Napoleon Reyes led Marianao to 1958 Caribbean Series championship

The managers for the 1958 Caribbean Series, which was won by Cuba, represented by Club Marianao and managed by Napoleon Reyes (third from the left).

Another Cuban, Regino Otero (left), managed Venezuela's entry, Valencia, which finished last in the Series.
Puerto Rico (Caguas) was managed by Ted Norbert (second from the left) and Panama (Carta Vieja) was managed by Billy Shantz (right).

This photo was part of a lot that was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auction in January 2011.

1955-56 Cuban League season belonged to Oscar Rodriguez' Cienfuegos club

 

The four managers of the 1955-56 Cuban League season. From left to right:

Napoleon Reyes (Marianao), Conrado Marrero (Almendares), Adolfo Luque (Habana) and Oscar Rodriguez (Ciefuegos).

This photo was up for auction at CubanBaseballCards.com in September 2010.

With Rodriguez at the helm, Cienfuegos won the Cuban League pennant, finishing six games ahead of Marianao and Habana. Almendares finished 10 games back in last place.

Pitchers Camilo Pascual and Pedro Ramos paced the Elefantes, winning 25 of Cienfuegos' 40 victories.

Napoleon Reyes on the field and as a manager in the Cuban League

A 1947-48 Kellogg’s Corn Flakes postcard featuring Napoleon Reyes.

Reyes, who died on this day (Sept. 15) in 1995 died in Miami, Fla., was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Aside from playing for Almendares and Cienfuegos of the Cuban League, Reyes was the player-manager for the Cuba entry of the Players Federation League, which played at La Tropical Stadium concurrently with the official Cuban League.

As a manager in the Cuban League, he led Marianao to back-to-back pennants from 1956-58, leading those Tigres teams to Caribbean Series titles in 1957 and ‘58.

Reyes aldo was the minor league Havana Sugar Kings manager in 1960, when the team relocated midseason to Jersey City.

Napoleon Reyes was a player-manager in short-lived Players Federation League

Nov. 24: On this day in 1919 Napoleon Reyes was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, Reyes is shown here in a 1947-48 Sol de Oro premium that was part of a lot that brought a winning bid of $479 at Leland's in 2006.

Reyes was the player-manager for the Cuba entry of the Players Federation League, which played at La Tropical Stadium concurrently with the official Cuban League.

With Reyes batting .227, Cuba finished second, four games behind Leones and two games ahead of Alacranes. The Santiago entry withdrew from the league on Dec. 15, 1947, according to Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961.

Although the league only lasted the one season, it includes some of the top winter league players in Cuba, such as Max Lanier, Sal Maglie, Roberto Ortiz, Luis Olmo, Alejandro Crespo, Sandalio Consuegra, Adrian Zabala, Hector Rodriguez, Terris McDuffie, Fred Martin, Agapito Mayor and Avelino Cañizares.

Aside from Reyes, the other managers in the league Adolfo Luque (Alacranes), Salvador Hernandez (Leones) and Lazaro Salazar (Santiago).