La temporada 1973-1974 hab\u00c3\u00ada empezado con muchas esperanzas para las Navegantes del Magallanes. Gustavo Gil, Armando Ortiz, Jes\u00c3\u00bas Aristimu\u00c3\u00b1o, Manuel Sarmiento, Oswaldo Olivares, Edito Arteaga, se compenetraron con Wayne Garland, Bob Darwin, Dave Agustine, George Theodore, un novato desconocido de los Medias Rojas de Boston al que Jim Frey consigui\u00c3\u00b3 permiso para venir, su nombre : Jim Rice. Y un relevista catire de cabello largo y patillas pobladas cuyo estilo de lanzar poco ortodoxo hizo pensar que iba a durar poco en la Liga Venezolana. Mark Weems naci\u00c3\u00b3 el 12 de mayo de 1951 en Seattle, Washington. En 1972 con los Orioles de Asheville en la Liga del Atl\u00c3\u00a1ntico Sur AA, Weems particip\u00c3\u00b3 en 48 juegos, dej\u00c3\u00b3 marca de 4-2, 22 salvados, 70 innings, 60 hits, 30 carreras, 23 limpias, 10 jonrones, 43 boletos, 74 ponches, 2 wild pitches, efectividad 2.96.<\/p>\n
La temporada de 1973 jug\u00c3\u00b3 con los Alas Rojas de Rochester en la Liga Internacional AAA, dej\u00c3\u00b3 marca de 9-7 en 39 juegos, salv\u00c3\u00b3 4 juegos en 92 innings, 83 hits, 49 carreras, 40 limpias, 7 jonrones, 57 boletos, 57 ponches, 4 wild pitches, efectividad 3.91.<\/p>\n
En 1971 form\u00c3\u00b3 parte del staff de pitcheo de las Espuelas de Dallas-Fort Worth en la Liga de Texas AA, junto a Wayne Garland (19-5, 1.71), Tom Walker, Jesse Jefferson, Don Hood. Dejaron una efectividad colectiva de 2.61 que lider\u00c3\u00b3 la liga y les vali\u00c3\u00b3 el t\u00c3\u00adtulo del “Mejor Staff de pitcheo de todas la Ligas Menores”. Los n\u00c3\u00bameros de Weems aquel a\u00c3\u00b1o fueron: 36 juegos, 6-2, 11 salvados, 53 innings, 41 hits, 15 carreras, 14 limpias, 2 jonrones, 22 boletos, 51 ponches, 1 wild pitch, efectividad 2.38.<\/p>\n
Con Magallanes particip\u00c3\u00b3 en 26 encuentros, 25 como relevista, 2-1, 11 salvados, 38.1 innings, 26 hits, 14 carreras limpias, 34 ponches, 33 boletos, efectividad 3.29. Aquella ronda eliminatoria estaba muy cerrada. A finales de diciembre de 1973 no hab\u00c3\u00ada nada definido. El 01 de enero de 1974 disfrutaba con mi mam\u00c3\u00a1 la brisa en el pasillo de la casa de los abuelos. Moncho y Alberto llegaron sonriendo y dijeron que Mark Weems hab\u00c3\u00ada muerto. Pens\u00c3\u00a9 que bromeaban para hacerme molestar. Cuando empezaron a detallar que hab\u00c3\u00ada desaparecido en la playa de Patanemo donde hab\u00c3\u00ada ido con sus compa\u00c3\u00b1eros de equipo Wayne Garland, Bob Bailor y Don Hood, un escalofr\u00c3\u00ado recorri\u00c3\u00b3 mis piernas. Mas tarde dijeron en la radio que luego de almorzar entro al mar y lo arrastr\u00c3\u00b3 una resaca. No pude evitar recordar a Isa\u00c3\u00adas Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez, Herman Hill y Roberto Clemente.<\/p>\n
Magallanes qued\u00c3\u00b3 fuera del play off (ese a\u00c3\u00b1o fue suspendido por huelga de los peloteros) a s\u00c3\u00b3lo un juego de la clasificaci\u00c3\u00b3n y a 3 del primer lugar. \u00c2\u00bfHubiesen clasificado con el concurso de Mark Weems? Luego de cada juego perdido por escaso margen en aquella recta final, me hice esa pregunta.<\/p>\n
English Translation<\/strong><\/p>\n The 1973-1974 season had started with many expectations for the Magallanes Navigators. Gustavo Gil, D\u00c3\u00a1maso Blanco, Armando Ortiz, Jes\u00c3\u00bas Aristimu\u00c3\u00b1o, Manuel Sarmiento, Oswaldo Olivares, Edito Arteaga, reached harmony with Wayne Garland, Bob Darwin, Dave Agustine, George Theodore, an unknown rookie of the Boston Red Sox who Jim Frey got the permit to come to play at the Venezuelan Winter League: Jim Rice. And a blond reliever of long hair and big sideburns, whose unorthodox pitching style made some people think he was a first row candidate to go back to the States. Mark Weems was born on May 12th, 1951 in Seattle, Washington.<\/p>\n In the 1972 season with the Asheville Orioles in the South Atlantic League AA, Weems played in 48 games, 4 wins, 2 losses, 22 saves, 70 innings, 60 hits, 30 runs, 23 earned, 10 home runs, 43 walks, 74 strikeouts, 2 wild pitches, 2.96 ERA.<\/p>\n In the 1973 season, with the Rochester Red Wings in the International League AAA, Weems had 9 wins, 7 losses in 39 games. He saved 4 games. 92 innings, 83 hits, 49 runs, 40 earned, 7 home runs, 57 walks, 4 wild pitches, 3.91 ERA.<\/p>\n In 1971 Weems was in the pitching staff of the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs in the Texas League AA. Along with Wayne Garland (19-5, 1.71), Tom Walker, Jesse Jefferson, Don Hood. They achieved a collective ERA of 2.61 that commanded the league and earned them the title of the “Best pitching Staff in the Minor Leagues”. The Weems’ stats in 1971: 36 games, 6 wins, 2 losses, 11 saves, 53 innings, 41 hits, 15 runs, 14 earned, 2 home runs, 22 walks, 51 strikeouts, 1 wild pitch, 2.38 ERA.<\/p>\n With the Magallanes Navigators, Weems played in 26 games, 25 as a reliever, 2 wins,1 loss, 11 saves, 38.1 innings, 26 hits, 14 earned runs, 34 strikeouts, 33 walks, 3.29 ERA. That regular season was really tight. At the end of December there wasn\u00c2\u00b4t any team qualified for the play offs. On January 1st, 1974 I was enjoying a lunch with my relatives. My friends Moncho and Alberto came smiling and told me that Mark Weems had passed away. I thought they were pulling my leg. When they began to give details about the pitcher disappearing in the Patanemo Beach where he had gone with his teammates Wayne Garland, Bob Bailor and Don Hood. I felt a cold river running down my legs. Later it was said on the radio news that Weems approached the sea after lunch and was rolled by the waves. I couldn’t avoid thinking about Isa\u00c3\u00adas Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez, Herman Hill and Roberto Clemente.<\/p>\n The Magallanes Navigators were disqualified from the playoffs (that year the play offs were suspended because of a players strike). They finished 1 game out of qualification and 3 from first place. Had Magallanes got to the playoffs with Mark Weems? I made myself that question after the team lost some games by less than two runs at the end of the season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t