Bobby Bragan was winningest American manager in Cuba

Oct 30: On this day in 1917 Almendares manager Bobby Bragan was born in Birmingham, Ala.

Bragan, right, shown with Orestes "Minnie" Miñoso in a photo that was up for auction on Cuban Baseball Cards Auction, was the winningest American manager in Cuban League history, leading Almendares to 164 victories in four seasons between 1952-58. Almendares won the pennant in the 1953-54 and 1954-55 seasons with Bragan at the helm.

Bragan, who was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, died Jan. 21, 2010 so the longtime Texas Rangers special assistant never got to see the team reach the first World Series in its history.