In March 1999, the Baltimore Orioles played a team of Cuban all-stars, the first time a major league baseball team from the United States had played a Cuban team since 1959. Before communism, Cuba had a rich baseball history, fielding teams that often defeated U.S. major league opponents.
This text presents basic statistical information and listings for every Cuban baseball team from 1878 until 1961, when the communist government of Fidel Castro shut down professional sports. The information for each season includes the final standings, team rosters, all-time records, individual statistics arranged by team, and background information. The appendix lists the Cuban players in the first three eras, all-time leaders for batting average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, pitching, completed games, wins, losses, MVPs, Rookies of the Years, and much more. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs.

Jorge S. Figueredo has written for The Sporting News and SABR. The Havana native now lives in Tampa, Florida.

Jorge S. Figueredo
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 552
Bibliographic Info: 181 photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011 [2003]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6425-8
Imprint: McFarland

Preface     1

Seasons (1878–1898)     5
Seasons (1900–1909)     37
Seasons (1910–1919)     85
Seasons (1920–1929)     134
Seasons (1930–1939)     187
Seasons(1940–1949)     235
Seasons (1950–1955)     330
Seasons (1956–1961)     414

Appendix 1: List of Players (1878–1899)     481
Appendix 2: List of Players (1900–1933)     484
Appendix 3: List of Players (1934–1961)     491
Appendix 4: All-Time Leaders     501
Appendix 5: Player Awards     504
Appendix 6: Team Records     505
Appendix 7: Cuban Hall of Fame Members     508
Appendix 8: Latin American Players in Cuba     510
Appendix 9: Havana Cubans (1946–1953) Players and Leaders     511
Appendix 10: Cubans Sugar Kings (1954–1960) Players and Leaders     515

Bibliography     518
Index     519

Winner, SABR’s Robert Peterson Award for increasing public awareness of Negro League baseball
“[Figueredo has written] the most comprehensive book yet published on the rich and colorful history of professional baseball in Cuba…chock-full of historical pictures…meticulous research…an invaluable resource”—La Prensa de Miami; “monumental, meticulously researched, and copiously illustrated book. Figueredo has unlocked some of the best-kept secret chambers of baseball history”—The Baseball Guru; “here are the greats”—The Diamond Angle.