Cuba Béisbol

It’s good to know somebody out there is reading this.

And not just any somebody.

I arrived at my office Sunday to find a voicemail waiting for me from author Jorge Figueredo.

If the name is familiar perhaps it’s because I’ve mentioned his excellent book, Who’s Who in Cuban Baseball, 1879-1961 (left), several times on this blog.

I was surprised and thrilled to hear his message, saying he’d read my blog and thanking me for mentioning his book.

Figueredo also has written two other terrific books on Cuba’s baseball history: Cuban Baseball, A Statistical History, 1878–1961, and Beisbol Cubano, A un Paso de las Grandes Ligas, 1878–1961, (right, which was written in Spanish).

The three books are very different and complement each other nicely. If you’re interested in the subject, all three would worthy editions to your library.

When I spoke to Figueredo Sunday to thank him for reading my blog, he told me his three books were the results of more than 15 years of research, many of which were spent combing through the New York Public Library’s collection of Cuban newspapers that date back to the 1800s.

Once a writer at El Mundo, in Havana, Figueredo left his native Cuba in 1960 and lived in New Jersey for many years before relocating to Tampa, Fla.

It was great to talk to another person who shares my passion for Cuban’s baseball history.