Velázquez Rejoins SJ as Minor League Manager

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MikeB
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Velázquez Rejoins SJ as Minor League Manager

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Velázquez Rejoins SJ as Minor League Manager


Alfredo Velázquez was mostly a $25 million bust when he returned home to Puerto Rico to finish his career with the Coqui. His last two years in the PEBA were noted more for a couple torn rotator cuffs and a host of smaller injuries as he went just 3-7 in 17 starts. It was a shame his home country never got to see him in his prime; he was in the Sovereign League when the PEBA came to San Juan.

But despite his failings with the Coqui, he was always popular with his teammates and never lost the support of the fans or the organization and last week the Coqui called on the 39-year old to be manager of Homer, its SA squad in the Alaskan League. He replaces Valentín Delgado, who had just one winning season in three years and was the only coach in the San Juan organization not to have his contract renewed this offseason.

A longtime national sports hero, Velázquez, with 137 wins, ranks second among Puerto Rican hurlers in PEBA history, trailing just António Rivera, who notched 152 from 2007-2019. He is also third all-time among countrymen in e.r.a. (3.18), trailing reliever Alfredo Aranda (2.74) and Norberto Pacheco (3.09 in 163 less starts).

“His intelligence and work ethic made this a no-brainer since the day he retired. It was just a question of when,” said San Juan General Manager Mike Best. “I know Alfredo is happy to have retired at home and when we first approached him about becoming a coach a couple years ago, he wanted to take some time off. We floated the idea of managing or being the pitching coach at Santurce (AA) but the coaching staff has been excellent there, and also at Santo Domingo (AAA) and Kingston (A), both of which would be just a short hop away. This offseason he approached us and said he’d be willing to go to Alaska to fill the open slot at Homer and start gaining experience. But at some point we see his destiny coaching on the island.”

Velázquez was destined for fame at an early age, making local headlines as the first baby born on the island New Years Day in 1989. He grew up in Bayamón, where like a lot of teens he worked in the sugarcane fields in the summer. In the winter, he and his schoolmates would go to watch the Predators in the San Juan Winter League.

The four time all-star had a solid repertoire, able to go to a fastball, slider, splitter or changeup in any situation. While he wasn’t a flamethrower, he excelled at getting groundballs which is what San Juan prefers to teach in its organization. His control was stellar (1.5BB/9, tied for 10th in league history) and long balls were rare (0.8/9).

The six-foot two-inch righty began his PEBA career in 2014 with Gloucester and had a breakout season two years later going 19-7 and posting the 11th best WAR in history for a pitcher (9.3). He joined Crystal Lake the following year, where he finished among the top ten in e.r.a. for six straight years and WHIP for seven straight. He was also a workhorse, falling under 30 starts just once in 8 years (a 27-start performance in 2021 when he went 12-3 and led the league in e.r.a. at 2.45).

In Crystal Lake’s 2024 Championship season, Velázquez began to show signs of age, only managing 22 starts due to injury but capped off a 9-7, 3.38, season by going 2-0, 2.92, in four playoff starts. San Juan, betting on the postseason performance, signed him as a free agent in the offseason. But instead of getting the pitcher that to that point had averaged quality starts 67% of the time, it got an arm on its last days. Now the Coqui are hoping Velázquez is able to give back in another way.
Mike Best
San Juan Coqui
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