Skip to content

History of Latin American Baseball Players

Although Latin American baseball players had different upbringings and careers, players generally faced criticism, racism and discrimination when they came to the United States:

 

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/1ac63c02

Vincent Irwin Nava entered professional baseball in the United States following Esteban Bellán's retirement.  Due to his father, William Irwin, Vincent was able to play professionally in California under the name Irwin to prevent people from recognizing his Mexican heritage.  However, he changed his surname to Nava when he began playing in Providence, heightening the racial and ethnic debate (Burgos, p. 37-38).

Due to the physical demands of being a catcher, Nava suffered from numerous injuries.  From this, Nava drew lots of criticism and was brought down to the minor leagues until he was forced to retire.  In addition, he received criticism for not being able to bat at a high level: the Detroit Free Press altered the words to the song “H.M.S. Pinafore,” acknowledging his inability to hit (McKenna).

In 1949, Minnie Miñoso was the first black Latino to play in the majors, however, he was criticized due to his race and ethnicity.  Black ballplayers would tell him that he "didn't understand prejudice and discrimination" because he was "Cuban, not black." Additionally, he received criticism from the press due to his accent and dealt with "beanballs, bench joking from opposing teams, and jeers from fans who remained opposed to integration" (Burgos, p. 193-194).

However, Miñoso's ability to fight back without displaying anger made it easier for other Latin American baseball players to speak out against those "who denigrate their place in U.S. society" (Burgos, p. 196).

Vic Power was an Afro-Puerto Rican baseball player whose career was limited to "twelve seasons due to the recalcitrance of New York Yankees team officials" (Burgos, p. 204).  Power was in the minors for three years, and eagerly awaited a chance to play for the New York Yankees.  However, he didn't get the chance because he wasn't the "right type of negro," according to the Yankees organization (Burgos, p. 207).

Vic Power described his baseball experience: "When I played baseball, I was neither white nor black, and the white fans loved me, but after the game I was just another colored guy in town."  Beyond the baseball field, Power and other Latinos were constantly pulled over to prevent them from going to specific neighborhoods, as well as from purchasing homes in certain areas.

Juan Marichal was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball during the 1960s, playing for the San Francisco Giants.

https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=4262209&page=1

However, Juan Marichal and Pedro Martinez (New York Mets pitcher) attended a cockfight which caused commotion around the United States, hurting Marichal's reputation.  This event was "legal and popular in the Dominican Republic," an activity that resembled Latin American culture.  Even though cockfighting was part of their culture, they were characterized by the press as being "soltadores" at the event, tarnishing their reputation ("Pedro: I Was at Cockfight as Spectator").

Orlando Cepeda and Felipe Alou were among the first wave of Spanish-speaking players to be sent to play professional baseball in the United States.

They experienced similar hardships in a sense that they were both disrespected on and off the field.  Alou believed that "a man must not be judged in the clubhouse, but on the playing field. It is said that Orlando Cepeda had a bad year in 1962, that he did not come through when it counted.  However, when you look at the stats, he had a great year" (Alou).  Additionally, not being able to speak English and the stereotype Americans had against Latin Americans prevented them from advancing their careers.  If Latin American players made bad plays during the game, they would get verbally and physically assaulted by fans. Similarly, when they were hurt, coaches assumed they were lying and forced them to play, causing players to retire early ("A Long Way From Home").