October 2006, Dallas, TX - In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and the upcoming Major League Baseball Playoffs, it seems fitting to honor some of the greatest Puerto Rican baseball players of all time. As I was researching for my first article as a sports writer for El Boricua, I came across the Latino Legends team that was honored during the 2005 World Series and decided to create one for Puerto Ricans. Here are the best of the best:

Orlando Cepeda – 1st Base
The “Baby Bull” played for several teams and was named Rookie of the Year in 1958, National League MVP in 1967, and won a World Series in 1967. He was named to 7 All-Star teams, and is one of only three Puerto Ricans in the Hall of Fame. The San Francisco Giants retired his number 30 on the upper deck of AT&T Park.

Roberto Alomar – 2nd Base
Alomar played for several teams throughout his career, but his contributions during the 1992 and 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays were a major reason for their success. His 12 All-Star selections and 10 Gold Gloves make him one of the greatest 2nd baseman in baseball history.

Edgar Martinez – 3rd Base
Martinez is one of the greatest hitters of all time and is best known for his 18 seasons with the Seattle Mariners where he won 2 A.L. batting titles and 5 Silver Slugger Awards. The Edgar Martinez Award is given out to the best designated hitter in Major League Baseball and in 2005, he was to the Latino Legends Team.

Joey Cora – Shortstop
Cora is best known for his role on during the magical playoff run of the 1995 Seattle Mariners. In 1997 he was named to the All-Star Team and had a batting average of .300. Cora currently serves as a coach for the Chicago White Sox.

Ivan Rodriguez – Catcher
Nicknamed "Pudge," Ivan Rodriguez is one of the greatest catchers of all-time thanks to his eleven Gold Glove Awards and a career batting average over .300. In 1999, Pudge was named A.L. MVP and in 2003 he was part of the World Series Champion Florida Marlins.

Bernie Williams - Outfield
Williams is a true Yankee great - five All-Star Team selections, four gold gloves, and the 1998 A.L. batting title. His postseason play helped the lead the Yankees to four World Series Championships, the first of which came in 1996 where he was named ALCS MVP.

Roberto Clemente - Outfield
Considered to be by far the greatest Puerto Rican baseball player of all time, Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Among his many accomplishments he was a four time NL batting champion, won 12 Gold Gloves, an MVP Award, and a World Series Championship in 1966. He is best known for his work off the field, for which Major League Baseball named the Roberto Clemente Award for humanitarian efforts. He is a member of the Hall of Fame.

Reggie Jackson. – Outfield
Known as “Mr. October,” Jackson played for 21 seasons in which included 11 playoff appearances, 6 pennants, and 5 World Series titles. He was named MVP in both the regular-season and World Series in 1973, hit 563 career home runs, and was named to 14 All-Star teams.

Willie Hernandez – Pitcher
Hernandez played for 12 seasons in the Major Leagues beginning in 1987. He is best known for the incredible season he had in 1984 where he was selected to the first of his three All-Star teams, won the Cy Young Award, MVP Award, and The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award.

Sources: Google Image Search, Wikipedia.org, MLB.com