May 9: On this day in 1998, Cuban League star catcher Rafael Noble, who was born in Central Hatillo, Oriente, Cuba, died in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, Noble is the all-time home run leader in Cuban League history with 71 and ranks fourth in career RBI with 378, according to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961. He led the league with 10 home runs in 1953-54.
Between 1942-61, Noble (shown with legendary Cuban singer/musician Benny Moré) played 18 Cuban League seasons, 14 with Cienfuegos.
After helping Cienfuegos win the Cuban League championship in 1955-56, Noble led the team to victory in the Caribbean Series, batting .400 to lead the series.
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