Antonio Ordeñana Rodríguez 'Or-deh-nyahna''(October 30, 1918 – September 29, 1988), nicknamed "Mosquito", was a

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), ...

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 wh ...

who appeared in one game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1943. The 5'9", 158 lb. rookie was a native of

Guanabacoa Guanabacoa is a colonial township in eastern Havana, Cuba, and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) of the city. It is famous for its historical Santería and is home to the first African Cabildo in Havana. Guanabacoa was briefly the capital ...

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 ...

. He was born on October 30, 1918, in Guanabacoa, Havana, Cuba. Ordeñana is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. His

major league debut 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), ...

was on October 3, 1943, and he was in the starting lineup at home against the Philadelphia Phillies for the last game of the season. The Pirates lost the game 11–3, but Ordeñana went 2-for-4 and drove in all three runs against starter and winner Roger McKee. Ordeñana truly was a "one-game wonder"...excellent in the field as well as with the bat. He recorded two putouts, five assists, no errors, and participated in one double play. Ordeñana died at the age of 69 in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

External links

Retrosheet
Major League Baseball shortstops Major League Baseball players from Cuba Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Pittsburgh Pirates players Concord Nationals players 1918 births 1988 deaths Morristown Red Sox players Baseball players from Havana {{cuba-baseball-shortstop-stub