Puerto Rico and Baseball: 60 Biographies (Latino Baseball Legends)

Baseball in Puerto Rico has a long history, dating back to the nineteenth century and now extending into the twenty-first. As of the end of 2016, there have been 323 players born in Puerto Rico or descended from Puerto Rican natives who have played in the major leagues. But there are thousands of Puerto Rican professional players who have played in the Caribbean and other professional leagues, including the minor leagues in the United States.As one might imagine from the title, Puerto Rico and Baseball: 60 Biographies contains 60 biographies of players — but it also has two “ballpark bios” and an article on major-league games played in Puerto Rico, both spring training exhibition games and several regular-season games from the time when “Los Expos” included San Juan as their home base.This book highlights some of the pioneers who played in the Negro Leagues before the color line was broken, right up through Ivan Rodriguez, elected in 2017 to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In reading this book you will get to know Perucho, who was compared with Ty Cobb and called the Babe Ruth of Puerto Rico; why Pancho Coimbre was considered one of the best hitters; the story of the great Roberto Clemente; who was “el Divino Loco,” the first pitcher to win a major-league game on the Pacific Coast; who was “El Jibaro”; and even the great achievements of the man who was possibly the most complete catcher who ever stepped on a diamond.This book also represents the collaborative efforts of 46 authors and editors from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).Contents:Introduction, Edwin FernandezRoberto Alomar, Chris JonesSandy Alomar, Sr., Irv GoldfarbSandy Alomar, Jr., Joe WanchoLuis arroyo, Rory CostelloBenny Ayala, Rory CostelloCarlos Baerga, Joe WanchoJuan Beniquez, Jonathan arnoldCarlos Bernier, Charles F. FaberHiram Bithorn, Jane Allen-QuevedoBobby Bonilla, Mark SouderIvan Calderon, Dan PotterJohn Candelaria, Steve WestOrlando Cepeda, Mark armourPedro "Perucho" Cepeda, Edwin FernandezRoberto Clemente, Stew ThornleyFrancisco "Pancho" Coimbre, Joseph GerardAlex Cora, Scott CummingsJoey Cora, Alan CohenJose "Cheo" Cruz (Dilan) Sr., Jane Schupmann HewittJose Luis Cruz, Thomas BrownIvan DeJesus, Sr., Richard CuicchiCarlos Delgado, Paul HofmannEduardo Figueroa, Rory CostelloRuben Gomez, Thomas Van HyningJuan Gonzalez, Edwin FernandezJose Hernandez, Marlene VogelsangRoberto Hernandez, Alan Cohen with Matt MerulloWillie Hernandez, Gary GilletteSixto Lezcano, Brian WoodJavy Lopez, Kyle EatonMike Lowell, Bill NowlinCandido Maldonado, Tom HawthornFelix Mantilla, Rick SchabowskiLuis "Canena" Marquez, amy EssingtonEdgar Martinez, Emily HawksOrlando Merced, Justin CabreraFelix Millan, Jane Allen-QuevedoBengie Molina, John VorperianWillie Montanez, Chuck JohnsonRoger Moret, Seamus KearneyJaime Navarro, Gregory H. WolfJulio Navarro, Rory CostelloLuis Olmo, Rory CostelloJose A. Pagan, Bill JohnsonJuan Pizarro, Rory CostelloJorge Posada, Scott DominiakVic Power, Joe WanchoJim Rivera, Richard SmileyIvan Rodriguez, Steve WestRey Sanchez, Bill NowlinBenito Santiago, Thomas BrownJose G. "Pantalones" Santiago, Edwin FernandezJose R. Santiago, Edwin Fernandez and Bill NowlinRuben Sierra, Adam J. UlreyDanny Tartabull, Charles F. FaberDickie Thon, Bob LeMoineJose Valentin, Steven SchmittJavier Vazquez, Norm KingJose Vidro, Mark S. SternmanBernie Williams, Rob Edelman Read more