Baseball’s roots in Cuba go back as far as the late 1800s. The Cuban Pro League launched in 1878. The eternal rivals Habana and Almandares acted as stalwarts as teams outside of Havana came and went and struggled to make a go financially.
Segregation was outlawed in Cuba in 1900 and baseball acted as a bridge to the Negro Leagues. This presented an opportunity for black Cubans to play in the U.S and vice Versa.
These ties with the Negro Leagues resulted in the creation of the Greatest Cuban Baseball Team Ever.
Get Inside the Dugout and learn how a small sugar harvesting town outside of Havana became the toast of the baseball world if only for one momumental season. A team that fielded one of the first all black lineups outside of the Negro Leagues and illustrated that those players could take on the world.
Powered by one of the greatest outfield duos in Alejandro Oms and Oscar Charleston they ran away from the pack.
Ultimately the history of the franchise would be up and down but would open the door to such luminaries as Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige to compete on the island of Cuba.
This is the story of the The Greatest Team Ever
This is the story of the Santa Clara Leopardos
Special Thanks and further readings
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sabr.org/journal/article/twic...
www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/te...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard...
www.amazon.ca/Last-Seasons-Ha...
www.amazon.ca/History-Cuban-B...
www.graigkreindler.com
www.nlbm.com
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