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About The Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame

In the United States, there are Sports Halls of Fame that honor professional and amateur athletes in football, basketball, track, tennis, baseball and other sports. There are also ethnic halls of fame that recognize outstanding athletes from different groups including Italian, Jewish, Irish and blacks to name a few. But, there was not a single sports hall of fame that would recognize, honor and salute the outstanding accomplishments/achievements and contributions of our Latino/Hispanic Sports Heritage not only from the United States but also those who came to this country from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Central and South America and from the vast talent from the Caribbean Islands. The Latin-American International Sports Hall of Fame/Salon de Ia Fama Latinoamericano del Deporte was organized in Laredo, Texas in 1974. At first it was to celebrate, honor and promote local and regional individuals who had excelled at their particular sport but soon it opened the doors to include National and International Professional Athletes. It also recognizes as Sportsman of the Year individuals who continue to preserve and enhance our Latino culture, values and educational opportunities for our youth and who contribute to the betterment of the City of Laredo and South Texas. There have been since its inception an equal recognition of women athletes inductees. It was important to find role models for our youth and the organizers wanted to include all ages, regardless of sex in their programs. The Latin Hall was also created to promote economic development and stimulate business activity in downtown Laredo when local businesses are contracted to provide services to our inductees, their families and guests who visit Laredo during the annual 3-day welcome reception, media luncheon and induction banquet celebration weekend. Through the years. (1975-2014), and with limited amount of funds the organization has, had the opportunity to help the youth of our community with scholarships and other youth activity fundraisers. Plans are to have a Latin Sports International Hall of Fame Museum (downtown) (soon) which will be a first for the United States and to provide clinics (free of charge) to instruct our youth in different sports.

Mission

The Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1975 to recognize individuals with good and proper standing in the community, high morals and values and who have excelled in sports and/or have contributed to the promotion of sports and goodwill in the Latino community.


Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame

47th Annual Induction Banquet

Rene torres

 






 

Rene Torres
Hispanic Sports Historian

 

 

Rene Torres

Hispanic Sports Historian

 

Rene Torres is a retired assistant professor from the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. He was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, He has a long history in Brownsville as an athlete, scholar and humanitarian. As an athlete, his outstanding performance with the 1965 State Finalist Brownsville Eagles helped him secure a four-year scholarship to play at Pan American College at Edinburg.

The Eagles’ journey to the state tournament was underscored when Rene came to the plate in their final game of the Corpus Christi Ray series. It was described as the “Shot heard around the city. In the final inning, with two outs in a tied ball game, Rene hit it out of the ballpark to give Brownsville High School its first baseball district title.

Texas Hall of Fame coach, Al Ogletree, descripted Rene as a “Standout Outfielder” While playing at Pan Am, he was almost flawless, as he committed one error as a three-year starter in centerfield. In his last season with the Broncs, he ended with a ten-game hitting streak, hitting 700 with in that stretch. He was inducted in 2007, into the “Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame”  Mr. Torres was recognized in the 2015 fall issue of the Journal of West in the article “Latinos and Sports in the American West” Rene was also mentioned in the book, “Mexican-American Baseball in the Alamo Region and also mentioned in the book, “Mexican American Baseball in South Texas.”

Alberto Rodriguez PhD, Assistant Professor of history from Texas A&M Kingsville, wrote in the “Journal of West,” the following about Mr. Torres: “If anyone can be called ‘Mr. Baseball, it is Mr. Torres. “He is a scholar of all South Texas sports that has single-handedly recovered, through his written work, the history of baseball in the Texas borderlands. His promotion of Valley baseball was most recently highlighted when he was selected to be the featured speaker during the Smithsonian Institute Sports traveling exhibit activities at UTRGV.

In 2007, he was recognized by the University of Texas Pan American as a Notable Valley Hispanic. Rene, in 2002, was awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service in Washington D.C., for his community and humanitarian service. Rene, and Lucy, have been married for 46 years. They have two daughter, Denise and Melis sa and three grandsons, Josh, Jacob and Jayden.