Baseball
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros
• CPBL Player Page