On this date in 1887, Amrando Marsans was born

Oct. 3: On this date in 1887, Armando Marsans was born in Matanzas, Cuba.

Marsans, along with Rafael Almeida, were the first Cuban-born players to play in the majors during the modern era -- Esteban Bellan played for the Troy Haymakers of the National Association in 1871 -- when they debuted on July 4, 1911 with the Cincinnati Reds.

Marsans batted .269 in eight major league seasons with the Reds, St. Louis Federals, St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees.

In the Cuban League, Marsans, elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, played 20 seasons, mostly with Almendares. He's the all-time league leaders in stolen bases and led the league with a .400 batting average in 1913.

He also led Orientals to the Cuban League pennant as manager in 1917.

Video: Habana vs. Cienfuegos, circa 1940s

Béisbol. from Memoria de Cuba on Vimeo.

Newsreel footage of a Cuban League game between Habana and Cienfuegos at Estadio La Tropical that appears to be some time between 1943-46 because at 1:22 Cuban great Adolfo Luque (wearing No. 32) is clearly visible coaching third base while wearing a Cienfuegos uniform. According to Jorge S. Figueredo's Who's Who In Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Luque managed Cienfuegos during the 1943-44, '44-45 and '45-46 seasons, leading the Elefantes to the 1945-46 pennant.

Cuban baseball has early ties to ... Fordham University

Listed among Fordham University's Archives and Digital Collections are several web pages dedicated to Cuban Baseball.

That's because Esteban Bellán, the first Cuban and Latino to play in major league baseball, during his time at Fordham (1863-1868), played for the newly created Fordham Rose Hill Baseball Club.

Bellán played from 1869-71 for the Troy Haymakers, who in 1871 joined the National Association, which became the National League in 1876. On Dec. 27, 1874, Bellán played in the first organized baseball game in Cuba. Bellán's Habana club beat Matanzas 51-9 at Estadio Palmar de Junco.

Also the Zaldo brothers, Charles, Henry, and Frederick; who were from Havana, Cuba, also were all enrolled as students at Fordham from 1875-1878. Upon returning to Cuba in 1878, the Zaldo brothers founded the Almendares Baseball Club.

Charles Zaldo, who according to Jorge S. Figueredo's book, Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, also was responsible was responsible for building Almendares Park, was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.

Outside of baseball, Zaldo became secretary of state in Cuba's first Constitutional cabinet in 1902.

Fifty-five years ago, Cuba watched World Series live for the first time

This year's Major League Baseball postseason hasn't even begun, but in 1955, the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers were already playing Game 4 of the World Series by Oct. 1.

And thanks to some "pioneering and innovative use of technology," fans in Cuba had been watching that epic World Series -- the Dodgers won their first and only Series title while calling Ebbets Field home -- unfold live on their television sets for the first time.

My father, then almost 16, was among the Cuban fans who watched the 1955 World Series live, including Cuban-born Dodger Sandy Amoros' series-saving catch during Game 7.

A blog post by Manuel Márquez-Sterling explains how the transmission was made possible:

"(long before satellite TV) engineers custom-equipped a Cubana Airlines DC-3 which flew a circular pattern between Key West and Havana, acting as a relay transmission station for the live TV signal. The airplane took off a half hour before the game and remained airborne throughout, flights lasting about three hours."

And later on a NASA website, I found the above high-resolution version of the schematic diagram in Márquez-Sterling's blog post.

According to the NASA website:

"Equipment aboard the airplane received video signals from television stations in Miami and retransmitted them to a station belonging to a Cuban television network with coverage over a large part of the country (audio signals were transmitted separately by cable and shortwave)."

Monte Irvin's memory 'treasure trove' includes Cuba playing days

Link to Chicago Tribune writer Phil Long's column on Monte Irvin, who played for Almendares between 1947-49.

In it, Irvin, 91, who now lives in Houston, talks about his playing days in Cuba, Fidel Castro and Cuban Hall of Famer Martin Dihigo.

A Negro leagues star with the Newark Eagles, was a candidate to break Major League Baseball's color barrier before the Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson.

On this date: Luis Tiant - not the one you think - was born

Aug. 27: On this date in 1906, Luis Tiant was born.

If you're thinking that was way too long ago even for a pitcher whose age was often in question when he pitched in the major leagues, that's because we're talking about Luis Tiant Sr.

The father of popular Boston Red Sox right-hander Luis Tiant Jr., was a Cuban League and Negro Leagues star in his own right.

The left-handed throwing Tiant Sr., elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, pitched for Cuba, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Regla, Habana, Almendares and Marianao during 15 Cuban League seasons between 1926 and 1947, compiling a 42-59 record.

In the Negro Leagues, he played for the Cuban Stars, Cuban House of David and the New York Cubans.

And of course, Tiant Sr., and his wife, Isabel Vega, gave the baseball world their son, Luis Jr., who went on to compile a 229-172 record with a 3.30 ERA in 19 major league seasons with the Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Angels.

Despite those impressive numbers -- and some grassroots and online efforts -- Tiant Jr. hasn't reached the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, falling short of the needed notes in 15 years of voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America from 1988 to 2002.

Tiant Jr., however, did join his father in the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame with his election in 1997.

If you've never seen it, Lost Son of Havana, the 2009 documentary about Tiant Jr.'s first visit to Cuba in 46 years, is terrific. Aside from Tiant Jr.'s return to Cuba, it touches on Tiant Sr.'s career and, of course, his attendance at the 1975 World Series, in which Tiant Jr. pitched three games, winning Games 1 and 4.

Tiant Sr. died Dec. 2, 1976.

1943 Amateur World Series: México vs. Cuba

México vs. Cuba. Serie Mundial Amateur. (1943) from Memoria de Cuba on Vimeo.

Newsreel footage of the 1943 Amateur World Series played at Estadio La Tropical between Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Panama. These images show a game between Cuba and Mexico. Cuba won the Series with a 9-3 record.