René Solis

.Note: This page is for 1940s and 1950s minor league and Cuban national team pitcher René Solis; for others with the same name, click here.

René Solis Peña
(Tata)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 170 lb.

• Born July 23, 1925 in Victoria de las Tunas, Oriente Cuba
• Died September 21, 2013 in Miami, FL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher René Solis spent eight years in the minor leagues, peaking at AA.

Solis was 1-1 for the Cuban national team that won a Bronze Medal in the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games. He was 18-1 for Deportivo Rosario when they won the Cuban amateur title in 1947, being the top pitcher in the Cuban amateur ranks. He turned pro with Almendares that winter, with a 3.86 ERA in three brief outings. In the summer of '48, he came to the US as a Brooklyn Dodgers farmhand, split between the Greenwood Dodgers (9-3, 2.36) and the Mobile Bears (1-3). He had a 7-4, 2.36 record that winter to help Almendares to the title, forming a strong staff with Morrie Martin, Octavio Rubert and Agapito Mayor among others. He won a game in the 1949 Caribbean Series as well, going the distance, as Almendares won the first Caribbean Series, though Mayor was clearly their lead hurler.

He had his best US season without considering quality of league in 1949, when he went 20-9 with a 2.98 ERA in 39 games for the Miami Sun Sox of the Florida International League. In 254 innings, he allowed only 247 hits and 85 walks. He was second to Almendares teammate Connie Marrero in wins and 5th in innings (between Marrero and Rogelio Martinez). Almendares repeated that winter though Solis did not contribute as much (2-3, 4.04) and he did not pitch in the 1950 Caribbean Series, though the team used seven other hurlers.

Solis split 1950 between the Greenville Spinners (11-8, 4.66) and Fort Worth Cats (1-0 in 3 G). He was 0-1 between Almendares and Cienfuegos in the winter of 1950-1951. In 1951, he pitched for Miami (4-3, 3.38 in 10 G), Mobile (1-0 in 7 G) and Fort Worth (2-4, 3.32 in 19 G). He struggled at 8-15, 2.85 for Miami and the Fort Lauderdale Braves/Key West Conchs in 1952. He tied Gaspar Del Monte for third in the FIL in losses. The ERA was deceptive as it was a pitcher-friendly league; Miami led with a 2.07 team ERA.

In 1953, he was 4-3 for the West Palm Beach Indians and 0-1 for the Pueblo Dodgers. He split 1954 between the Carlsbad Potashers (3 G), Winston-Salem Twins (4-5) and West Palm Beach (11-9, 3.27). He was 4th in the FIL in wins, between Bill Tosheff and Laban Dean. He also hit .256/.301/.392 for the Indians, getting used more at the plate as he was a good hitter for a pitcher.

In 1954-1955, he appeared in Cuba for the first time in four seasons, but struggled at 0-1, 8.53 in 7 games for Cienfuegos. It was his last chance in his homeland. He pitched that summer for the Twins and High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms, with a 12-7, 3.69 record. He was 9th in the Carolina League in wins. He was 3-4 with a 6.89 ERA for the Hi-Toms in the Cincinnati Reds chain in 1956 but found a new life at the plate, hitting .270/?/.463 with 18 dingers. He was 3 homers shy from making the Carolina League top 10. He was 1-0 with a 2.86 ERA in 6 games for the 1957 Leones de Yucatan to end his career.

Overall, he went 87-70 in over 244 games in the minor leagues and 9-7 in the Cuban Winter League.

Sources

• A History of Cuban Baseball by Peter Bjarkman
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros
• Assorted Baseball Guides
• Obituary