engaged in any sport activities as a teenager, aparicio sr. was introduced to the soccer environment in the late 1920s, playing as a forward for several first division clubs of caracas and maracaibo, but ended devoted himself to baseball when he was hired to play in the national baseball series tournament, where he performed for seven different teams in eleven seasons spanning 1931–1945. a few years before, in 1928, he had founded with his brother ernesto the baseball team "los muchachos" (the boys), which was later renamed gavilanes de maracaibo. over time, the gavilanes (sparrowhawks) would become the most successful team in zulian professional baseball annals, winning 15 of 20 summer tournaments held between 1932 and 1957.