Alfredo A. Cabrera (May 11, 18811964) was a professional baseball

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

who played many years in the

Cuban League The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961. The schedule usually operated during the winter months, so the league was sometimes known a ...

. His nickname was ''Pájaro,'' which is Spanish for "Bird." Cabrera's career is particularly noteworthy because he became the first Spanish-born major leaguer and the first from the continent of Africa when he made his

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

debut for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

on May 16, 1913. He was hitless in two at-bats and never played in another MLB game. Cabrera played in the

from 1901 to 1920 and was elected to the

Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame The Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame (''Salón de la Fama del Béisbol Cubano'') is a hall of fame that honors eminent baseball players from Cuban baseball. Established in 1939 to honor players, managers, and umpires in the pre-revolution Cuban League ...

in 1942. He also managed in the Cuban League and won a championship in the winter of 1915/16 as manager of the Almendares team.Figueredo 2003, pp. 117–119, 485, 508.

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1881 births 1964 deaths Spanish emigrants to Cuba Cuban people of Canarian descent Sportspeople from the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Major League Baseball players from Spain St. Louis Cardinals players Major League Baseball shortstops Azul (baseball) players Nuevo Criollo players Almendares (baseball) players All Cubans players New Britain Perfectos players Almendares Park players Club Fé players Waterbury Spuds players Springfield Ponies players Springfield Tips players Worcester Busters players People from Tenerife {{Baseball-infielder-stub