Cuba Béisbol

Official program for the 1947 Negro World Series between the New...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:26:29 -0500

Official program for the 1947 Negro World Series between the New York Cubans and Cleveland Buckeyes.

It was the only Negro World Series title for the Cuban’s Cuban-American owner Alex Pompez.

The team included such Cuban stars as Lefty Tiant, Lorenzo Cabrera, Rafael Noble, Jose Maria Fernandez, Claro Duany, Orestes Minoso, Pedro Pages and Silvio Garcia.

Photo postcard from the Detroit Tigers’ 1910 tour of Cuba,...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:45:11 -0500

Photo postcard from the Detroit Tigers’ 1910 tour of Cuba, showing Ty Cobb waiting to bat at Almendares Park.

The photo was one of two from that trip that drew a winning bid of $958.06 at Lelands in the winter of 2006.

According to Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961, the Tigers went 7-5 in 12 games against Habana and Almendares as a late-arriving Cobb played in five games.

Legend has it that in one of those games, Cobb was thrown out three times. On the third such play, Cobb complained the basepath was not the required 90 feet and demanded it be measured, proving his assertion correct.

The account is so ingrained in Cuban baseball folklore that my father was the first to tell me the story unsolicited.

But Agate Type blogger Gary Ashwill did some great research of Habana newspapers El Diario de la Marina and La Lucha which shows the story is likely apocryphal.

Oil on canvas by Cuban painter Tejuca that was up for auction at...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:23:15 -0500

Oil on canvas by Cuban painter Tejuca that was up for auction at Lelands in the winter of 2006.

Cienfuegos team that swept six games to win the 1960 Caribbean...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:09:23 -0500

Cienfuegos team that swept six games to win the 1960 Caribbean Series.

Camilo Pascual (back row, far right) won two games, including a one-hit shutout against Caguas (Puerto Rico) in which he needed only 88 pitches — 65 of them for strikes, according to Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961.

The photo was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in December 2010.

Habana teammates congratulate pitcher Adrian Zabala after he...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:38:27 -0500

Habana teammates congratulate pitcher Adrian Zabala after he beat Santurce (Puerto Rico) 4-3 in the 1951 Caribbean Series.

It was the only defeat suffered by Series champion Puerto Rico as Habana finished second.

This photo was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in November 2010.

El Gran Stadium in Havana, Cuba during the 1953 Caribbean...

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:21:08 -0500

El Gran Stadium in Havana, Cuba during the 1953 Caribbean Series.

Members of the Habana team are lined up in the lower right portion of the image.

But despite having home-field advantage, Habana managed only a 3-3 record, finishing second to Puerto Rico’s Santurce team (lined up on the far left).

This photo was part of a lot that was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in November 2010.

The managers for the 1958 Caribbean Series, which was won by...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:53:11 -0500

The managers for the 1958 Caribbean Series, which was won by Cuba, represented by Club Marianao and managed by Napoleon Reyes (third from the left).

Another Cuban, Regino Otero (left), managed Venezuela’s entry, Valencia, which finished last in the Series.

Puerto Rico (Caguas) was managed by Ted Norbert (second from the left) and Panama (Carta Vieja) was managed by Billy Shantz (right).

This photo was part of a lot that was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in January 2011.

Police had to intervene during what’s described as a...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:11:06 -0500

Police had to intervene during what’s described as a “rhubarb” between Cuba (Almendares) and Venezuela during the 1959 Caribbean Series.

Almendares, the Cuban League champion for 1958-59, went on to win the Series.

This photo was part of a lot that was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in November 2010.

Habana slugger Lou Klein is carried off the field after his...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:40:11 -0500

Habana slugger Lou Klein is carried off the field after his walk-off, two-run home run to give the Leones a 3-2 victory against San Juan (Puerto Rico) in the fourth game of the 1952 Caribbean Series.

The victory gave Habana a 3-0-1 record as it went on to win the Caribbean Series.

This photo was part of lot of Sporting News archive photos that was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in November 2010.

Loved that Every Hall of Famer used the image of Pop Lloyd...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:33:00 -0500

Loved that Every Hall of Famer used the image of Pop Lloyd wearing a Habana uniform.

Members of the Florida International League’s Havana...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:35:00 -0500

Members of the Florida International League’s Havana Cubans, in a photo that was part of a lot up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in November 2010.

A 1952-53 Colleciones Victoria card featuring Cuban...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:07:04 -0500

A 1952-53 Colleciones Victoria card featuring Cuban baseball star Camilo Pascual, who on Saturday was elected to the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame.

A major-league pitcher for 18 seasons — mostly with the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins — Pascual won 174 games, which ranks fourth behind Luis Tiant (229), Adolfo Luque (194) and Mike Cuellar (185) for career wins by Cuban-born pitchers. Pascual was a seven-time all-star.

In the Cuban League, he compiled a 58-32 record with a 2.04 ERA, mostly with Cienfuegos, according to Who’s Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961. Pascual the league’s MVP in 1955-56, twice led the league in strikeouts (108 in 1958-59 and 163 in 1959-60) and twice won 15 games in a season (1956-57 and 1959-60).

He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

A 1946-47 Sensacion Premium, featuring Julio...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:15:50 -0500

A 1946-47 Sensacion Premium, featuring Julio “Jiqui” Moreno, that was part of a lot that was up for auction at Legendary Auctions in November 2011.

Moreno, who was born on this day (Jan. 28) in 1921 was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. He played for Marianao, Havana Reds, Cienfuegos and Habana in 13 winters in Cuba between 1945-61.

According to Who’s Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Moreno ranks sixth in league history in games pitched and led the league in ERA (2.03) in 1960-61 and strikeouts (103) in 1952-53.

Cuban Baseball legend Martin Dihigo is the only player enshrined...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:48:55 -0500

Cuban Baseball legend Martin Dihigo is the only player enshrined in the Halls of Fame for Cuba, the United States, Venezuela and Mexico.

Cover of the La Ambrosia album for Cuba’s 1943 amateur...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:18:49 -0500

Cover of the La Ambrosia album for Cuba’s 1943 amateur baseball league, which 99 player cards.

A photo postcard showing a game at Cuba’s Almendares Park...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:35:00 -0500

A photo postcard showing a game at Cuba’s Almendares Park on Nov. 11, 1911. The photo was up for auction at CubanBaseballCards.com in September 2010.

theartofstephen: “Martin Dihigo”

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:00:12 -0500

theartofstephen:

“Martin Dihigo”

Jan 23: On this day in 1881, Cuban baseball star Julian Castillo...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:34:07 -0500

Jan 23: On this day in 1881, Cuban baseball star Julian Castillo was born in Havana.

Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1943, Castillo played for San Francisco, Fe, Habana and Almendares during 13 seasons from 1901-13.

He ranks seventh all time in Cuban League history with a career .310 batting average and is tied for the most times (four) leading the Cuban League in batting, according to Who’s Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961.

This photo of Castillo appears on the Spanish-language website, Desde Me Palco de Fanatico, from “From my vantage point of a fan.”

The 1957-58 Marianao team that won the Cuban League title,...

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:33:55 -0500

The 1957-58 Marianao team that won the Cuban League title, it’s second in a row and went on to win of the Caribbean Series.

Bob Shaw, who played 11 major-league seasons from 1957-67, went 14-5 with a 1.48 ERA to earn league MVP honors, according to Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961.

The photo was up for auction at CubanBaseballCards.com in September 2010.

A photo of a 1951 Cuban League game that was up for auction at...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:23:15 -0500

A photo of a 1951 Cuban League game that was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in January 2011.