Ernesto Estévez

J. Ernesto Estévez (El Galleguito)

• Bats Right, Throws Right

Biographical Information

Ernesto Estévez played in the minors and for the Cuban national team.

He hit .389/~.476/.611 for Cuba when they won the 1939 Amateur World Series, tying Stanley Cayasso for the tournament lead with two doubles and placing second in average (.111 behind Sam Garth). In the 1943 Amateur World Series, he batted .279/~.392/.372 with 8 walks in his team's 12 games as Cuba again triumphed.

Turning pro, he played in 1944 for the Portsmouth Cubs (.185/~~.258/.271 in 92 G) and Atlanta Crackers (.314/~.385/.384 in 24 G in A1, the equivalent of the modern AA). For Portsmouth, his .920 fielding percentage was third-best among the ten Piedmont League shortstops with 50+ games there. He only fielded .852 at short for Atlanta, though, well behind starter Luther Gunnells though ahead of fellow Cuban backup Mario Fajo.

He started at second for Vibora in the short-lived Cuban Summer League of 1946. He returned to the US in '48 but hit only .207 with a .310 slugging in 40 games between the Dunn-Erwin Twins, Suffolk Goobers and Franklin Cubs.