Virgil, Alicea comprise inaugural class of Mets' Latin HOF

The Mets are making sure their history in Latin America is never forgotten. On Wednesday afternoon, the newly created Mets Latin American Hall of Fame was introduced to the public at their academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.

The Hall of Fame will honor and highlight the numerous contributions of the organization's Latin players, coaches and executives who have passed through the organization over the past seven decades.

The inaugural class features coach and advisor Ozzie Virgil and Mets Spanish broadcaster Juan Alicea.

“We are thrilled to establish the Mets Latin American Hall of Fame,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “It is tremendously important to honor our organization’s Latin culture and the individuals who have impacted the franchise and those that will continue to do so in the future.”

“You could not pick two better individuals,” former Mets general manager Omar Minaya said about Virgil and Alicea. “To honor those two guys, I thought was very important.”

Virgil, 91, was the first Dominican-born player in the Major Leagues when he made his debut with the New York Giants on Sept. 23, 1956. He played with five teams over the course of nine seasons, as well as in the Dominican Winter League from 1955-70. Virgil also served as a coach and advisor in the Mets organization from 2009-21. A pioneer, Virgil forged a path for many Latinos to follow.

Alicea was honored posthumously. He joined the organization in April 1969 and served in a variety of capacities, including scouting and community relations, before finding his home in the Spanish broadcast booth in 1982. He remained in said booth through 2019. Alicea was behind the mic for over 4,000 Mets games, including as the leading voice on the International Spanish Network during the 1986 postseason, which aired throughout the United States and Latin America. In 2021, the Mets named the Spanish Radio Booth at Citi Field in his honor.

The Mets are hoping the players and employees at the academy can learn valuable lessons from the Hall of Fame.

“It’s not just from the players' side, but it’s for folks who are working there,” said Juan Londoño the Mets’ manager of partnerships development and part of the committee that helped elect Virgil and Alicea into the Hall of Fame. “It’s great to know that there are opportunities outside the baseball field. It speaks volumes to our organization’s willingness to embrace our Latin culture. Both the players and everyone who is there can aspire to be the next Ozzie in a certain capacity or our next Juan.”

The Latin American Hall of Fame has been in the making since 2008, when the academy was built. Minaya was the GM at the time. His staff came up with the idea of honoring individuals who helped the organization shine since 1962, the team’s first year of existence.

“It was a group effort," Minaya said. "It was an idea that was long overdue, but the bottom line is, it was done. Thank God, Ozzie is alive for this. Juan is not with us, but his family can appreciate this.”