Roberto Ortiz attacked umpire in ugly incident in 1944-45 season

Jan. 7: On this day in 1945, Almendares first baseman Roberto Ortiz, in what may have been the most violent incident in Cuban League history, attacked umpire Bernardo Rodriguez.

Irate over a call, Ortiz (shown in this Carteles magazine premium) punched Rodriguez, knocking him unconscious, according to Smoke: The Romance and Lore of Cuban Baseball.

Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961 says Rodriguez had to be hospitalized as a result of the attack, and Ortiz, who apologized in a letter published in the Cuban news media, was suspended for the remainder of the season.

Despite Almendares being without its power-hitting first baseman -- and needing its manager Adolfo Luqueto take the mound at age 54 because of injuries to its pitching staff -- the Scorpions went on to win the Cuban League pennant by seven games over Habana.

On this date: Roberto Ortiz was born

June 30: On this date in 1915, Roberto Ortiz was born in Camaguay, Cuba.

The 6-foot-4 first baseman, El Gigante, "The Giant" as he was known in Cuba, played six major-league seasons -- mostly with the Washington Senators -- between 1941-50.

He was a star for Almendares in the Cuban League, so much so he was the subject of a 1952 movie, Honor y Gloria: La Vida de Roberto Ortiz, starring Ortiz as himself.

It's pretty cheesy, but it does have brief footage from actualy Cuban League games.

Ortiz died in Miami on Sept. 15, 1971 at the age of 56.