Monday, January 3, 2011

Salvador Hernandez starred as a player, manager for several teams

Jan. 3: On this day in 1916, Cuban League star Salvador Hernandez was born in Havana.

Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, Hernandez played for Habana, Almendares, Marianao, Leones and Cienfuegos during 15 seasons between 1935-51. Ten of those seasons came with Habana.

Shown in this 1949-50 postcard posted at Stars of the Diamond, Hernandez also managed five seasons from 1947-54, three at the helm of Cienfuegos.

But his most successful managerial seasons came in 1947-48 with Leones of the Players Federation, a short-lived circuit that operated outside Organized Baseball at Stadium La Tropical.

Serving as a player-manager, Hernandez led Leones to that league's pennant over Cuba, Alacranes and Santiago, a team which withdrew from the league in December 1947.

Aside from Hernandez, Leones was led by pitchers Sandalio Consuegra, Terris McDuffie and Fred Martin and position players Lou Klein, Luis Olmo and Roberto Estalella.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for posting this information Cesar. Salvador was a great man and very loving. He is my Great Uncle and I have great memories of him and his wife Estela. His life ended too soon and he is missed.

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