Year Inducted – 1982

Although his career was cut short in 1950 at the relatively young age of 38 due to a back injury, this great player lived long enough to see his teams become perhaps the best in the history of Akron sandlot baseball. Garcia was player/manager on teams that won four AA League titles and four Ohio Amateur Baseball Congress crowns. Twice his teams came within a victory of capturing the AABC National Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan. In 1945, he led the Akron Orphans to the NABF national championship–earning the most outstanding player of the tournament in the process. As a player he was good enough to be signed by three major league clubs–the Yankees, Phillies and Cardinals. He even had a fling with pro basketball with the old Cleveland Alleman Transfers. His name lives on today–on the award that goes to the annual winner of the AA League’s MVP.