Leonardo “Najo” Alaniz†
Inducted 1988
Hometown: La Laijia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Best Known for: Athlete-Baseball
(Feb. 17, 1899-April 25, 1978)
One of the great trailblazers in Valley history, Leandro Alaniz, better known as Leo Najo, was the first Mexican-American major league draftee, by the Chicago White Sox in 1926.
Born in Nuevo Leon, the superb outfielder was a minor league standout who starred in the Texas League for seven years and later was a long-time leader of the Mission 30-30s. An injury kept him from making the major leagues, but he compiled a .323 lifetime batting average in 1,275 games, with 69 triples and the reputation as the best defensive outfielder in the league.
He was the first Mexican-American to play in the Texas League, back in 1924 with San Antonio, and that year he hit .381 with 34 home runs and 213 hits. Najo was one of the first players elected to the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame and was a regional legend by the time he died in 1971.