Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Latinos in Baseball...

Esteban Enrique Bellan & Roberto Clemente

No story has remained more hidden than that of Latinos and baseball.
The integration of Latino players into major league baseball is amazing. Today 44% of players are of Latino decent. The Latinos have been playing baseball since the Taínos of Puerto Rico in Camuy, and the original inhabitants of Mexico and Central America. The first Latino in professional baseball was Esteban Enrique Bellan, who played for the Troy Haymakers way back in 1871. Bellan was from Cuba, born in 1850, and played only three years as an infielder. From 1900 through World War I, 17 Latinos, mostly from Cuba, also became part of the expansion to join the majors.

The most notable Latino player during that period was Adolfo Luque (the Pride of Havana), who was an outstanding pitcher for 20 years with a lifetime record of 193 wins and 179 losses. He is also remembered for being the oldest pitcher to win a game in the World Series, at the ripe age of 43, as a member of the New York Giants. This period produced many great immortals, such as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Cy Young, They are all pioneers of the game and in the Hall of Fame. As of now there are 7 Latinos in the hall of fame. Hall of fame.

♥ Roberto Clemente -Puerto Rico
♥ Martín Dihigo –Cuba
♥ Juan Marichal - República Dominicana(Santo Domingo)
♥ Luis Aparicio –Venezuela
♥ Rod Carew – Panamá
♥ Orlando Cepeda - Puerto Rico
♥ Tony Pérez – Cuba

The greatest right-fielder of all time was fellow Boriqua Roberto Clemente who played for Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-1972. His career ended when he died in a plane crash while on a humanitarian mission delivering supplies to earth quake ravaged Nicaragua.



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