José Colás

José Luis Colás

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0"

• Debut 1947
• Final Game 1948
• Born 1924 in Havana, Havana Cuba

BR page

Biographical Information

José Colás was a Negro League outfielder and manager. His brother Carlos Colas also played in the Negro Leagues.

Jose debuted with Marianao in 1945-1946, hitting .216/?/.261 as a fifth outfielder. He hit .282/.337/.395 with 8 triples between two Mexican League clubs in 1946. He was 4 for 25 for Cienfuegos in 1946-1947, backing up Pedro Pagés, Roland Gladu and Alejandro Crespo. He made it to the USA in 1947, joining Joe B. Scott, Neil Robinson and Bubba Hyde in the Memphis Red Sox outfield. Colas starred in the first 1947 East-West Game. Starting in left field for the West and hitting 6th, he went 2 for 4 with two RBI in a 5-2 win. In game two, he again hit 6th and played left field, but moved to right when James Abernathy replaced Buddy Armour in the lineup (Abernathy taking left). Colas went 1 for 5 and drove in Ray Neil with a run in a 8-2 victory.

Colas hit .264 for Oriente in the 1947 National Federation season in Cuba, then hit .244 and slugged .303 in his lone season as a starter for Cienfuegos, 1947-1948. Jose hit .310 in 1948, starting alongside Robinson and Scott. He pinch-hit in the second 1948 East-West Game and singled off Dave Barnhill in a 6-1 loss. In 1948-1949, he was 2 for 33 as a 6th outfielder for Cienfuegos, ending his Cuban Winter League career.

Colas batted .247 for Memphis in 1949 and .268 in 1950. In the 1951 East-West Game, the Cuban hit third for the West and started in center field. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and a steal in a 3-1 loss. Overall, he had gone 5 for 13 with a walk in his four East-West Games, impressive considering his other career stats. He played for Brandon in the 1952 Manitoba-Dakota League and also spent part of the year with the Scranton Miners (7 for 46). Colas also was with the 1954 Mount Vernon Kings, hitting .238 and slugging .387.

Colas managed the Memphis Red Sox at one point.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time NAL All-Star (1947 & 1948)

Sources

• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo

Related Sites

• BR Minors page