Almendares' Sam Jethroe twice led Cuban League in stolen bases

 June 16: On this day in 2001, Sam Jethroe died in Erie, Penn.

Jethroe, who played for the Cleveland Buckeyes -- among other teams -- in the Negro leagues, and for the Boston Braves (1950-52) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1954) in the majors, played three seasons in Cuba.

He played for Almendares in 1947-48 and 1948-49, leading the Cuban League in stolen bases both seasons with 22 and 32 steals, respectively, according to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961. And his 1948-49 squad won the Cuban League pennant. He also played for Cienfuegos in 1954-55.

In the majors, Jethroe, at age 32, became the oldest rookie of the year when he won the award in 1950 with the Braves.

Jacinto Calvo ranks eighth in Cuban League history in batting (.308)

June 15: On this day in 1965, Cuban Baseball Hall of Famer Jacinto Calvo died.

Calvo was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948 after 14 winters in Cuba with Almendares, Habana, Orientals and Marianao from 1913-27, including nine-plus seasons with Habana.

According to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Calvo (shown in this 1926-27 for the Aguilitas Cigarette card) ranks eighth in Cuban League history with a .308 batting average.

He played only two major-league seasons: 1913 and 1920 for the Washington Senators, compiling a .161 average with four RBI in 34 games.

Don Newcombe's memories of playing in Cuba were less than fond

June 14: On this day in 1926, Don Newcombe was born in Madison, N.J.

A former Dodgers pitcher, Newbombe played two winters in the Cuba: 1946-47 with Matanzas and 1948-49 with Marianao and Almendares, going a combeind 1-4 in nine appearances.

More importantly, Newcombe was with Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Roy Partow as members of the Montreal Royals team that conducted spring training in Cuba with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 as Robinson was preparing to break Major League Baseball's color barrier.

In this screen-grab from a Cuban newsreel, Newcombe is shown as a member of the Cincinnati Reds during a Reds-Dodgers spring training game in Havana in 1959.

Unlike many other players, Newcombe (shown as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in this screen-grab from a Cuban newsreel of Reds-Dodgers spring training game in 1961) didn't have the fondest of memories about playing in Cuba.

In a 1997 interview, Newcombe described the trouble he had in the Cuban League in 1948-49:

Mike Guerra, Fermin Guerra, a former catcher with the Athletics, he was the manager of the Almendares team at that time. I was down there playing in the winter league. He sent me home. It was my fault. I was a brash 19-year-old, 18-year-old. He sent me home because I couldn't get the ball over the plate and I walked everbody I faced.

And he described the difficulties Robinson and his black Royals teammates faced when they found themselves segregated not only from the Dodgers but from their white Royals teammates.

"We all stayed in a seedy, downtown Havana hotel, where we were obligated to stay because we couldn't stay with the Montreal team out at the [Havana] miltary academy where they were training."

Hector Rodriguez tops several Cuban League career batting lists

June 13: On this day in 1920, Cuban League star Hector Rodriguez was born in Alquizar, Havana, Cuba.

Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, Rodriguez played 19 seasons: 13 for Almendares, five for Habana and one with Alacranes.

Rodriguez tops the Cuban League career list in runs (574), hits (1,237), triples (79) and RBI (522), according to Who’s Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961. He’s also tied for first in doubles (130) and third stolen bases (111).

Named Cuban League rookie of the year in 1942-43, Rodriguez (shown in this 1949-50 Alerta premium) is the only player in league history to amass more than 1,000 career hits.

Satchel Paige counted Santa Clara among his many teams

June 8: On this day in 1982, Negro leagues legend and Hall of Famer Satchel Paige died in Kansas City, Mo.

Paige, who played in the Negro leagues from 1926-50 and played six major-league seasons with the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns and Kansas City Athletics between 1941-58, played just one seasons in the Cuban League.

According to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Paige (shown in this photo that drew a winning bid of  $925.77 at Lelands in December 2004) went 6-5 for the 1929-30 Santa Clara Leopardos, which finished second, six 6 1/2 games behind Cienfuegos for the Cuban League pennant.

Paige was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. in 1971 by a vote of the Negro Leagues Committee.

Adolfo Luque, Miguel Gonzalez: Iconic Cuban League managers

Adolfo Luque (left) and Miguel Angel Gonzalez (right) during their managerial days with a man identified as Rene Canizares at Tropical Stadium in Havana.

Iconic Cuban League players, Luque and Gonzalez were both iconic Cuban League managers as well.

According to Who’s Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Luque ranks second in Cuban League history in victories (705) and pennants won (11) behind Gonzalez, who holds the league record for seasons (35), games 1,525), victories (851) and pennants won (14).

This photo, part of The Sporting News Archive collection, was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in April 2011.

Merito Acosta was a player, manager and team owner in Cuban League

June 2: On this day in 1896, Cuban League star Baldomero "Merito" Acosta was born in Havana, Cuba.

Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955, Acosta (left, with Adolfo Luque) played for Havana, Red Sox, Almendares and Marianao in 12 Cuban League seasons from 1913-25. He also managed Marianao for six seasons, winning the Cuban League pennant in 1922-23.

He played five major-league seasons, four with the Washington Senators.

According to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Acosta, who was also part owner of Marianao and, later, the Havana Cubans of the Florida International League, is the only player to pull off an unassisted triple play as an outfielder on Dec. 2, 1918.