This is an oral history of the Latin American baseball leagues of the mid-20th century. Interviews with dozens of former major league players, who participated in the winter leagues of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, provide a fascinating view of life in all of these countries during the most nostalgic era of baseball. For the majority of the players, it was the first time in their lives living in a foreign country; some of the more fortunate made trips to the Caribbean Series. The players' recollections range from their experiences on and off the field, to where they lived, what they ate, the ballparks, other players and irrepressible fans. The stories are often juxtaposed against the backdrop of Latin American political history, adding to the unique international flavor.
Roberto "Bobby" Maduro (1916-1986) was a visionary baseball team owner and executive. His dedication to promoting the game internationally from the 1950s through the 1970s remains unrivaled. He headed Havana-based clubs in the Cuban Winter League and teams in the U.S. minor leagues, which helped brand Caribbean baseball in the eyes of North American fans. He co-built the first million-dollar ballpark in Latin America. His Havana stadium was confiscated by Castro's revolution, along with all his accumulated wealth. Maduro began a new life in exile in the U.S., first as a minor league owner, then as a front office executive. He founded the short-lived Inter-American League in 1979, composed of five Caribbean-basin teams and one U.S. entry from his adopted hometown of Miami. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn said of his many achievements, "No one was more dedicated, more knowledgeable or more concerned about the game than Bobby Maduro."
For decades prior to the rise of Babe Ruth, the most recognized name in baseball was John McGraw. An outstanding player in the 1890s, McGraw--nicknamed "Mugsy"--was molded in the rough and tumble pre-20th century game where sportsmanship and fair play took a back seat to competition. Later, he became the successful manager of the New York Giants, dominating the National League in New York City for more than 30 years. McGraw led the Giants with authoritarian swagger--earning another moniker, "Little Napoleon"--from 1902 through 1932, before illness forced his retirement. In his 31 seasons in New York, his teams won three world championships and 10 pennants and rarely finished out of the first division. He was a trailblazer in the use of bullpen and position player substitutions, and pushed hit-and-run strategies over the then prevalent dictums of sacrifice bunting. An unconventional leader, McGraw missed considerable bench time during his reign on account of injury, illness and fiery temperament.
From the award-winning bestselling author of books about autistic and learning-disabled children, Mary MacCracken, comes an engaging memoir of love, marriage—and Alzheimer’s. Braving divorce to be together, Cal and Mary help each other overcome setbacks in their work. Cal’s inventions are increasingly successful; Mary’s first book is published to much acclaim, followed by three more. It seems nothing can stop them. Then Alzheimer’s strikes. Always a fighter, Cal vows to beat his disease, while Mary finds ways to sustain their loving life together, devising ways to help Cal as he falters. She herself is helped by good doctors, social workers, and many friends—a whole community of care. Still, all the support in the world can’t stop Cal’s decline. He goes missing at night, flees his daycare program repeatedly, and must finally go to a memory unit. But even then, he and Mary share bits of happiness. In the end, they fail to beat Alzheimer’s. Yet their story is also one of triumph, as their love persists all through and beyond their battle. Poignant and inspiring, The Memory of All That is a beautifully written love story that offers guidance and comfort to those dealing with dementia, or any of life’s challenges.
In Autumns Dancing Leaves, we met Eddie, an abused and neglected kid whose personality fractured to create Randy when he reached a point where he could no longer cope with the trauma in his life. Randy, defiant and determined, undertook the crusade of becoming Eddies champion, endeavoring to save him from his abusers and all who were a threat to him. Because of Randys effectiveness, Eddies mind decided it was possible to enjoy the life that Randy insured, that being involved with the world was preferable to merely surviving the lifetime. Eddies mind then developed Jesse from unused personality traits. Jesse, an aesthetic personality, believed his goal was to interact with people and the world to find missing elements in Eddies life and use his experiences to bring balance to the life he shared with Eddie and Randy. Randy and Jesse believed they were moving closer to what they saw as a normal life, exposing Eddie to the things they thought determined quality of life. But, Jesse made a mistake he felt would be devastating for Eddie. Randy responded by deciding to take them away from an environment he saw as detrimental ... Winters Stormy Rage picks up the story with Randy on the road, looking for a new life, a new place where they can settle down. He travels to Kansas City, to an old neighborhood where he is exposed to other runaway kids surviving on the streets, and those he calls societys undesirables. From there he makes his way west, toward the coast, stopping along the way for a time with a biker gang that picks him up alongside the highway. A series of tragedies convinces Randy that they dont have a chance of success in trying to attain a new life. With that realization, he turns to drugs and alcohol, which keep him numb and muddled, preventing him from sorting out the truth. When he hits a low point, Jesse takes over to lead them for a time, a role in which hes not comfortable. Jesse catches a ride on the highway with Marcella, a female impersonator, who declares herself to be an entertainer. Marcella takes him to San Diego where he meets the colorful crowd Marcella associates with. While Jesse is struggling to cope with the role of directing their life, Randy keeps showing up, still wrestling with substance abuse problems. Jesse fears Randy could be a threat to their existence. He decides he must seek help for them, but that would entail telling someone the secret of their life, a secret they had always sought to conceal. Winter's Stormy Rage follows the three facets of Eddie through their struggles, through the setbacks and the successes in the complex life they shared, from a bleak beginning to a promising conclusion ... Author Biography (Communication with Readers) PROLOGUE Prior ... Autumns Dancing Leaves ... Eddie was born not favoring anyone in his family, which created problems between his parents. His mother irrationally blamed him. When he was five years old, Evelyn sought to punish him by loaning him to pedophile men. As a result, he was abused by the companions and neglected by his mother. Intelligent, with heightened abilities in logic and reasoning, little Eddie attemped to rationalize his situation in an effort to keep the abuse in an acceptable perspective that would allow him to cope with it. He struggled with the increasing severity of the abuse but, by age eleven, he could no longer handle the circumstances of his life. Gravely depressed, he decided his only escape would be to die, that by conscious will, he could simply resolve to give up life and cease to exist. Eddies mind, alerted to his decision, was determined to survive, believing the ultimate goal for any entity was to continue, regardless of the form or quality of life. Panicked at the threat of cessation, his mind made a desperate decision - it fractured his personality and created Randy from traits that had been repressed in Eddie. Randy, a tough, defiant
Enter the world of Grimm Academy, a fantasy academy where fairy tale characters go to escape their prophecies. Uncover the magic in this retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses. The eldest princess of twelve knows the dangers of dancing the night away. Audrey has always wanted to attend Grimm Academy and prove to her father that she's the perfect heir to the kingdom, but now she's there, she has bigger things to worry about. With a prophecy hanging over her head that could mean a dire fate for both her and her eleven sisters, the clock is ticking for Audrey to break free of the spell. Can she stop dancing in time? - The Winter Ball is part of the Grimm Academy fantasy fairy tale romance series and is a standalone retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It includes a fairy tale heroine determined to save herself and a sweet m/f romance. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, fantasy academy settings, friendship, prophecies, strong heroines, and sweet romance, start the Grimm Academy series! Grimm Academy Search Terms: fairy tales, fairytales, folklore, legends, myths, fantasy romance, fantasy, prophecies, magic, prophecy, coming of age, strong heroines, princess, prince, lord, lady, royalty, duke, nobility, nobles, royals, royal romance, young adult, young adult fantasy, young adult romance, academy, university, school, boarding school, new adult, rapunzel, sleeping beauty, cinderella, little red riding hood, rumpelstiltskin, the frog prince, the frog princess, the swan princess, the wild swans, the six swans, the little mermaid, the goose girl, aladdin, gender flipped, king arthur, lancelot, guinevere, love triangle, best friend's brother, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, childhood sweethearts, queen, king, the snow queen, ali baba and the forty thieves, twelve dancing princesses, snow white, unicorns, snow white and rose red, the snow queen, the princess and the pea, princess competition, beauty and the beast, mermaids, crowns, magical
A professional baseball prospect given little chance of making the big time, Octavio "Cookie" Rojas nevertheless flourished at the sport's top level during a 16-year major league career. Never breaking ties with the profession he loved, after leaving the field as a player Rojas continued well into his 70s in the varied roles of coach, scout, manager, and broadcaster. Rojas broke into the big leagues in the early 1960s, a bygone era when there were only ten teams in each major league and the World Series was exclusively performed under the autumn sun. A native of Cuba, Rojas had to leave behind his country following the Cuban Revolution in order to pursue his ultimate baseball dreams. His side story of cultural assimilation, like those of his many ball-playing compatriots of the time, is a unique account of perseverance and dedication and a desire to succeed for himself and his family.
2020 SABR Baseball Research Award Last Seasons in Havana explores the intersection between Cuba and America's pastime from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, when Fidel Castro overthrew Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. César Brioso takes the reader through the triumph of the revolution in 1959 and its impact on professional baseball in the seasons immediately following Castro's rise to power. Baseball in pre?Castro Cuba was enjoying a golden age. The Cuban League, which had been founded in 1878, just two years after the formation of the National League, was thriving under the auspices of organized baseball. Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, players from the Major Leagues, Minor Leagues, and Negro Leagues had come to Cuba to play in the country's wholly integrated winter baseball league. Cuban teams had come to dominate the annual Caribbean Series tournament, and Havana had joined the highest levels of Minor League Baseball, fielding the Havana Sugar Kings of the Class AAA International League. Confidence was high that Havana might one day have a Major League team of its own. But professional baseball became one of the many victims of Castro's Communist revolution. American players stopped participating in the Cuban League, and Cuban teams moved to an amateur, state?sponsored model. Focusing on the final three seasons of the Cuban League (1958-61) and the final two seasons of the Havana Sugar Kings (1959-60), Last Seasons in Havana explores how Castro's rise to power forever altered Cuba and the course of a sport that had become ingrained in the island's culture over the course of almost a century.
