Habana (Cuban League)

Last updated
Habana
Habana baseball logo.svg Habana baseball cap insignia.svg
Team logoCap insignia
Information
League Cuban League (1878–1961)
Ballpark Estadio del Cerro (1946–1961)
Established1878
Folded1961
Nickname(s)Leones (Lions)
League championships30 (1878–89, 1879–80, 1882–83, 1885, 1885–86, 1887, 1889, 1889–90, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1908–09, 1912, 1914–15, 1918–19, 1920–21, 1921, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1932–33, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53)
Caribbean Series championships1 (1952)
ColorsRed and white
  

The Habana B.B.C. also known as the Habana Reds or, later, the Leones del Habana was one of the oldest and most distinguished baseball teams in the old Cuban League, which existed from 1878 to 1961. Habana, representing the city of Havana, was the only team to play in the league every season of its existence and was one of its most successful franchises. In their early history they were known by their colors as the Reds; later they adopted the names of Leones or Lions. Throughout their existence they had a famous rivalry with Almendares.

Contents

Habana won 30 Cuban League championships (more than any other club) and one Caribbean Series (in 1952). [1]

History

1878–1899

In the first Cuban League season, played during the winter of 1878–79, the Habana'a captain (or playing manager) was Esteban Bellán, who had played professionally in the United States. At the time, Habana and other clubs in the league were amateur sporting clubs. Every team played 4 games (all played on Sundays and holidays). Habana went undefeated and was awarded a silk flag, also each of the winning players received a silver medal. [2]

Habana went on to repeat its championship in 1879–80. The league did not play the next winter, and the following winter the season was terminated early without a champion. Thus, the next full season was 1882–83, and Habana again won the championship. After another winter without play, Habana won its fourth consecutive championship in 1885, with Ricardo Mora replacing Bellán as manager. The following winter, 1885–86, brought Habana its fifth consecutive championship, this time with an undefeated record of 6–0 and with Francisco Saavedra as manager. Adolfo Luján emerged as their ace pitcher, with 5 complete-game victories. He kept it up the following season, pitching another 5 victories as Habana won its sixth consecutive championship in 1887. The next season Habana was finally dethroned, as they finished in second place to Fe. [3]

In 1889 Habana came back and regained the championship, going 16–4 in a season that had grown to 20 games. Luján pitched 10 victories, including a shutout over Progreso to clinch the pennant. The next winter, 1889–90, the Reds eked out their eighth victory in nine seasons, with a 14–3 record that placed them 2 games ahead of runner-up Fe. The following winter, 1890–91, brought Habana's first losing season, when they lost several of their star players to other teams as professionalism crept into the league. The next year Habana was able to lure back its deserters and regained the championship (their ninth in 11 seasons). Alfredo Arcaño led their hitters with a .361 average and a league-leading 3 home runs and 3 triples. The next two winters (1892–93 and 1893–94), Habana finished second (11–12) and third (13–11), despite strong offense from Arcaño, Valentín González, and Miguel Prats. [4]

The winter of 1894–95, with the Cuban War of Independence underway, the Spanish government halted the season after violence broke out at a game between Habana and Almendares. Habana was leading the race by 4 games when the season was called. The next two winters, no baseball was held as war raged. However, in the winter of 1897–98, even though the war was still in full force, the Spanish government allowed the season to be played in the capital. The season again was terminated early, this time when the war broke out with the United States. Habana was in second place when the season ended, though no champion was declared. The next winter, peace had returned under the U.S. military occupation, and Habana won another championship, going 9–3 with Alberto Azoy as the new manager. Rookie pitcher José Romero went 5–2, and González led the league in batting (.414) and triples (3). [5]

1900–1933

The 1900 season brought integration to the Cuban League, as a new team, San Francisco, consisting of black players won the championship, beating Habana by 3 games. In the 1901 season, Carlos Royer emerged as Habana's new pitching ace with a record of 12–3, leading Habana back to the championship. The following season, Royer set a new standard as he pitched complete game victories in all of the 17 games played by Habana, including 3 shutouts, and never allowing more than 5 runs. His teammate, Luis Padrón, led the offense, leading the league with a .386 batting average, 4 triples, and 2 home runs. The next season, Habana won its third straight championship with Royer going 21–12. The season was decided in the last inning of a 5-game playoff with Fe, when Habana scored 3 runs to come back from a 5–3 deficit. First baseman Julián Castillo led the league in average (.330), hits (37), and triples (4), and tied for the lead in home runs (2). In 1904 Habana won its fourth title, with Royer going 13–3. [6]

Caribbean Series record

YearVenueFinishWinsLossesWin%Manager
1951 Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg Caracas 2nd42.667 Flag of Cuba.svg Mike González
1952 Flag of Panama.svg Panama City 1st51.833 Flag of Cuba.svg Mike González
1953 Flag of Cuba.svg Havana 2nd33.500 Flag of Cuba.svg Mike González

Notable players

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolf Luque</span> Cuban baseball player (1890-1957)

Adolfo Domingo De Guzmán "Dolf" Luque was a Cuban starting pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1914 to 1935. Luque was enshrined in the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957 and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1967, as well as in the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985. Luque was not only the first White Hispanic pitcher in MLB, but also the first to win a World Series victory, and the first to lead the Leagues in wins and shutouts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike González (catcher)</span> Cuban baseball player

Miguel Angel González Cordero was a Cuban catcher, coach and interim manager in American Major League Baseball during the first half of the 20th century. Along with Adolfo Luque, González was one of the first Cubans or Latin Americans to have a long off-field career in the U.S. Major Leagues.

The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961. The schedule usually operated during the winter months, so the league was sometimes known as the "Cuban Winter League." It was always a small league, generally 3 to 5 teams, and was centered in Havana, though it sometimes included teams from outlying cities such as Matanzas or Santa Clara. The league became racially integrated in 1900, and during the first half of the 20th century the Cuban League was a premier venue for black and white players to meet. Many great black Northern American players competed in Cuba alongside native black and white Cuban stars such as José Méndez, Cristóbal Torriente, Adolfo Luque, and Martín Dihigo. After 1947, the Cuban League entered into an agreement with Major League Baseball and was used for player development. Following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, however, tensions rose with the new Communist government, and in March 1961 the government decreed the abolition of professional baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Cabrera</span> Spanish baseball player (1881-1964)

Alfredo A. Cabrera was a professional baseball shortstop who played many years in the Cuban League. His nickname was Pájaro, which is Spanish for "Bird."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Calvo</span> Cuban baseball player (1894-1965)

Jacinto "Jack" Calvo González was born Jacinto Del Calvo in Havana, Cuba. He was an outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1913 and 1920. He played in 34 games, had 56 at bats, 10 runs, 9 hits, 1 triple, 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 3 walks, a .161 batting average, a .203 on-base percentage, a .250 slugging percentage, 67 total bases and 19 sacrifices. He died in Miami, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armando Marsans</span> Cuban baseball player (1887-1960)

Armando Marsans Mendiondo was a Cuban professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1918. He played in three different major leagues in his career: with the Cincinnati Reds in the National League (1911–1914), with the St. Louis Terriers in the Federal League (1914–1915), and with the St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees (1916–1918).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernardo Baró</span> Cuban baseball player

Bernardo Baró was a Cuban professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and the Cuban League. Primarily an outfielder, he also played some games as a pitcher or an infielder. He played for the Cuban Stars (West) and the Cuban Stars (East) in the Negro leagues and Almendares, San Francisco Park and Habana in the Cuban League from 1915 to 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Rodríguez (infielder, born 1894)</span> Cuban baseball player

José Rodríguez, nicknamed "Joseíto" or "El Hombre Goma" in Spanish and "Joe" in English, was a Cuban infielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1916 to 1918 and in the Cuban League from 1914 to 1939. In the majors, he played for the New York Giants and was primarily a second baseman, while in the Cuban League and the U.S. minor leagues he mostly played first base. A defensive specialist, according to Roberto González Echevarría, Rodríguez "was considered the best defensive first baseman in Cuba" of his time. He was also a long-time manager in the Cuban League and managed for one season in the minors. He was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro Dibut</span> Cuban baseball player

Pedro Dibut Villafana was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1924 and 1925. In 1923 Dibut played for the Cuban Stars (West) in the Negro National League, one of several white Cubans who played in both Negro league baseball and in the then-segregated major leagues.

The Leopardos de Santa Clara were a Cuban professional baseball team based in Santa Clara, Cuba. Founded in 1922, they played in the Cuban League from 1922 to 1925, from 1929 to 1930, and from 1935 to 1941. Although they competed for only 11 seasons, they won league championships in four regular seasons and in one "special season." According to Cuban League historian Jorge S. Figueredo, the 1923/24 team, which went 36–11 and won the championship by 11+1⁄2 games, is "considered as the most dominant team in the history of Cuban baseball."

Club Fé was a Cuban baseball team based in Havana in the Cuban League. It played in 1882, 1885, from 1887 to 1890, and again from 1901 to 1914.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio María García</span> Cuban baseball player (1868-1923)

Antonio María García Callaghan, nicknamed "El Inglés", was a Cuban baseball catcher in the Cuban League. He played from 1882 to 1905 with several Cuban ballclubs, including Almendares, the Fe club, Habana, and the All Cubans. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moisés Quintero</span> Cuban baseball player

Moisés Quintero Cavada was a Cuban baseball catcher in the Cuban League and Negro leagues. He played from 1887 to 1904 with Habana, Progreso, Almendares, the All Cubans, and Club Fé. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfredo Arcaño</span> Cuban baseball player

Alfredo Arcaño was a Cuban baseball left fielder in the Cuban League. He played from 1888 to 1909 with several ballclubs, mostly with the Habana club. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1940.

Manuel Alfonso was a Cuban baseball first baseman and outfielder in the Cuban League. He played from 1897 to 1907 with several teams, including Almendares, Azul, and Habana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel Prats</span> Cuban baseball player

Miguel Prats was a Cuban baseball rightfielder in the Cuban League and Negro leagues. He played from 1888 to 1908 with several teams, including Progreso, Almendares, Azul, Club Fé, All Cubans, Cuban Stars (West), Habana, and Matanzas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel Scull</span> Cuban baseball player

Angel Scull Saez was a Cuban professional baseball outfielder. Listed at 5' 8", 165 lb., he batted and threw right handed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emilio Sabourín</span> Cuban baseball player and manager

Emilio Sabourín del Villar was a Cuban baseball second baseman and manager in the Cuban League and member of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame.

Matanzas was a Cuban baseball team in the Cuban League based in Matanzas. They first played in the league's inaugural season of 1878, then played in the league from 1888 to 1890, 1892–1894, and in 1907–1908.

Alfredo Arango was a Cuban baseball player in the Cuban League who played with Almendares from 1885 to 1887 and Habana in 1890-1891.

References

  1. ↑ "Liga Profesional Cubana de Béisbol (1878-1961)". Baseball de Cuba (in Spanish). 29 September 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Figueredo, Jorge S. (2003). Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878–1961. McFarland & Company. pp. 5–7. ISBN   0-7864-1250-X.
  3. ↑ Figueredo, Jorge S. (2003). Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878–1961. McFarland & Company. pp. 7–18. ISBN   0-7864-1250-X.
  4. ↑ Figueredo, Jorge S. (2003). Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878–1961. McFarland & Company. pp. 18–31. ISBN   0-7864-1250-X.
  5. ↑ Figueredo, Jorge S. (2003). Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878–1961. McFarland & Company. pp. 31–36. ISBN   0-7864-1250-X.
  6. ↑ Figueredo, Jorge S. (2003). Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878–1961. McFarland & Company. pp. 37–53. ISBN   0-7864-1250-X.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.