100 years ago today: Armando Marsans, Rafael Almeida made their major-league debuts for Reds

One hundred years ago today, as America celebrated Independence Day, Cuban-born Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida made their major-league debuts for the Cincinnati Reds.

Although Esteban Bellan had played for the Troy Haymakers of the National Association in 1871, Marsans and Almeida were the first Cuban-born players to play in the majors during the modern era.

According to Retrosheet, Marsans (shown above with the Reds in this 1913 photo found at the Library of Congress) played right field and went 1-for-2. Almeida (shown below in this 1912 T207 card) also went 1-for-2 at third base.

NPR did an interesting report Monday, entitled Light-Skinned Cubans Cross Baseball's Color Line.

Marsans would go on to play for the Reds, St. Louis Terriers, St. Louis Browns and Yankees during eight major-league seasons from 1911-18.


Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, Marsans played for Almendares, Habana, Orientals and Cuba during 21 winters from 1905-28 and ranks first in Cuban League history in stolen bases (135), according to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961.

He also managed nine seasons in the Cuban League with Almendares, Orientals, Cuba and Marianao, winning a pennant in 1917 with Orientals.
Almeida, who was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, only played three major-league seasons with the Reds from 1911-13.

But in the Cuban League, he played 17 seasons for Habana and Almendares from 1904-35.

1908 Cincinnati Reds went 5-5 in games vs. Almendares, Habana

The 1908 Cincinnati Reds team at Almendares Park in Cuba.

This photo was posted at Agate Type, a website which describes itself as "adventures in baseball archeology."

The site identifies the players as: (standing, left to right) Miller Huggins, John Kane, Ducky Pearce, manager Frank Bancroft, Larry McLean, Dick Hoblitzell, Mike Mitchell and (seated, left to right) Bob Spade, Billy Campbell, Jean Dubuc, Rudy Hulswitt and Hans Lobert.

According to Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961, the Reds lost four of five games against Almendares with the Blues winning 1-0, 2-1, 4-2 and 3-0 as Cuba's Jose Mendez recorded 25 consecutive scoreless innings in three appearances and picked up a pair of victories.

Cincinnati fared much better against Habana, winning four of five games.

Chapman likely to start in minors; Reds have history of Cuban debuts

Looks like the back injury Aroldis Chapman sustained this spring will force him to start the season in the minors, delaying the 22-year-old Cuban defector's debut with the Cincinnati Reds.

As potentially important as Chapman's debut could be for the 2010 Reds, the team was involved in a more historically significant debut ... in 1911.

That was the season Armando Marsans (top row, second from left) and Rafael Almeida (bottom row, first from left) debuted in the major leagues, playing their first games on July 4 for the Reds.

Marsans and Almeida (shown with the 1913 Reds in this Library of Congress photo) were the first Cuban-born players to play in the majors during the modern era (Esteban Bellan first played for the Troy Haymakers of the National Association in 1871).

The debut of Marsans and Almeida, of course, was before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947. But despite their light skin, the Reds had to assuage doubts about the pair's racial heritage, insisting that Marsans and Almeida were "two of the purest bars of Castilian soap ever floated to these shores."

Marsans and Almeida aren't the Reds' only Cuban connection. Among them:

• Cuban Baseball Hall of Famer Adolfo Luque, whose 194 victories ranks second behind Luis Tiant among Cuban-born major league pitchers, played for the Reds from 1918-29 during his 20-year career.


• The International League's Havana Sugar Kings were the Reds' Triple-A affiliate from 1955-60.


• Hall of Fame first baseman Tony Perez was a key cog in The Big Red Machine teams that won the World Series in 1975 and 1976.