Former Dodgers Catcher Hector Valle Dies

Catcher Hector Valle, whose long career in professional baseball included nine games with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965, has died. He was 85.

Hector Marrero Matias, a Puerto Rican journalist, reported that Valle died Saturday. The mayor of his home town of Vega Baja announced Valle’s death in a Facebook post July 12.

“We express our deepest condolences on the passing of Héctor José Valle Vázquez, a source of pride for Vega Baja and Puerto Rico, who paved the way in sports history by becoming the first Vega Baja native to play in Major League Baseball, debuting in 1965 with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” mayor Marcos Cruz Molina wrote in Spanish. “A champion of Puerto Rico, a representative of our island in the Pan American Games and several Caribbean Series, his extraordinary career was recognized with his induction into the Vega Baja Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest figures in Puerto Rican baseball.

“His sporting legacy will live on forever in the memory of Vega Baja and our entire country,” Molina continued. May he rest in peace.”

In his only MLB action, Valle batted .308 (4 for 13) in nine games, of which he started three for the eventual World Series champions. Valle was only 24 at the time, but was already in his sixth season in the Dodgers organization.

In 12 seasons in affiliated baseball, Valle also played for the New York Mets (1968), Detroit Tigers (1969-71) and Kansas City Royals (1971) farm teams. He played 402 games at the Triple-A level, batting .215 with eight home runs.

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Before he came to the United States, Valle won a silver medal with the Puerto Rican team in the 1959 Pan American Games. After the 1971 season, he continued his professional career south of the border in Mexico.

Valle always came back to his native island in the offseason. He reportedly compiled 22 seasons playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League, the second-most in the league’s history.

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Valle was regarded as an outstanding defensive catcher, having caught two no-hitters for the Indios de Mayaguez. A statue of Valle was erected in front of Isidoro Garcia Park in Mayaguez.

Valle is a member of the Vega Baja Sports Hall of Fame.

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 1:24 AM.