Emilio Sabourín del Villar (1854 – July 15, 1897) was a

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

second baseman and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

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 ...

and member of 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 ...

Life and career

Sabourín organized the first baseball championship in Cuba's history on December 31, 1874 in

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas (Spanish ''Bahia de Matanzas''), east ...

. In 1878, he helped organize the

Habana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

club, which would go on to win the

's inaugural championship. Sabourín, who would eventually take over as manager, continued as a player with Habana through the 1887 season, as the club won-seven straight championships. Remaining Habana's manager, Sabourín acquired future Cuban Baseball Hall of Famers

Valentín González Valentín González González (4 November 1904 – 20 October 1983), popularly known as ''El Campesino'' (the Peasant), was a Spanish Republican military commander during the Spanish Civil War. Life Spanish Civil War Born in Malcoc ...

and

Carlos Royer Carlos "Bebe" Royer (1874 – death date unknown) was a Cuban baseball pitcher in the Cuban League and Negro leagues. He played from 1892 to 1910 with several Cuban ballclubs. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame The Cuban Baseball ...

from amateur clubs in an effort to restock the club after multiple desertions. By 1892, Habana had won their ninth championship in 11 years.Figueredo, p. 26. He fought in the

Cuban War of Independence The Cuban War of Independence (), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). The final three months ...

and was arrested by

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in 1896 on charges of being implicated in the stealing of ammunition from the government. While serving a 12-year (or 22-year) sentence, Sabourín died in 1897 in a prison in

Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territorie ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. He was elected to the

in 1941.

References

Cuban League players Negro league baseball managers Habana players People of the Cuban War of Independence 1854 births 1897 deaths {{Cuba-baseball-bio-stub