Sandalio Consuegra put up solid pitching numbers in the Cuban League, majors

Sept. 3: On this day in 1920, Cuban League star and former major-league pitcher Sandalio Consuegra was born in Potrerillo, Las Villas, Cuba.

Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, Consuegra pitched for Marianao, Santiago, Leones and Cienfuegos during nine winters in Cuba from 45-58.

According to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Consuegra (shown in this 1949-50 Alerta premium) won 13 games twice: 13-8 with Santiago and Leones of the Players Federation League in 1948-49 and 31-12 with Marianao of the Cuban League in 1949-50.

Despite a 3.64 career ERA in Cuba, Consuegra had just a 52-55 record in Cuba.

In the major leagues, he pitched eight seasons with Senators, White Sox, Orioles and Giants from 1950-57, compiling a 51-32 record with a 3.37 ERA.

His best season in the majors came in 1954 when he went 16-3 with a 2.69 ERA with the White Sox and made the American League All-Star team.

Throughout 1950s Washington had several Cuban Senators

 

Bucky Harris (fourth from the left), the Hall of Fame manager for the Washington Senators, with five of his Cuban players during the 1951 season.

This photo was up for auction at Mears Monthly Auctions in April.

The players (from left to right) are Fermin "Mike" Guerra, Conrado "Connie" Marrero, Willy Miranda, Harris, Sandalio "Sandy" Consuegra, and Julio Moreno.

Thanks to scout Joe Cambria, there was a veritable pipeline of baseball talent from Cuba to the Senators in the 1950s.