Roberto Francisco Ávila González (April 2, 1924 – October 26, 2004), known as "Beto" in Mexico and as "Bobby" in the United States, was a Mexican professional baseball second baseman. A native of Veracruz, Mexico, Ávila began his career playing for the Puebla Angeles of the Mexican League from 1943 to 1947. He played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians from 1949 to 1958 before dividing the 1959 season between the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Braves. Ávila won the 1954 American League batting championship with a .341 batting average. He also received The Sporting News American League Player of the Year award in 1954 and was named to the American League All-Star team in 1952, 1954, and 1955. After retiring as a player, Ávila owned a Mexican baseball team and became president of the Mexican League. He became mayor of Veracruz in 1980 and later served two terms in the Mexican national legislature. He was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. Early years Ávila was born in 1924 in Veracruz, Mexico, to Maria Gonzalez and Jorge Ávila. Ávila played baseball and soccer as a youth. He began playing professional soccer as a teenager. He then switched to baseball, playing for the semi-professional Cordoba club. He began as a pitcher, but later converted to second base. Professional baseball player Mexican League (1943-47) Ávila began his baseball professional baseball career at age 19 with the Puebla Angeles of the Mexican League. He played for Puebla from 1943 to 1947. In 1947, he led the Mexican League with a .346 batting average. Initial seasons in US (1948–50) The Cleveland Indians signed Avila in 1948 for a $17,500 bonus and assigned him to the Baltimore Orioles, the Indians' farm team in the International League. He missed two months during the 1948 season after undergoing surgery for a hernia. He appeared in 56 games for the Orioles and compiled a .220 batting average. In September 1948, the Orioles sold Ávila to the Cleveland Indians. He made his major league debut on April 30, 1949, but with Hall of Famer Joe Gordon starting 145 games as the Indians' second baseman, Ávila appeared in only 31 games and had only 14 at bats during the 1949 season. An injury to Joe Gordon finally gave Ávila the