Marianao (baseball)

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The Marianao baseball club played in the Cuban Professional League from the 1922–1923 season through to the 1960–1961 season. The club represented the populous town of Marianao in Havana and played their games at La Tropicana Stadium, official site of the league.[1]

History

According to some baseball historians, the Elefantes de Marianao (Marianao Elephants) was the first nickname used by the team.

Habana, Santa Clara and Marianao. Indeed, Marianao players are wearing a uniform that shows the head of a white elephant on dark background.[2]

At some point, the team wore gray uniforms and was recognized as the Marianao Frailes Grises (Grey Monks),[2] probably a nickname based on the color of the robes of the Dominican and Augustinian monks that founded Marianao in 1719.[4] Then, in 1948 the franchise was renamed as the Tigres de Marianao (Marianao Tigers), as they are usually cited, and also used a new uniform. Their flannels had black and orange piping with matching socks, perhaps recalling also those of its emblem, the tiger.[5] The team contended until the 1960–1961 period, during what turned out to be the Cuban League's final season.[6]

The Marianao squad participated in 27 Cuban league seasons, finishing in first place four times, second place six times, third place seven times, and in fourth place a league record ten times. The team posted a 729-861 record in 1,590 games for a .458 winning percentage, which was the worst mark of the four Cuban league teams to play over 1,000 games.[6]

Marianao, managed by

Martin Dihigo, and clinched consecutive titles in the 1956–1957 and 1957–1958 seasons, guided by Napoleón Reyes. The latter two seasons they won the Caribbean Series, the only Series where they participated, becoming also the first team to win twice in the event's history.[6]

Following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, political tensions rose with the Fidel Castro government. In March 1961, one month after the regular Cuban baseball season ended, the regime decreed the abolition of professional baseball in Cuba.[6]

Facts

During the 1943–1944 season, the Marianao team became part of three rare occurrences in Cuban baseball history.

On December 2, 1943, Ramón Roger of the

Luis Tiant Sr. blanked Cienfuegos for 14 innings, but was victimized by an error by shortstop Oral (Mickey) Burnette and suffered a heartbreaking loss.[7]

A few days later on December 11, Habana pitcher Manuel García hurled a no-hit, no-run game against Marianao at La Tropicana Stadium. It turned in to be the first no-hitter pitched at La Tropicana since its opening in 1930. Also in the same game, the Marianao infield executed the first triple play at the La Tropical grounds.[6]

Notable players

[6]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-7864-6425-8
  2. ^ a b c "Rogério Manzano site – Tigres de Marianao entry (Spanish)".
  3. ^ CubanBall.com – 1923-24 Billiken Cards
  4. ^ FreeDictionary.com – Marianao, Cuba. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia® Copyright © 2007
  5. ISBN 0-19-506991-9
  6. ^ a b c d e f Cuban Baseball – A Statistical History, 1878-1961
  7. ^ Cuba Béisbol – Cuban Baseball of Fame: Ramon Roger article

External links

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