Luís Aparicio Sr.

Luís Aparicio Ortega (El Grande de Maracaibo)

• Born December 28, 1912 in Venezuela
• Died January 1, 1971

Biographical Information

Luís Aparicio was one of the greatest players in Venezuelan history, playing from the late 1920s to the 1950s. He founded the Gavilanes club based in Maracaibo, along with his brother Ernesto. It soon became one of the nation's top teams. He would later play for the Navegantes del Magallanes and Equipo Vargas. Known for his extrodinary defense at shortstop, Aparicio was the second great Venezuelan shortstop following Gonzalo Gómez. His playing style was copied by many Venezuelans, including his son Luís Aparicio Jr. Aparicio also played in the Dominican League. He played for the Venezuelan national team in the 1942 Amateur World Series and 1951 Amateur World Series.