1950-51: One of the rarest Hoyt Wilhelm cards, the 1950-51 Fosforos La Aurora (left), and another rare Hoyt Wilhelm item, the 1950-51 Mejoral (right - some people refer to the second one as a card and others don't because it is part of a fold-out, accordion-like booklet). This was from his time in the Cuban Winter League with the Havana Lions or Reds (Habana Leones as it would be written in Cuba). Wilhelm was a Cuban Winter League All-Star this season after helping Havana win the league title and leading the league in 4 categories (see more below).
Photo: From the 1950-51 Acebo Album for the Cuban Winter League. This album is known for also having fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays in it (he played for Santurce). Havana's full team page is below.
Photo: From the 1950-51 Acebo Album for the Cuban Winter League (Wilhelm is on the second row, third from left). This album is known for also having fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays in it (he played for Santurce).
Photo (from my collection): Wilhelm pictured in his home uniform for Havana.
1950-51: In his league debut, he gave up only 2 hits and 0 runs to Marianao. For the season he was named an All-Star, and finished 8-6 (22 games pitched), and led the league in ERA (2.36), strikeouts (72), shutouts (3) and complete games (10) and helped Havana to the league title with a 40-32 record. He also gave up 118 hits and 48 walks in 141.1 innings pitched.
1951 Caribbean Series: After helping Habana to the league title, he played in the Caribbean Series, which featured Puerto Rico (Santurce), Cuba (Habana), Venezuela (Magallanes) and Panama (Spur Cola). Cuba went 4-2 and finished second to Puerto Rico (5-1). In the series, Wilhelm went 1-1 (1 complete game) and led the series in strikeouts (10). He also gave up 16 hits and 11 walks in 15 innings of work.
*Statistics from Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961 (Jorge S. Figueredo)
Photo (from my collection): Wilhelm pictured during the 1951-52 season (Oct. 7, 1951), in his away uniform in the hallway of the Gran Estadio de La Habana or Great Stadium in Havana.
1951-52: In Hoyt Wilhelm's second and last season in the Cuban Winter League he was 2-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 17 games (1 complete game) in 64 innings pitched (he also had 27 strikeouts and 23 walks) in helping Havana to the league title with a 41-30 record.
*This time, however, he couldn't accompany Havana to the Caribbean Series because the NY Giants wanted him back in the U.S. to prepare for the upcoming major league season, which would be his rookie season.
*Statistics from Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961 (Jorge S. Figueredo)
The caption of the photo read: Hoyt Wilhem (sic), el estillista de la boia de nudillos del club Habana arribo el martes por la manana y a pesar de la inclemencia del tiempo vistio el uniforme con el solo proposito de estirar los musculos. La Iluvia habia impedido a sus companeros practicar y Wilhem (sic) aprovencho ano de los pasillos interiores del stadium del Cerro para trabajar un buem rate. Observese el detalle simpatico de que Wilhem (sic) practico descalzo, ya que resultaba peligroso hacer sus lanzamientos con zapatos de sobres en el cemento.
**Note: (essentially the caption says Wilhelm was throwing because it was raining outside and he was wearing his socks because he was on cement and it wouldn't be good for his cleats; the caption also misspelled Wilhelm's name as "Wilhem," leaving off the last "l" in each of the three references.)
Photo: Hoyt Wilhelm looking at a cannon in Havana.
1950-51 Havana Lions (Habana Leones)
Cuban Winter League Champions & Caribbean Series Runner-Up
Hoyt Wilhelm is pictured on the second row, far left, standing beside the trainer.
**More information on the team's season is below the next team photo.
1950-51 Havana Lions (Habana Leones)
Cuban Winter League Champions & Caribbean Series Runner-Up
Hoyt Wilhelm is pictured on the second row, far left, standing beside the trainer.
Habana tied Almendares for the league's best record (40-32), but beat Almendares in a 1-game playoff to win the title and finish with a 41-32 record. Marianao finished 36-36 and Cienfuegos was 28-44. Habana's Manager was Miguel Gonzalez.
Habana also finished runner-up in the Caribbean Series as Habana, representing Cuba, finished with a 4-2 record. Though Cuba went 1-1 against series champion Puerto Rico (Santurce), Puerto Rico won the 4-team series with a 5-1 mark. Other teams competing: Venezuela (Magallanes), which finished 2-4, and Panama (Spur Cola), which was 1-5.
*Statistics from Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961 (Jorge S. Figueredo)
1951-52 Havana Lions (Habana Leones)
Cuban Winter League Champions & Caribbean Series Champions
Hoyt Wilhelm is pictured on the second row, far right, standing beside the man in the suit and hat.
The team won the Cuban Winter League title with a 40-31 record (two games ahead of Cienfuegos, which finished 39-32). Marianao was 32-39 and Almendares was 30-41. Habana's Manager was Miguel Gonzalez.
Habana, representing Cuba, also won the Caribbean Series, finishing 5-0-1 (Wilhelm did not play in that Caribbean Series because he had to get ready for spring training and his debut season with the N.Y. Giants). Other teams playing in the series were: Venezuela (Cerv. Caracas), Panama (Carta Vieja) and Puerto Rico (San Juan).
--Interestingly, the only blemish on Cuba's record was the tie to last-place and winless Puerto Rico, which finished 0-5-1. Venezuela and Panama each finished 3-3.
*Statistics from Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878-1961 (Jorge S. Figueredo)
Gran Estadio de La Habana or Great Stadium in Havana
It is the same stadium that hosted the famous exhibition between the Baltimore Orioles and Cuban National Team on March 28, 1999 (Baltimore won 3-2 in 11 innings; it was the first time since 1959 an MLB team had played in Cuba). It also hosted another famous exhibition, this time between the Cuban National Team and the Tampa Bay Rays on March 22, 2016 (Tampa Bay won 4-1; in attendance was then-U.S. President Barack Obama and then-Cuban President, Raul Castro).
