Puerto Rico's Winter League: A History of Major League Baseball's Launching Pad

Since its inception in 1938, the Liga de Beisbol Professional de Puerto Rico has launched the careers of numerous island players, including Ruben Gomez, Jerry Morales, Orlando Cepeda, Vic Power, Ruben Sierra and the greatest of all Puerto Rican stars, Roberto Clemente. For many "imports," the league has been a stepping stone to major league stardom. In its early years, many of the league's stars came from the Negro leagues: Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Monte Irvin and Roy Campanella were just a few of the African American stars who graced the Puerto Rican diamonds in the 1940s and early 1950s. The Santurce outfield of 1954 featured one of the finest outfields in baseball history: Clemente, Willie Mays, and Puerto Rican star Bob Thurman. Through the mid-1980s, many major league teams sent their up-and-coming stars to Puerto Rico for a final bit of seasoning-Johnny Bench, Rickey Henderson, Phil Niekro, Hank Aaron and Robin Yount were among them. They played for such future league big league managers as Frank Robinson, Jim Fregosi and Kevin Kennedy, while the balls and strikes were called by Nestor Chylak, Doug Harvey, Dale Ford and many other future major league umpires.

Sports & Outdoors

Van Hyning, Thomas E.

Baseball

McFarland Publishing

The Santurce Crabbers from 1939 on: one of the most storied franchises in the Caribbean. Their first owner, Pedrin Zorrilla, was a visionary, with many Negro league and big league contacts. Zorrilla signed up such eventual Hall of Famers as Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Ray Dandridge and Leon Day during the team's first decade. Santurce was the most successful winter league team of the 1950s, with three Caribbean Series titles. Roberto Clemente, Ruben Gomez, Willie Mays, Willard Brown and Bob Thurman played for the Crabbers during those glory years. Tom Lasorda used to pitch for them. Santurce set up working agreements with the Giants, Orioles, Dodgers and Astros, among other teams. Earl Weaver and Frank Robinson were team managers and Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer, Reggie Jackson and Robin Yount were early-career Crabbers. Orlando Cepeda and Tony (Tany) Perez played their entire winter league careers with Santurce. Lee Smith, the Major Leagues' all-time saves leader, pitched for them. Juan Gonzalez and Jose Cruz, Jr., are two of the teams Puerto Rican stars in the 1990s.

The Santurce Crabbers : Sixty Seasons of Puerto Rican Winter League Baseball

Since its inception in 1938, the Liga de Beisbol Professional de Puerto Rico has launched the careers of numerous island players, including Ruben Gomez, Jerry Morales, Orlando Cepeda, Vic Power, Ruben Sierra and the greatest of all Puerto Rican stars, Roberto Clemente. For many "imports," the league has been a stepping stone to major league stardom. In its early years, many of the league's stars came from the Negro Leagues: Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Monte Irvin and Roy Campanella were just a few of the African American stars who graced the Puerto Rican diamonds in the 1940s and early 1950s. The Santurce outfield of 1954 featured one of the finest outfields in baseball history: Clemente, Willie Mays, and Puerto Rican star Bob Thurman. Through the mid-1980s, many major league teams sent their up-and-coming stars to Puerto Rico for a final bit of seasoning--Cal Ripken, Jr., Tony Gwynn, Johnny Bench, Rickey Henderson, Phil Niekro, Hank Aaron and Robin Yount were among them. They played for such future league big league managers as Frank Robinson, Jim Fregosi and Kevin Kennedy, while the balls and strikes were called by Nestor Chylak, Doug Harvey, Dale Ford and many other future major league umpires.

History

Americas

McFarland Company

The first owner of the Santurce Crabbers, Pedrin Zorrilla, was a visionary, with many Negro League and big league contacts (he signed up Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Ray Dandridge and Leon Day in the first decade). Santurce was the most successful winter league team of the 1950s, with three Caribbean Series titles. Roberto Clemente, Ruben Gomez, Willie Mays, Willard Brown and Bob Thurman played for the Crabbers. Tom Lasorda used to pitch for them. Santurce set up working agreements with the Giants, Orioles, Dodgers and Astros, among other teams. Earl Weaver and Frank Robinson were team managers; several Hall of Famers were early-career Crabbers. Orlando Cepeda and Tony (Tany) Perez played their entire winter league careers with Santurce.

The Santurce Crabbers: Sixty Seasons of Puerto Rican Winter League Baseball

Puerto Rico y el Béisbol: 60 Biografías representa los esfuerzos colaborativos de 46 autores y editores de la Sociedad para la Investigación del Béisbol Americano (SABR). Como se podría imaginar a partir del título, el libro contiene 60 biografías de jugadores - pero también tiene dos "biografías de parques" también. Y un artículo sobre los partidos de grandes ligas jugados en Puerto Rico, tanto los juegos de exhibición de entrenamiento de primavera como varios juegos de temporada regular desde el momento en que "Los Expos" incluyó a San Juan como sede. El béisbol en Puerto Rico tiene una larga historia, que se remonta al siglo XIX y ahora se extiende hasta el siglo XXI. Al final de 2016, hubo 323 jugadores nacidos en Puerto Rico o descendientes de nativos puertorriqueños que habían jugado en las grandes ligas. Pero hay miles de jugadores profesionales puertorriqueños que han jugado en el Caribe y otras ligas profesionales, incluyendo las ligas menores en los Estados Unidos.

Puerto Rico y el Béisbol: 60 Biografías (Leyendas del Beisbol) (Spanish Edition)

Wancho, Joseph

Costello, Rory

Fernández, Edwin

Hawks, Emily

Quevedo, Jane Allen

Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)

The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary year of Roberto Clemente’s final year in major-league baseball. “¡Arriba!”: The Heroic Life of Roberto Clemente celebrates his life and his baseball career. 
The first universally acknowledged Latino inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Clemente played every one of his 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He became the 11th player to reach the 3,000-hit milestone, finishing his final season by hitting number 3000 on the season’s last day. Named to 15 All-Star Game squads, Clemente also won 12 Gold Gloves, four batting titles, and was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1966. He was twice a World Series champion, winning with the Pirates in both 1960 and 1971. 
But off the baseball diamond, Clemente was known for his charitable work. He lost his life on the final day of 1972 while working to provide relief for victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. He was aboard a plane loaded with relief supplies—the fourth such plane he had helped to stock—and had decided to accompany the flight personally to ensure the supplies were reaching those in need of aid and not merely falling into the hands of profiteers. The plane crashed immediately after takeoff from Puerto Rico, a tragic loss for baseball and the world. 
This book is the collaborative work of 41 members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Examining Clemente’s baseball career, the book includes recaps of many of Clemente’s greatest games, as well as chapters on his relationship with the press, his connections to Nicaragua and players such as Monte Irvin, and his continuing effects on players from Latin America as a role model today.

¡Arriba!: The Heroic Life of Roberto Clemente (SABR All Stars)

Biographies & Memoirs

Nowlin, Bill

Elias, Robert

Kern, Thomas

Oliver, Tony S.

Rodríguez, Juan José

Historical

Society for American Baseball Research

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