Havana Cubanos
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Havana Sugar Kings 1946–1960 Havana, Cuba |
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| League | International League (1954–1960) | ||
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Previous leagues
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Florida International League (1946–1953) | ||
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| League titles |
IL: 1 (1959) FIL: 2 (1947, 1948) |
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Previous names
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Havana Sugar Kings (1954–1960)
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Previous parks
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Gran Stadium | ||
Havana Sugar Kings (1954–1960)
The Havana Sugar Kings were a Cuban-based minor league baseball team that played in the Class AAA International League from 1954 to 1960. They were affiliated with Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds, and their home stadium was El Gran Estadio del Cerro (sometimes called Gran Stadium) in Havana, Cuba.
The Sugar Kings began life in 1946 as the Havana Cubans, founded by Washington Senators scout Joe Cambria. They played in the old Class C (later Class B) Florida International League. The 1947 Cubans were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time. In 1954, Roberto "Bobby" Maduro bought the team, moved it to the International League, and renamed it the Sugar Kings. Several talented Cuban players and other Latinos who eventually made it to the Major Leagues donned the Sugar Kings uniform, including Luis Arroyo, Pompeyo Davalillo, Tony González, Cookie Rojas, Elio Chacón, Danny Morejón, Preston Gómez, Leo Cárdenas, and Mike Cuellar.
Fidel Castro was a long-time baseball fan and often attended Sugar Kings games at Gran Stadium. In fact, Castro had been a pitcher during his days at the University of Havana. Soon after taking power, he pledged to underwrite the Sugar Kings' debts. In an exhibition contest between his own pickup squad Los Barbudos ("The Bearded Ones") and a military police team prior to a game between the Sugar Kings and the Rochester Red Wings on July 24, 1959, Castro pitched two innings. He ended up with two strikeouts.
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Wikipedia