The Habana B.B.C. also known as the Habana Reds or, later, the Leones del Habana was one of the oldest and most distinguished baseball teams in the old Cuban League, which existed from 1878 to 1961. Habana, representing the city of

Havana 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.

, was the only team to play in the league every season of its existence and was one of its most successful franchises. In their early history they were known by their colors as the Reds; later they adopted the names of ''Leones'' or Lions. Throughout their existence they had a famous rivalry with Almendares. Habana won 30 Cuban League championships (more than any other club) and one Caribbean Series (in

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

History

1878–1899

In the first Cuban League season, played during the winter of 1878–79, the Habana'a captain (or playing manager) was

Esteban Bellán Esteban () is a Spanish male given name, derived from Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos) and related to the English names Steven and Stephen. Although in its original pronunciation the accent is on the penultimate syllable, English-speakers tend t ...

, who had played professionally in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. At the time, Habana and other clubs in the league were amateur sporting clubs. Every team played 4 games (all played on Sundays and holidays). Habana went undefeated and was awarded a silk flag, also each of the winning players received a silver medal. Habana went on to repeat its championship in 1879–80. The league did not play the next winter, and the following winter the season was terminated early without a champion. Thus, the next full season was 1882–83, and Habana again won the championship. After another winter without play, Habana won its fourth consecutive championship in 1885, with Ricardo Mora replacing Bellán as manager. The following winter, 1885–86, brought Habana its fifth consecutive championship, this time with an undefeated record of 6–0 and with Francisco Saavedra as manager.

Adolfo Luján Adolfo Luján was a Cuban baseball pitcher in the Cuban League. He played for eight years (1882–1891). He played with the Habana club. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame The Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame (''Salón de la Fama d ...

emerged as their ace pitcher, with 5 complete-game victories. He kept it up the following season, pitching another 5 victories as Habana won its sixth consecutive championship in 1887. The next season Habana was finally dethroned, as they finished in second place to Fe. In 1889 Habana came back and regained the championship, going 16–4 in a season that had grown to 20 games. Luján pitched 10 victories, including a shutout over Progreso to clinch the pennant. The next winter, 1889–90, the Reds eked out their eighth victory in nine seasons, with a 14–3 record that placed them 2 games ahead of runner-up Fe. The following winter, 1890–91, brought Habana's first losing season, when they lost several of their star players to other teams as professionalism crept into the league. The next year Habana was able to lure back its deserters and regained the championship (their ninth in 11 seasons). Alfredo Arcaño led their hitters with a .361 average and a league-leading 3 home runs and 3 triples. The next two winters (1892–93 and 1893–94), Habana finished second (11–12) and third (13–11), despite strong offense from Arcaño,

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

Miguel Prats Miguel Prats (1871 – death date unknown) was a Cuban baseball rightfielder in the Cuban League and Negro leagues. He played from 1888 to 1908 with several teams, including Progreso, Almendares, Azul, Club Fé, All Cubans, Cuban Stars (West), ...

. The winter of 1894–95, with 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 ...

underway, the Spanish government halted the season after violence broke out at a game between Habana and Almendares. Habana was leading the race by 4 games when the season was called. The next two winters, no baseball was held as war raged. However, in the winter of 1897–98, even though the war was still in full force, the Spanish government allowed the season to be played in the capital. The season again was terminated early, this time when the war broke out with the United States. Habana was in second place when the season ended, though no champion was declared. The next winter, peace had returned under the U.S. military occupation, and Habana won another championship, going 9–3 with

Alberto Azoy Alberto Azoy (died September 18, 1952) was a Cuban baseball manager in the Cuban League. He managed several teams, including Habana and Club Fé Club Fé were a Cuban baseball team in the Cuban League based in Havana. They played in 1882, 1885, f ...

as the new manager. Rookie pitcher José Romero went 5–2, and González led the league in batting (.414) and triples (3).

1900–1933

The 1900 season brought integration to the Cuban League, as a new team, San Francisco, consisting of black players won the championship, beating Habana by 3 games. In the 1901 season,

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 ...

emerged as Habana's new pitching ace with a record of 12–3, leading Habana back to the championship. The following season, Royer set a new standard as he pitched complete game victories in all of the 17 games played by Habana, including 3 shutouts, and never allowing more than 5 runs. His teammate,

Luis Padrón Luis "El Mulo" Padrón Otorena (ca. 1878 – 1939) was a Cuban baseball player in the Negro leagues and Cuban League. Padron played from 1902 to 1917 with several Cuban ballclubs, including Habana, San Francisco, Club Fé, San Francisco Par ...

, led the offense, leading the league with a .386 batting average, 4 triples, and 2 home runs. The next season, Habana won its third straight championship with Royer going 21–12. The season was decided in the last inning of a 5-game playoff with Fe, when Habana scored 3 runs to come back from a 5–3 deficit. First baseman

Julián Castillo Julián Castillo Calderón de la Barça (January 23, 1880 - December, 1948) was a Cuban baseball first baseman in the Cuban League and Negro leagues. Castillo played from 1899 to 1914 with several Cuban League ballclubs, including Almendares (bas ...

led the league in average (.330), hits (37), and triples (4), and tied for the lead in home runs (2). In 1904 Habana won its fourth title, with Royer going 13–3.

Caribbean Series record

Notable players

* Vicente Amor *

Sandy Amorós Edmundo "Sandy" Amorós Isasi (January 30, 1930 – June 27, 1992) was a Cuban left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. Amorós was born in Matanzas. He both batted and threw left- ...

* Alfredo Arcaño *

Lorenzo Cabrera Lorenzo Cabrera (born April 30, 1920), nicknamed "Chiquitín", is a Cuban former professional baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occu ...

Martín Dihigo Martín Magdaleno Dihigo Llanos (May 25, 1906 – May 20, 1971), called The Immortal, was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played in Negro league baseball and Latin American leagues from 1923 to 1936 as a two-way player, both as a pitche ...

Tommy Fine Thomas Morgan Fine (October 10, 1914 – January 10, 2005) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in 23 games for the Boston Red Sox () and St. Louis Browns (). The native of Cleburne, Texas, stood tall and weighed . He was a ...

Andrés Fleitas Andrés Fleitas lei'-tasz(November 8, 1916 – December 18, 2011) was a professional Cuban baseball catcher and first baseman. Listed at 5' 11", 175 lb., he batted and threw right handed. Born in Las Villas Province, Fleitas came from a b ...

Pedro Formental Pedro Formental (April 19, 1915 – September 15, 1992) was a Cuban professional baseball outfielder in the Mexican League, Negro leagues and in the Cuban League. He played from 1943 to 1955 with several teams. He was selected to the 1949 E ...

Bert Haas Berthold John Haas (February 8, 1914 – June 23, 1999), was a professional baseball player who played first base in the Major Leagues from 1933 to 1951. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and ...

Spider Jorgensen John Donald "Spider" Jorgensen (November 3, 1919 – November 6, 2003) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1947 through 1951 for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947–50) and New York Giants (1950–51). Jorgensen made his MLB de ...

Lou Klein Louis Frank Klein (October 22, 1918 – June 20, 1976) was an American professional baseball player, manager, coach and scout. During his active career he was an infielder in the Major Leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians and P ...

Alejandro Oms Alejandro Oms Cosme (March 13, 1896 – November 5, 1946) was a Cuban center fielder in Negro league baseball and Latin American baseball, most notably with the Cuban Stars (East). Born in Santa Clara, Las Villas, he died at age 51 in Havana. ...

Lázaro Salazar Lázaro Salazar Vázquez (February 4, 1912 – April 25, 1957) was a Cuban baseball outfielder, pitcher, and manager in the Negro leagues and the Mexican League. He played from 1924 to 1952 with several clubs, including the Cuban Stars (West), ...

* Luis Tiant * Hilario Valdespino *

Adrián Zabala Adrián Zabala Rodríguez (August 26, 1916 – January 4, 2002) was a Cuban-born professional baseball pitcher. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants in 1945 and 1949. The , left-hander was a native of ...

References

External links

Franchise history at Seamheads.comCuban Baseball Hall of FameCuban Baseball site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Habana (Cuban League) Defunct baseball teams in Cuba Baseball in Havana Cuban League teams