Puerto Rico and Baseball: 60 Biographies

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