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The Pride of Havana: A History of Cuban Baseball
From the first amateur leagues of the 1860s to the exploits of Livan and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, here is the definitive history of baseball in Cuba. Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria expertly traces the arc of the game, intertwining its heroes and their stories with the politics, music, dance, and literature of the Cuban people. What emerges is more than a story of balls and strikes, but a richly detailed history of Cuba told from the unique cultural perch of the baseball diamond.
Filling a void created by Cuba's rejection of bullfighting and Spanish hegemony, baseball quickly became a crucial stitch in the complex social fabric of the island. By the early 1940s Cuba had become major conduit in spreading the game throughout Latin America, and a proving ground for some of the greatest talent in all of baseball, where white major leaguers and Negro League players from the U.S. all competed on the same fields with the cream of Latin talent. Indeed, readers will be introduced to several black ballplayers of Afro-Cuban descent who played in the Major Leagues before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier once and for all. Often dramatic, and always culturally resonant, Gonzalez Echevarria's narrative expertly lays open the paradox of fierce Cuban independence from the U.S. with Cuba's love for our national pastime. It shows how Fidel Castro cannily associated himself with the sport for patriotic p.r.--and reveals that his supposed baseball talent is purely
mythical. Based on extensive primary research and a wealth of interviews, the colorful, often dramatic anecdotes and stories in this distinguished book comprise the most comprehensive history of Cuban baseball yet published and ultimately adds a vital lost chapter to the history of baseball in the U.S.
Filling a void created by Cuba's rejection of bullfighting and Spanish hegemony, baseball quickly became a crucial stitch in the complex social fabric of the island. By the early 1940s Cuba had become major conduit in spreading the game throughout Latin America, and a proving ground for some of the greatest talent in all of baseball, where white major leaguers and Negro League players from the U.S. all competed on the same fields with the cream of Latin talent. Indeed, readers will be introduced to several black ballplayers of Afro-Cuban descent who played in the Major Leagues before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier once and for all. Often dramatic, and always culturally resonant, Gonzalez Echevarria's narrative expertly lays open the paradox of fierce Cuban independence from the U.S. with Cuba's love for our national pastime. It shows how Fidel Castro cannily associated himself with the sport for patriotic p.r.--and reveals that his supposed baseball talent is purely
mythical. Based on extensive primary research and a wealth of interviews, the colorful, often dramatic anecdotes and stories in this distinguished book comprise the most comprehensive history of Cuban baseball yet published and ultimately adds a vital lost chapter to the history of baseball in the U.S.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Roberto González Echevarría
64 books29 followersRoberto González Echevarría is Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature at Yale.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 19, 2021
This is an interesting subject but the prose is pretty dry. The author understanbly tries to preserve the legacy and accomplishments of the many talented Cubans who played professional baseball in the first half of the century. But most of the early chapters come across as summaries of box scores and (sadly incomplete) statistical analysis.
The real flaw of this book is that most of the best living subjects of this book were beyond the author's reach, even though many of them were living just a 100 miles south of Florida.
The book is more interesting when he discusses Castro and the revolutionary baseball era. His final summary of the various players who managed to make it north after 1959 is well worth reading.
I can probably spare you a read by telling you the most surprising factoid in the whole book. The oft told tale about how Fidel Castro almost made it to the majors is a complete myth. There is only a written record of a single organized game in which he played-he pitched for his law school's team in a game against a medical school that was written up in the papers. Fidel was a great fan of the sport and did much to maintain its status as Cuba's national sport. But he was never a serious prospect. So we have that in common, at least.
The real flaw of this book is that most of the best living subjects of this book were beyond the author's reach, even though many of them were living just a 100 miles south of Florida.
The book is more interesting when he discusses Castro and the revolutionary baseball era. His final summary of the various players who managed to make it north after 1959 is well worth reading.
I can probably spare you a read by telling you the most surprising factoid in the whole book. The oft told tale about how Fidel Castro almost made it to the majors is a complete myth. There is only a written record of a single organized game in which he played-he pitched for his law school's team in a game against a medical school that was written up in the papers. Fidel was a great fan of the sport and did much to maintain its status as Cuba's national sport. But he was never a serious prospect. So we have that in common, at least.
April 6, 2019
Ever watch the “Remembering Some Guys” videos on Deadspin? They are a delight, if you actually remember some of the players that they discuss. I’d imagine that they are tedious and uninteresting to viewers who don’t remember any of the players.
Pride of Havana succeeded in broadening my understanding of the twisty and bumpy history of baseball in Cuba. But too often, it read like a recitation of names and an attempt to draw wild conclusions about mundane and minor things. Many chapters are “Remembering Some Guys,” but gone horribly wrong.
There has got to be a more efficient way to learn about Cuban baseball.
Pride of Havana succeeded in broadening my understanding of the twisty and bumpy history of baseball in Cuba. But too often, it read like a recitation of names and an attempt to draw wild conclusions about mundane and minor things. Many chapters are “Remembering Some Guys,” but gone horribly wrong.
There has got to be a more efficient way to learn about Cuban baseball.
July 10, 2010
Libro sobre base ball cubano. Historia del Baseball en la Isla, por Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria, 2008. Este libro detalla la evolucion de la pelota profesional, la amateur, la semipro, y la de los centrales azucareros a lo largo del periodo republicano que se cierra en 1959.
Entre los momentos culminantes de esa historia se destacan las serires mundiales amateur de principios de los años cuarenta, y las series del Caribe que se inician en 1949.
Las hazañas de figuras legendarias como Jose de la Caridad Mendez, Adolfo Luque, Martin Dihigo, Cristobal Torriente, Ramon Bragaña, Agapito Mayor, Conrado Marrero, Orestes Miñoso, Julio Jiqui Moreno, y otros.
El libro cierra con un capitulo dedicado al deporte durante la Revolución Cubana, que incluye mención y comentarios de la labor de peloteros que han logrado destacarse en las Ligas Mayores, tales como El Duque Hernández y Rey Ordoñez.
Entre los momentos culminantes de esa historia se destacan las serires mundiales amateur de principios de los años cuarenta, y las series del Caribe que se inician en 1949.
Las hazañas de figuras legendarias como Jose de la Caridad Mendez, Adolfo Luque, Martin Dihigo, Cristobal Torriente, Ramon Bragaña, Agapito Mayor, Conrado Marrero, Orestes Miñoso, Julio Jiqui Moreno, y otros.
El libro cierra con un capitulo dedicado al deporte durante la Revolución Cubana, que incluye mención y comentarios de la labor de peloteros que han logrado destacarse en las Ligas Mayores, tales como El Duque Hernández y Rey Ordoñez.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews