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#1
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Great info and research Jason! I don't have any cards of these players (maybe a w514 Ad Luque), but I will share a short story about Jose Acosta.
Acosta pitched briefly for the 1917 Vancouver Beavers in the Northwestern League. I say briefly since the Northwestern League's 1917 season was shortened by United Stated entry into World War I. Acosta was not the only player on the team to "break the color barrier" that season. A "dark-skinned" Chinese Hawaiian shortstop Vernon Ayau was traded amongst Seattle Giants, Tacoma Tigers, and finally landed on the Vancouver Beavers roster. I believe Ayau moved to New Jersey in 1918. A Cuban pitcher and Hawaiian shortstop integrating a Pacific Northwest baseball league, the game was far more global that many know prior to WW1.... |
#2
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Ty
I love the story. It never ceases to amaze me how the color line really was only concerned with one color -black. Mexicans, Cubans, Asians and Native Americans were all allowed in while blacks were not. It seems like these groups all faced the same type of racism in almost ever part of life except in Major League Baseball |
#3
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Here's a photo (that I do not own) of the 1914 Cubans team:
Top Row (L-R): Francisco Munoz (P), Santiago Dominguez (OF), Tomas Romanoch (SS), Juan Viola (OF), Henriquez (1B), Ricardo Torres (C), Fidelio Hungo (2B), Rochlin (OF). Bottom Row (L-R): Luis Padron (P), Manuel Jimenez (C), Tomas Calvo (OF), Angel Aragon (3B), Jose Acosta (P), Manuel Baranda (1B). The team's leading hitters were Angel Aragon and Juan Viola, who hit .443 and .420, respectively. |
#4
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I own this postcard which is the same as the photo above. Long Branch is embossed in the lower right. Same image is in a Reach or Spalding Guide of the same era.
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#5
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Just wanted to give an update on my attempts to collect the Long Branch Cubans
Since I last posted I have cards of Tomas Calvo, Ricardo Torres and photos of Fidelo Hungo (top photo)and Luis Padron (bottom) The Padron photo is an item that I never thought I would be able to get. Padron is an unknown star who probably integrated a number of minor leagues, hit over .300 in the minors, got signed by at least two major league clubs and got elected to the Hall of Fame in Cuba |
#6
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Update
A bit of an update on my Long Branch Collection. Over the past year I have stumbled on to a couple of nice items. Most importantly I think I may have found the only example of a Ramon Herrera auto on a baseball. Its on a team ball for the 1926 Richmond Colts. Also I have added a 1919 Dolf Luque type one photo and a cut auto. I have had to settle for Helmar art card of Tomas Romanach (if anyone has any leads to actual vintage item I would be thankful) I have also added a Mike Gonzalez strip car and branched items from the teams second generation with a Havana team sheet circa 1951 with Gilberto Torres (son of Ricardo) and a post card of Angel Aragon Jr (who played one game with the Giants). As always would love to see any items from this team
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#7
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I wrote a story about the Long Branch Cubans' shortstop, Tomas Romanach. Before he retired in the early 1920's, Tomás Romañach would have several flirtations with the Major Leagues, be one of the few men to play in both the white minor leagues and the Negro leagues and would be remembered as being one of the best shortstops in outsider baseball.
Romanach was repeatedly courted by the Cincinnati Reds, but he never would report. His friend Armando Marsans told reporters that Romanach was afraid he would not make good and be humiliated. You can read the story HERE |
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