Matanzas was a Cuban baseball team in the Cuban League based 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 ...

. They first played in the league's inaugural season of 1878, then played in the league from 1888 to 1890, 1892–1894, and in 1907–1908.

Franchise history

In the 1878 season, Matanzas finished in last place between Almendares and

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.

with a 0–3 record. During a game on January 26, 1879, the club lost to Habana 36–26, with the 60 total runs the most combined runs by both teams in league history. Matanzas returned to the league for 1888, finishing in third place behind Club Fé and Habana with a 4–11 record. The following year the ended the season with a record 6-14, finishing in fourth place behind Habana, Fé and Cárdenas.

Román Calzadilla Román Calzadilla was a Cuban baseball catcher in the Cuban League. He played for 11 seasons from 1889 to 1902 for Matanzas, Progreso, Aguila de Oro, Habana and Fiesta. He was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame The Cuban Baseball H ...

, a future 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 ...

, would begin his career with Matanzas in 1889. The club operated as "Matancista" during the winter of 1890, ending up in last place among five teams with a 4–12 record. Among their players were

Alfredo Crespo Alfredo (, ) is a cognate of the Anglo-Saxon name Alfred and a common Italian, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish language personal name. People with the given name include: *Alfredo (born 1946), Brazilian footballer born as Alfredo Mostarda Fi ...

, who led the league in hitting with a .375 batting average and

Esteban Prats Esteban Prats was a Cuban baseball first baseman in the Cuban League and Negro leagues. He played from 1889 to 1909 with several teams, including the Almendares, Azul, All Cubans, Cuban Stars (West) The Cuban Stars were a team of Cuban profess ...

. Rejoining the league for the winter of 1892, Matanzas finished in first place with a 14–9 record. Calzadilla batted .371, while Enrique Garcia won all six of his appearances. The team dropped to second place in 1893, and withdrew from the 1894 season early on March 7, 1895 after starting the season 1-19. The team would return in the winter of 1907, and ended up in last place with a 8–35 record. Two future Cuban Baseball Hall of Famers, Gonzalo Sánchez and

Juan Violá Juan Violá (1883–1919) was a Cuban baseball player in the Cuban League, Negro leagues and the minor leagues. He played from 1902 to 1915 with several ballclubs, including Almendares, the Habana club, the Long Branch Cubans, and the Jacks ...

played for the club. The club withdrew from the Cuban League during the 1908 season on February 2, 1909 after a 4–15 start, and would not return to the league. George McQuillan, then a member of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

, and

Biff Schlitzer Victor Joseph "Biff" Schlitzer (December 4, 1884 – January 4, 1948) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Philadelphia Athletics (1908–09) and Boston Red Sox (1909) of the American League, and with the Buff ...

, then for the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

, both pitched for Matanzas during its final season.

Notes

References

* Defunct baseball teams in Cuba Cuban League teams {{Cuba-baseball-team-stub

Franchise history

See also

Notes

References