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Baseball with a Latin Beat: A History of the Latin American Game *Winner of MacMillan-SABR Award (1994) for "Best Baseball Research Book of the Year" "With its intimate portrait of the top Latino stars, its detailed history of Latinos in the majors and baseball's evolution in Latin American countries, and its detailed historical appendices, this book is the unrivaled definitive history of the Latino invasion of the North American pastime."—Anonymous reviewer on www.amazon.com webpage Since Cuba's Esteban Bellan made his debut for the Troy Haymakers of the National Association in 1871, Latin Americans have played a large role in the major leagues. Nearly 15 percent (1994) of big league rosters are made up of Latinos, while the region's colorful and competitive winter leagues have been a proving ground for up-and-coming major league players and managers. Early Latin American stars were barred purely because of the color of their skin from playing in the major leagues. Players such as Jose Mendez and Martin Dihigo (the only player elected to the U.S., Cuban and Mexican halls of fame) made their marks on the Negro leagues, turning the circuit's barnstorming tours into major attractions in many Caribbean countries. The history of the players and events that make up the rich tradition of Latin American baseball gives a unique insight to this long-neglected area of baseball.  Chapter 7 of Baseball with a Latin Beat uncovers the pioneering yet forgotten integration role of black Cubans like Tommie de la Cruz, who cracked MLB's racial barriers before Jackie Robinson's celebrated 1947 debut season.  Cuban baseball historians meet in May 2006 at Havana's popular Blue Lion Bar (Bjarkman at top center) |
 Cuban League Baseball Cards (1987)  Cristobal Torriente, Cuban Negro leagues hall-of-famer  Available either from www.amazon.com or from www.mcfarlandpub.com  Martin Dihigo, Cuba's "Greatest player"  Fidel Castro, during legendary July 1959 pitching exhibition |
