| As the 2010 Major League Baseball season begins the | | | | Cuban Stars, but also the Homestead Grays and the |
| declining number of African-Americans in professional | | | | Hilldale Daisies; and was considered by many as the |
| baseball again becomes a topic for discussion. | | | | best all around Negro League player. Jose Mendez |
| Basketball and football has become the sport of | | | | pitched for the Chicago American Giants, Detroit Stars, |
| choice for many black athletes instead of the game | | | | and Kansas City Monarchs. Known as "El Diamante |
| many still consider the "National Pastime". The topic got | | | | Negro", The Black Diamond, in his native homeland of |
| additional attention recently with the reported | | | | Cuba, Mendez 's skin color was too dark for him to |
| comments of Los Angeles Angel centerfielder Torii | | | | cross Major League Baseball's "invisible' color line. He |
| Hunter. Hunter, an African-American, in referring to | | | | was the Monarch's pitching star when they won the |
| Latin American players reportedly said, "People see | | | | first Negro League World Series in 1924. Christobel |
| dark faces out there, and the perception is that they | | | | Torrienti was a power-hitting outfielder in the 1920's |
| are African-American. They are not us. They are | | | | that played with the Chicago American Giants, Kansas |
| imposters." Hunter later admitted using the word | | | | City Monarchs, and Detroit Stars. He was a |
| "imposter" was a wrong choice. He was only talking | | | | light-skinned Cuban, but it was said he did not cross the |
| about cultural differences. But in spite of the "cultural | | | | "invisible" color line because of his hair. It was thick and |
| differences" Hunter was so awkwardly trying to | | | | curly Negroid type hair. Dihago was inducted into |
| describe, there has been a historical connection | | | | Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1977, Mendez and Torrienti in |
| between African-American and Latin American | | | | 2006. |
| baseball players; a common thread that is rooted in | | | | There were many other Latin American players that |
| 20th Century professional baseball history. The | | | | spent their summers playing in Negro League baseball. |
| connection between the two from the past that | | | | Winter league baseball also connected |
| Hunter overlooked: Negro League Baseball. | | | | African-American and Latin American players before |
| This spring marks the 63rd anniversary of racial | | | | Major League Baseball's "invisible" color line was |
| segregation ending in Major League Baseball. On April | | | | erased. Playing winter league baseball was the way |
| 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson dawned the field wearing a | | | | African-American players supplemented their Negro |
| Brooklyn Dodger uniform to play first base against the | | | | League salaries. Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and many |
| Boston Braves at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. He crossed | | | | other Negro League players spent their winters in |
| over the color line to become the first | | | | Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or |
| African-American to play Major League Baseball since | | | | Venezuela. They played against the best Latin |
| before the turn of the century. It was an "invisible" color | | | | American players. In addition, many white Major |
| line because white club owners had denied there was | | | | Leaguer players supplemented their salaries in winter |
| a league policy prohibiting black players from entering | | | | league baseball. The legends of many great Negro |
| the Major Leagues. However except for a few that | | | | League players are filled with stories from games |
| played during the early formation of organized | | | | played in the winter leagues. It was also a haven for |
| professional baseball in the 1880's, no | | | | African-American ballplayers, as they did not have to |
| African-American had played in the Big Leagues | | | | confront racial prejudice and discrimination in those |
| before Robinson. | | | | Latin American countries as they did in the United |
| This "invisible" color line not only kept African-American | | | | States. |
| players out, but also Latin American players. During this | | | | When the "invisible" color line was finally erased, |
| "whites only" Major League era, there were a few | | | | African-American baseball fans did not make a big |
| light-skinned Cubans that crossed the line. But they | | | | differentiation about the dark faces they saw on the |
| faced racial insults and discrimination. White players | | | | diamond as more African-Americans and Latin |
| saw them as no different in terms of race than they | | | | Americans came to the Major Leagues during the |
| saw black players. Out of response to the "invisible" | | | | 1950's. They cheered as loud for Minnie Monoso, |
| color line, Negro League baseball was born and from | | | | Roberto Clemente, and Orlando Cepeda as they did |
| its infancy Latin American players were a part of it. | | | | for Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Ernie Banks. |
| In the early 1900's, the Cuban Stars and Havana Stars | | | | Hunter's reference to Latin American players as |
| frequently toured the eastern US during baseball | | | | "imposters" was a wrong word choice. Along with |
| season. Since there were dark skinned Cubans on | | | | African-American ballplayers, they also felt the real |
| both teams, most professional white teams would not | | | | sting of racial discrimination while trying to play |
| play them. The Cuban teams played the majority of | | | | professional baseball. They both were kept out of the |
| their games against the top African-American teams | | | | Major Leagues for almost half a century only because |
| at that time (Philadelphia Giants, etc). The Cuban Stars | | | | of one reason: their skin color. Even after the "invisible" |
| in 1920 were one of the initial teams of the first major | | | | color line was erased, they both still faced |
| Negro baseball league formed, the Negro National | | | | discrimination in professional baseball. During Spring |
| League (NNL). The team operated out of Cincinnati | | | | Training, neither could stay in the same hotels with their |
| and was the first Negro League team to use a Major | | | | white teammates in Florida and Arizona. That did not |
| League stadium, as it's home field. The New York | | | | change until the 1960's. And some Major League |
| Cubans, owned by Cuban born Alex Pompez, were in | | | | managers and coaches who could not let go of the |
| the Negro National League for 12 years starting in the | | | | past also tried to unsuccessfully stereotype them both |
| late 1930's. Pompez stocked his teams with not only | | | | as lazy and mentally slow. |
| African-Americans and players from Cuba, but also | | | | Their history of facing racism in professional baseball |
| players from other Latin American countries. His 1947 | | | | will forever link African-American and Latin American |
| team won the Negro League World Series. In 2006, | | | | players. It is a connection started in the days of Negro |
| Pompez was elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame. | | | | League baseball that goes beyond any cultural |
| There were also Cuban players on other Negro | | | | differences Torii Hunter tried to reference. |
| League teams. Martin Dihago played with not only the | | | | |