Puerto Rico and Baseball

Baseball in Puerto Rico has a long history, dating back to the nineteenth century and now extending into the twenty-first. As of the end of 2016, there have been 323 players born in Puerto Rico or descended from Puerto Rican natives who have played in the major leagues. But there are thousands of Puerto Rican professional players who have played in the Caribbean and other professional leagues, including the minor leagues in the United States.

As one might imagine from the title, Puerto Rico and Baseball: 60 Biographies contains 60 biographies of players -- but it also has two "ballpark bios" and an article on major-league games played in Puerto Rico, both spring training exhibition games and several regular-season games from the time when "Los Expos" included San Juan as their home base.

This book highlights some of the pioneers who played in the Negro Leagues before the color line was broken, right up through Ivan Rodriguez, elected in 2017 to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In reading this book you will get to know Perucho, who was compared with Ty Cobb and called the Babe Ruth of Puerto Rico; why Pancho Coimbre was considered one of the best hitters; the story of the great Roberto Clemente; who was "el Divino Loco," the first pitcher to win a major-league game on the Pacific Coast; who was "El Jibaro"; and even the great achievements of the man who was possibly the most complete catcher who ever stepped on a diamond.

This book also represents the collaborative efforts of 46 authors and editors from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).

Contents:

Introduction, Edwin Fernandez

Roberto Alomar, Chris Jones

Sandy Alomar, Sr., Irv Goldfarb

Sandy Alomar, Jr., Joe Wancho

Luis arroyo, Rory Costello

Benny Ayala, Rory Costello

Carlos Baerga, Joe Wancho

Juan Beniquez, Jonathan arnold

Carlos Bernier, Charles F. Faber

Hiram Bithorn, Jane Allen-Quevedo

Bobby Bonilla, Mark Souder

Ivan Calderon, Dan Potter

John Candelaria, Steve West

Orlando Cepeda, Mark armour

Pedro "Perucho" Cepeda, Edwin Fernandez

Roberto Clemente, Stew Thornley

Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre, Joseph Gerard

Alex Cora, Scott Cummings

Joey Cora, Alan Cohen

Jose "Cheo" Cruz (Dilan) Sr., Jane Schupmann Hewitt

Jose Luis Cruz, Thomas Brown

Ivan DeJesus, Sr., Richard Cuicchi

Carlos Delgado, Paul Hofmann

Eduardo Figueroa, Rory Costello

Ruben Gomez, Thomas Van Hyning

Juan Gonzalez, Edwin Fernandez

Jose Hernandez, Marlene Vogelsang

Roberto Hernandez, Alan Cohen with Matt Merullo

Willie Hernandez, Gary Gillette

Sixto Lezcano, Brian Wood

Javy Lopez, Kyle Eaton

Mike Lowell, Bill Nowlin

Candido Maldonado, Tom Hawthorn

Felix Mantilla, Rick Schabowski

Luis "Canena" Marquez, amy Essington

Edgar Martinez, Emily Hawks

Orlando Merced, Justin Cabrera

Felix Millan, Jane Allen-Quevedo

Bengie Molina, John Vorperian

Willie Montanez, Chuck Johnson

Roger Moret, Seamus Kearney

Jaime Navarro, Gregory H. Wolf

Julio Navarro, Rory Costello

Luis Olmo, Rory Costello

Jose A. Pagan, Bill Johnson

Juan Pizarro, Rory Costello

Jorge Posada, Scott Dominiak

Vic Power, Joe Wancho

Jim Rivera, Richard Smiley

Ivan Rodriguez, Steve West

Rey Sanchez, Bill Nowlin

Benito Santiago, Thomas Brown

Jose G. "Pantalones" Santiago, Edwin Fernandez

Jose R. Santiago, Edwin Fernandez and Bill Nowlin

Ruben Sierra, Adam J. Ulrey

Danny Tartabull, Charles F. Faber

Dickie Thon, Bob LeMoine

Jose Valentin, Steven Schmitt

Javier Vazquez, Norm King

Jose Vidro, Mark S. Sternman

Bernie Williams, Rob Edelman