Limonar Martinez tossed no-hitter for Marianao, starred with Havana Cubans

Nov. 5: On this day in 1918, Cuban League star Rogelio "Limonar" Martinez was born in Cidra, Matanzas, Cuba.

Martinez, who pitched for Almendares, Matanzas, Santiago, Alacranes, Marianao and Habana during eight Cuban winters between 1945-53, threw a no-hitter for Marianao during the 1949-50 Cuban League season.

Shown in this 1949-50 Alerta premium that's posted on Doug Goodman's Flickr photostream, Martinez only played one major-league season -- 1950 for the Washington Senators -- but he was a star for the minor-league Havana Cubans, compiling a 38-17 record with a 1.83 ERA in three seasons from 1947-50.

Daniel Morejon was Sugar Kings' Little World Series hero in 1959

July 21: On this day in 1930, Cuban League star Daniel Morejon was born in Havana, Cuba.

He played four seasons -- three with Almendares and and one with Habana -- from 1956-61.

According to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball: 1878-1961, Morejon was the Cuban League rookie of the year in 1956-57 after batting .330 for Almendares. The following winter he led the league with nine home runs. And in 1960-61, he led the league with 17 doubles.

As a member of the minor-league Cuban Sugar Kings, Morejon led the 1959 Little World Series in batting (.407), RBI, hits, runs and doubles as the Sugar Kings beat the Minneapolis Millers.

In that series, Morejon drove in the winning run in Games 6 and 7 for Havana.

Inaugural 1946 Havana Cubans lost Fla. International League playoffs

The 1946 La Ambrosia album of 50 cards -- each measuring 1 3/4 by 2 3/8 inches -- of the players of the inaugural Class C Florida International League.

They played for the Tampa Smokers, Lakeland Pilots, Miami Sun Sox, Miami Beach Flamingos, West Palm Beach Indians and the Havana Cubans, the first team in organized baseball from outside the United State or Canada.

Despite being stripped by the league of 17 victories because of "roster violations," according to Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961, the Cubans won a league-leading 76 regular-season games.

But in the playoffs, the West Palm Beach Indians beat the Cubans 3-games-to-2 in the semifinals and the Tampa Smokers went on to win the league championship.

This album brought a $446 bid at Cuban Baseball Cards in September 2010.

Conrado Marrero now oldest living former major-league player

With the death this week of former Brooklyn Dodgers infielder Tony Malinosky, Conrado Marrero apparently becomes the oldest living former major-league baseball players.

That's according to Baseball Reference and Bloomberg, among other sources.

Marrero, who was born April 25, 1911 in Sagua La Grande, Las Villas, Cuba, was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 after a long and stellar career in the amatuer and professional ranks in Cuba.

Marrero (shown in this photo from Cuban baseball historian Peter Bjarkman's story on the Havana Times website when Marrero turned 99 last year) played 13 professional seasons in the Cuban League, 10 with Almendares.

Among Marrero's accomplishments, Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961 lists:

• 9th all-time in Cuban League victories (69)
• Record for lowest ERA (1.12) and shutouts (eight) in a season (1947-48)
• MVP of the 1947-48 season
• 70-25 in three seasons from with the minor-league Havana Cubans between 1947-49

Despite all that, Marrero didn't make his major-league debut until April 21, 1950 at age 39, pitching for the Washington Senators until 1954, going 39-40 with a 3.67 ERA.

Marrero, Moreno were dominant for 1947 Havana Cubans

Havana Cubans program from the 1947 Florida International League season.

The 1947 Cubans won the then-Class C league championship, beating the Tampa Smokers by two games in the standings.

Havana included pitchers Connie Marrero and Julio Moreno. Marrero went 25-6 with a 1.66 ERA. Moreno went 19-4 with a 2.143 ERA.