Almeida and Marsans
The Reds first became aware of Cuban infielder Rafael Almeida and outfielder Armando Marsans during the club’s exhibition tour of Cuba in 1908. The pair starred in the exhibition games against the Reds and over the next few years, the team explored the possibility of acquiring them. In 1909, the players’ contracts were sold to the New Britain club of the minor Connecticut League. Now stateside, the Reds worked a deal with New Britain to acquire them both. The move was not without controversy as the acquisition of Latino players was closely monitored to ensure that the players would not violate the white major leagues’ unwritten rule against signing African American players or dark-skinned players who might be mistaken for African American. To that end, the club went to great measures in crafting public statements stressing that Almeida and Marsans were of Spanish descent, with not a trace of African blood between them. And it was under these auspices that the club signed the pair in June 1911 with each player making his Reds debut less than a month later on July 4th. While Almeida’s career was brief, Marsans became one of the Reds primary outfielders, batting an even .300 in four seasons with the club, becoming the first Latino player to start regularly for a team in the white major leagues. The acquisition of Almeida and Marsans did not immediately translate into a significant influx of Cuban players to the Reds, or to white major leagues rosters, but it did prove the viability of such acquisitions, and Marsans’ play left little doubt as to the quality of talent that Cuba had to offer.
