Fermin Guerra starred as a player and mananger in Cuban League

Oct. 9: On this date in 1992, Fermin Guerra died.

Guerra, shown in this premium from the 1943-44 La Campaña Cubana set, was elected into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

Named league MVP for the 1949-50 season, Guerra played for Habana, Marianao and Almendares (13 seasons) from 1934-55.

He also managed for 12 seasons, piloting Almendares to back-to-back Cuban League pennant in 1948-49 and 1949-50. He also managed Almendares to the Caribbean Series title in 1949

Guerra batted .242 in nine major league seasons with the Washington Senators, Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox.

Cuban magazine highlighted black players in the major leagues

Cover of a Cuban paper-bound book entitled El Negro en el Beisbol Norteamericano, "Blacks in North American Baseball."

The book, one of a series of four from 1953-56 that was auctioned by Leland's in June 2005, included articles and photos highlighting great former Negro leagues players in the majors.

On this 1956 cover, Cuban star Minnie Miñoso is shown sliding into home plate.

Heberto, Carlos Blanco: Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame brothers

Oct 7: On this date in 1920, Heberto Blanco was born. Blanco played for Santa Clara, Habana (eight seasons) and Marianao between 1940-51 and was elected into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Blanco is part of an impressive Cuban baseball family. His brother, Carlos Blanco, played for Marianao, Santa Clara, Almendares, Cuba and Habana between 1935-51 and was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame along with his brother.
Heberto and Carlos' half-brothers, Carlos and Federico De Souza also played in the Cuban League, although neither had Hall of Fame careers.

Negro leagues star Oscar Charleston also starred in Cuban League

Oct. 6: On this date in 1954, Oscar Charleston died.

The Negro leagues star also was a star in the Cuban League, playing seven seasons between 1920-30 for Bacharach, Santa Clara, Almendares, Habana, Cuba and Marianao.

Elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, Charleston -- according to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961 -- tops the all-time Cuban League list in career batting average (.360). He twice led the league in batting average and twice led the league in stolen bases.

This photo is from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's eMuseum website.

Charleston, who was born Oct. 14, 1896, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. in 1976.

1959 Junior World Series: Havana Sugar Kings vs. Minneapolis Millers

Partido de béisbol. from Memoria de Cuba on Vimeo.

Many thanks to a reader of this blog from Cuba. He alerted me to this amazing video from a Cuban newsreel of the 1959 Junior World Series between the Havana Sugar Kings of the International League and the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. The series took place in the months following Fidel Castro's rise to power on Jan. 1, 1959. Just the next season, the Sugar Kings were forced to relocate to Jersey City because the revolution put a chill on U.S.-Cuba relations. The newsreel shows Castro in attendance at Havana's Gran Stadium as the Sugar Kings rally in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 to win the Series. The video is posted at vimeo.com. Hopefully, there will be others to come.

Sandy Amoros' catch saved 1955 World Series

Oct. 4: On this date in 1955, Sandy Amoros saved Game 7 of the World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Amoros is best remembered for what was the defining moment of the 1955 World Series (shown in this Life magazine photo on the right), his running, one-handing catch of Yogi Berra's drive down the left field line.

With the Dodgers up 2-0 in the decisive Game 7, Amoros came in as a defensive replacement in left field to start the sixth inning. After the first two Yankee batters of the inning reached base, the left-handed hitting Berra sliced toward the left-field corner for an apparent double that would have tied the game.

Instead, Amoros raced toward the line, extending his gloved right hand at the last instant to snare the drive. He then threw back to the infield, where a relay throw by Pee Wee Reese doubled Gil McDougald off first base.

The Dodgers got the final out of the inning without surrendering a run and would go on to win the franchise's only World Series title in Brooklyn.

Never more than a part-time player in seven major-league seasons, Amoros was a star in the Cuban League with Almendares and Habana and was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978.

Amoros, who went on to live in Tampa, Fla., after his playing days, suffered from diabetes, and doctors amputated part of his left leg in September 1987. Amoros died in Miami, Fla., on June 27, 1992, at age 62.

During a 2008 interview, Glorida Mayor, the widow of Cuban baseball legend Agapito Mayor recounted the friendship between Amoros and her husband while the two former players lived in Tampa.

Mayor adored Amoros. He helped him a lot. Amoros was in Tampa for 11 years, and for 11 years Mayor was fighting to help Amoros. When they amputated his leg we were with him in the hospital. Mayor would go every day to the hospital. Mayor would buy his groceries, buy him food until his daughter took him back to Miami. He died in Miami. Mayor loved Amoros, even though there was a big age difference. Amoros started playing just as Mayor was finishing his playing career. But he was so fond of Amoros and Amoros was so fond of Mayor. Amoros used to say that Mayor was his brother. One of the last times, he saw Amoros, Mayor went to get Amoros at his home and took him to the stadium to one of the Cuban legends games. Amoros had a prosthetic leg. He found Amoros and took him to the stadium. Mayor would never leave Amoros behind.

On this date in 1887, Amrando Marsans was born

Oct. 3: On this date in 1887, Armando Marsans was born in Matanzas, Cuba.

Marsans, along with Rafael Almeida, were the first Cuban-born players to play in the majors during the modern era -- Esteban Bellan played for the Troy Haymakers of the National Association in 1871 -- when they debuted on July 4, 1911 with the Cincinnati Reds.

Marsans batted .269 in eight major league seasons with the Reds, St. Louis Federals, St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees.

In the Cuban League, Marsans, elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, played 20 seasons, mostly with Almendares. He's the all-time league leaders in stolen bases and led the league with a .400 batting average in 1913.

He also led Orientals to the Cuban League pennant as manager in 1917.