Most baseball fans are unfamiliar with Tomás Nido, the Mets catcher who has played just 89 big league games over the last three seasons.
But today, I want to talk about Tomás Nido. Not because he won the Florida State League batting title in 2016, or because he will be the Mets’ backup catcher whenever the 2020 MLB season begins.
Rather, I want to talk about Tomás Nido because his family is Puerto Rican athletic royalty.
Members of the Vicéns-Nido family have competed in the Olympics, earned a medal in international tennis play, and been named the best basketball player in the world.
Since the Mets were originally scheduled to play in Puerto Rico this week, I thought that Nido’s impressive athletic pedigree was worth exploring.
Madre y Padre
Both of Nido’s parents were elite athletes, even if their accomplishments are dwarfed by those of his other family members. Nido’s mother Liana Vicéns competed in swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City when she was just eleven years old.
And Nido’s father, Tomás Nido Sr., won a tennis medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1982.
While Nido’s parents excelled in the swimming pool and on the tennis court, respectively, his family’s greatest achievements came on the basketball court.
Gran Tío
Of all the great athletes in the Vicéns-Nido family, only one was named “The Greatest Player in the World” in their respective sport.
That person was Nido’s great uncle, Puerto Rican basketball legend Juan “Pachín” Vicéns.
Let me tell you this, folks: I’m not exaggerating when I say that this guy is a huge deal when it comes to Puerto Rican basketball. He’s so influential, in fact, that his name surfaces whenever you google “Puerto Rican basketball history.”
Known to his fans as “The Jeep,” Vicéns rose to stardom with the Leones de Ponce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league in Puerto Rico. With Ponce, Vicéns became the first player in league history to score 5,000 points.
He secured a slew of accolades, including the Rookie of the Year Award in 1950 and MVP Awards in 1952, 1954, 1958 and 1960. Vicéns established a reputation as a winner on his native island, leading his club to seven championships during his 16-year career.
He earned the title of “Best Player in the World” as a representative of Puerto Rico’s national team at the Basketball World Championship in Chile in 1959. His other international exploits include representing Puerto Rico in the Central American Games on five different occasions, and leading his team to a fourth-place finish at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Vicéns played for Kansas State University from 1954 to 1956 under head coach Tex Winter, the same man who would later teach the triangle offense to Phil Jackson.
How’s that for an unexpected connection to The Last Dance?
Abuelo
The older brother of Juan “Pachín” Vicéns (and grandfather of Tomás Nido) was Enrique “Coco” Vicéns. Like his brother, Coco was a legendary basketball player in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
He was part of the first Puerto Rican college basketball team to travel to the continental United States, playing at venues like New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Palestra in Philadelphia.
As if his Hall of Fame basketball career wasn’t impressive enough, Vicéns was also an exemplary citizen. He earned a medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico and later became a captain in the Puerto Rico National Guard.
He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his actions in the Korean War, and served as a senator-at-large in the Puerto Rico State Legislature during the 1970s.
Vicéns was immortalized when a recreational and cultural center bearing his name was built in Ponce.
Todo en la Familia
There are so many sports stars in the Nido-Vicéns family that the aforementioned athletes are just the tip of the iceberg.
The other professional sportsmen in this talented clan are Tomás Nido’s uncles Michael Vicéns and Miguel Nido: Vicéns competed in basketball at the 1976 Summer Olympics, while Miguel Nido played doubles tennis at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
At the height of his career, Miguel Nido ranked 120th in the world among singles players.
Searle’s Final Say
At first glance, one wouldn’t suspect that the unassuming Tomás Nido is a descendant of sports greats. Nevertheless, his family is synonymous with Puerto Rican excellence. Though it will be difficult for him to reach the same heights as his forebears, I eagerly anticipate his further development as a big league backstop.
Want to learn more about the Puerto Rican players in Mets history? Click here
