Cubans in MLB and Negro League All-Star Games.

The traditional Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game will take place next Tuesday, July 16th at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

The traditional Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game will take place next Tuesday, July 16th at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

On this occasion, 32 players received the popular vote for the first time and 13 for the third consecutive time. In addition, 27 players from Latin America were selected, including ten from the Dominican Republic, eleven from Venezuela, three from Puerto Rico, two from Mexico and one from Cuba (Yordan Álvarez).

These games, which mark half of the official MLB schedule each season, officially began on July 6th, 1933 at Comisky Park Stadium, home of the Chicago White Sox major league team.

The first to win was the American League team, which won by four touchdowns to two for the National League team.

Nearly 50 Cuban players have participated in these programs and in those of the now-recognized Negro Leagues, most of them on several occasions, with the record attendance of eight Cuban players.
with a record eight in attendance at last year’s game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

The eight, who began their baseball careers in our National Series, are: Yandy Díaz, Randy Arozarena, Yenier Cano, Yordan Álvarez, Luis Robert, Adolis García, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jorge Soler.

In the list of the governing body of the sport in the United States, the Cubans chosen in different seasons have been:
Orestes Miñoso, in thirteen appearances, (added the Negro Leagues); Tony Oliva, eight; with seven each, Camilo Pascual, Aroldis Chapman and Atanasio «Tany» Pérez; they add six, Dagoberto «Bert» Campaneris and José Canseco.

They were followed by Leonardo Cárdenas and Octavio «Cookie» Rojas with five appearances, Miguel Cuéllar and Rafael Palmeiro with four, and José Abreu and Luis Luis «Cookie» Rojas with three times, José Abreu and Luis Tiant, (son); nine others with two and 21, were there at least once.

Orestes «Minnie» Miñoso, from Matanzas, was the first Cuban to participate in an MLB All-Star Game, on July 10th, 1951.
The game was held at the Detroit Stadium. His record of thirteen appearances in these games, added to the two he had in the
Negro Leagues, must be eternal. Conrado Marrero was also selected for that game, but did not participate.

From this group Miñoso, Oliva, Tany Pérez and Martín Dihigo are part of the Baseball Hall of Fame that resides in Cooperstown, United States and in other Halls, among them the one in Palmar de Junco, Matanzas. Many of the names that appear in this group have also been recognized in Matanzas.

CUBANS IN THE N.L. ALL-STAR GAMES

As in the Major Leagues, the Negro League All-Star Games began in 1933 at Chicago Stadium,but on different dates and lasted until 1962.

They were known as the East-West Showdown, to differ somewhat from those of the MLB, which in those years did not allow black players to play in its tournaments.

There was a Cuban presence in these clashes starting in 1935, when New York Cubans players Martin Dihigo, Alejandro Oms and Luis Tiant (father) were selected.

We must clarify that many stellar black Cuban or American players were already retired or had died in 1933, as in the cases of the Creoles José de la Caridad Méndez, Bienvenido Jiménez, Bartolo Portuondo, Cristóbal Torriente, among the most outstanding players of the beginning of the 20th century.

The list of Cubans that could be kept in the archives of that League is perhaps not the most complete, because there were occasions,
especially between 1954 and 1962, in which they did not report the participation of foreigners.

Below is the list of Cubans:

-1933 and 1934, no participation.
-1935, Martín Dihigo, Alejandro Oms and Luis Tiant, Sr.
-1936-1937 and 1938, no Cubans.
-1939, Cando López.
-1940, Alejandro Crespo.
-1941, none
-1942, Heberto Blanco.
-1943 and 1944, none
-1945, Martín Dihigo and Rogelio «Mantecao» Linares.
-1946, Silvio García and Fernando «Bicho» Díaz.
-1947, Silvio García, José Luis Colás, Claro Duany, Orestes Miñoso, Luis Tiant and José María Fernández, assistant… Record of most players.
-1948, Orestes Miñoso and José Luis Colás.
-1949, Pedro Formental, «Bicho» Pedroso and Orlando Varona.
-1950, none.
-1951, José Luis Colás and Gilberto Varona.
-1952, Manuel Valdés and Gilberto Varona.
-1953, Juan Armenteros and Frank «Panchón» Herrera.

-1954 and until 1959 there is no information about these Games.

–1960, The matancero Paulino Casanova, last Cuban.
-1961 and 1962, there is no information on the participation of foreigners.

Written by Francisco Soriano Bermúdez.