Cuban Winter League

While baseball leagues in Cuba date back to 1878, the Cuban Winter League really got its start in 1900 when American players began spending the off-season on the island competing against native stars.

Prominent players included Pete Hill, Bill Monroe, Rube Foster, José Muñoz, Pop Lloyd, Jose Mendez, Luis Padron, Julian Castillo, Smokey Joe Williams, Dolf Luque, Cristobal Torriente, Luis Santop, Oscar Charleston, Alejandro Oms, Bernardo Baro, Martin Dihigo, Valentin Dreke, Bullet Rogan, Biz Mackey, Jud Wilson, Jose Acosta, Bill Foster, Satchel Paige, Johnny Allen, Agustin Bejerano, Cocaina Garcia, Ramon Bragana, Willie Wells, Mule Suttles, Cool Papa Bell, Silvio Garcia, Buck Leonard, Lazaro Salazar, Bobby Estalella, Josh Gibson, Ray Dandridge, Double Duty Radcliffe, Sammy Bankhead, Sal Maglie, Minnie Minoso, Bobby Avila, Monte Irvin, Connie Marrero, Don Newcombe, Roy Campanella and Camilo Pascual.

In 1961 Fidel Castro banned pro sports in the country and the Cuban Winter League came to an end after one of the longest and most glorious histories. Baseball remained the premier sport in Cuba after being reorganized by the government and the country continued to produce great players. Foreign players were not coming to the country anymore, though, so the quality of play in the amateur Cuban Serie Nacional likely is lower.

League Champions

Team won the Serie del Caribe

1945-46 Winners Cienfuegos

Season	Champion	Record	Manager
1878/1879	Habana	4 - 0 - 1 (1.000)	Esteban Bellán
1879/1880	Habana	5 - 2 (0.714)	Esteban Bellán
1880/1881	No season held
1882	The season was not completeted due to a dispute between Habana and Club Fé
1882/1883	Habana	5 - 1 (0.833)	Esteban Bellán
1883/1884	No season held
1885	Habana	4 - 3 (0.571)	Ricardo Mora
1885/1886	Habana	6 - 0 (1.000)	Francisco Saavedra
1886/1887	Habana	10 - 2 (0.833)	Francisco Saavedra
1887/1888	Club Fé	12 - 3 (0.800)	Antonio Utrera
1888/1889	Habana	16 - 4 - 1 (0.800)	Emilio Sabourin
1889/1890	Habana	14 - 3 (0.824)	Emilio Sabourin
1890/1891	Club Fé	12 - 6 (0.667)	Luis Almoina y Meléndez
1891/1892	Habana	13 - 7 (0.650)	Emilio Sabourin
1892/1893	Matanzas	14 - 9 (0.609)	Luis Almoina y Meléndez
1893/1894	Almendares	17 - 7 - 1 (0.708)	Ramón Gutiérrez
1894/1895	The season was not completed and the playoffs were cancelled
1895/1896	The season was cancelled due to the War of Independence
1896/1897	The season was cancelled due to the War of Independence
1897/1898	The season was suspended before the playoffs
1898/1899	Habanista	9 - 3 - 1 (0.750)	Alberto Azoy
1900	San Francisco	17 - 10 - 1 (0.630)	Patrocinio Silverio
1901	Habana	16 - 3 - 1 (0.842)	Alberto Azoy
1902	Habana	17 - 0 - 2 (1.000)	Alberto Azoy
1903	Habana	16 - 4 (0.800)	Alberto Azoy
1904	Habana	16 - 4 (0.800)	Alberto Azoy
1905	Almendares	19 - 11 (0.633)	Abel Linares
1905/1906	Club Fé	15 - 9 - 1 (0.625)	Alberto Azoy
1907	Almendares	17 - 13 - 1 (0.567)	Eugenio Santa Cruz
1908	Almendares	37 - 8 - 1 (0.822)	Juan L. Sánchez
1908/1909	Habana	33 - 13 - 1 (0.690)	Luis Someillán
1910	Almendares	13 - 3 - 1 (0.812)	Juan L. Sánchez
1910/1911	Almendares	21 - 6 - 3 (0.714)	Juan L. Sánchez
1912	Habana	22 - 12 - 1 (0.647)	Eduardo Laborde
1913	Club Fé	21 - 11 - 2 (0.656)	Agustín Molina
1913/1914	Almendares	22 - 11 - 1 (0.667)	Eugenio Santa Cruz
1914/1915	Habana	23 - 11 (0.676)	Miguel A. González
1915/1916	Almendares	30 - 12 - 3 (0.714)	Alfredo Cabrera
1917	Orientales	8 - 6 - 1 (0.571)	Armando Marsans
1918/1919	Habana	29 - 19 (0.604)	Miguel A. González
1919/1920	Almendares	22 - 5 - 2 (0.815)	Adolfo Luque
1920/1921	Habana	21 - 9 - 5 (0.700)	Miguel A. González
1921	Habana	4 - 1 (0.800)	Miguel A. González
1922/1923	Marianao	35 - 19 - 1 (0.648)	Baldomero Acosta
1923/1924	Santa Clara	36 - 11 - 1 (0.766)	Agustín Molina
1924/1925	Almendares	33 - 16 - 1 (0.660)	Joseíto Rodríguez
1925/1926	Almendares	34 - 13 - 2 (0.723)	Joseíto Rodríguez
1926/1927	Habana	20 - 11 (0.645)	Miguel A. González
1926/1927 (Triangal)	Alacranes	N/A	Adolfo Luque
1927/1928	Habana	24 - 13 (0.649)	Miguel A. González
1928/1929	Habana	43 - 12 - 1 (0.782)	Miguel A. González
1929/1930	Cienfuegos	33 - 19 - 2 (0.635)	Pelayo Chacón
1930/1931	The season was not completeted due to poor attendance
1930/1931 (Campeonato Unico)1	Almendarista	9 - 4 - 1 (0.692)	Joseíto Rodríguez
1931/1932	Almendares	21 - 9 - 4 (0.700)	Joseito Rodriguez
1932/1933	Almendares/Habana	13 - 9 (0.591)	Adolfo Luque/Miguel A. González
1934/1935	Almendares	18 - 9 - 1 (0.667)	Adolfo Luque
1935/1936	Santa Clara	34 - 14 - 1 (0.708)	Martín Dihigo
1936/1937	Marianao	38 - 31 - 3 (0.551)	Martín Dihigo
1937/1938	Santa Clara	44 - 18 - 4 (0.710)	Lázaro Salazar
1938/1939	Santa Clara	34 - 20 - 2 (0.630)	Lázaro Salazar
1939/1940	Almendares	28 - 23 - 1 (0.549)	Adolfo Luque
1940/1941	Habana	31 - 18 - 5 (0.633)	Miguel A. González
1941/1942	Almendares	25 - 19 - 4 (0.568)	Adolfo Luque
1942/1943	Almendares	28 - 20 - 1 (0.583)	Adolfo Luque
1943/1944	Habana	32 - 16 (0.667)	Miguel A. González
1944/1945	Almendares	32 - 16 - 6 (0.667)	Reinaldo Cordeiro
1945/1946	Cienfuegos	37 - 23 - 4 (0.617)	Adolfo Luque
1946/1947 (National)	Matanzas	N/A	Silvio García
1946/1947	Almendares	42 - 24 - 2 (0.636)	Adolfo Luque
1947/1948	Habana	39 - 33 - 9 (0.542)	Miguel A. González
1947/1948 (Players)	Leones	N/A	Salvador Hernández
1948/1949	Almendares	47 - 25 (0.553)	Fermín Guerra
1949/1950	Almendares	38 - 34 - 4 (0.528)	Fermín Guerra
1950/1951	Habana	41 - 32 - 1 (0.562)	Miguel A. González
1951/1952	Habana	41 - 30 - 1 (0.577)	Miguel A. González
1952/1953	Habana	43 - 29 - 1 (0.597)	Miguel A. González
1953/1954	Almendares	44 - 28 - 1 (0.611)	Bobby Bragan
1954/1955	Almendares	44 - 25 - 2 (0.638)	Bobby Bragan
1955/1956	Cienfuegos	40 - 29 - 1 (0.580)	Oscar Rodríguez
1956/1957	Marianao Tigers	40 - 28 - 1 (0.588)	Napoleón Reyes
1957/1958	Marianao Tigers	43 - 32 - 1 (0.597)	Napoleón Reyes
1958/1959	Almendares	46 - 26 - 6 (0.639)	Oscar Rodríguez or Clemente Carrera
1959/1960	Cienfuegos	48 - 24 (0.667)	Antonio Castaño
1960/1961	Cienfuegos	35 - 31 - 1 (0.530)	Antonio Castaño

¹ The Campeonato Unico was an alternate season that was arranged after regular championship was suspended.

MVPs

• 1927/1928: Martin Dihigo, Havana
• 1928/1929: Alejandro Oms, Havana
• 1929/1930: Willie Wells, Cienfuegos
• 1931/1932: Carlos Etchegoyen, Almendares
• 1934/1935: Lazaro Salazar, Marianao/Almendares
• 1935/1936: Martin Dihigo, Santa Clara
• 1936/1937: Martin Dihigo, Marianao
• 1937/1938: Lazaro Salazar, Almendares
• 1938/1939: Alex Carrasquel, Cuba
• 1939/1940: Willie Wells, Almendares
• 1940/1941: Gil Torres, Havana
• 1941/1942: Martin Dihigo, Havana
• 1942/1943: Antonio Rodriguez, Almendares
• 1943/1944: Gil Torres, Havana
• 1944/1945: Pedro Pagés, Cienfuegos
• 1945/1946: Alejandro Crespo, Cienfuegos
• 1946/1947: Andres Fleitas, Almendares
• 1947/1948: Connie Marrero, Almendares
• 1948/1949: Morrie Martin, Almendares
• 1949/1950: Fermin Guerra, Almendares
• 1950/1951: Adrian Zabala, Cienfuegos/Havana and Silvio Garcia, Cienfuegos
• 1951/1952: Bert Haas, Havana
• 1952/1953: Minnie Minoso, Marianao
• 1953/1954: Cliff Fannin, Almendares
• 1954/1955: Joe Hatten, Almendares
• 1955/1956: Camilo Pascual, Cienfuegos
• 1956/1957: Minnie Minoso, Marianao
• 1957/1958: Bob Shaw, Marianao
• 1958/1959: Orlando Pena, Almendares
• 1959/1960: Raul Sánchez, Cienfuegos
• 1960/1961: Pedro Ramos, Cienfuegos

Further Reading

• Peter C. Bjarkman and Bill Nowlin, eds.: Cuban Baseball Legends: Baseball's Alternative Universe, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2016. ISBN 978-1-943816-24-8
• César Brioso: Havana Hardball: Spring Training, Jackie Robinson, and the Cuban League, University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 2015. ISBN 978-0-8130-6116-0