1946-47 Caramelo Deportivo starter set. Lot of 75 cards including 17 Negro Leaguers. For the most part, condition is average to above average for this set. The 1946-47 Caramelo Deportivo set is significantly more rare than the 1945-46 set. It includes cards from all four teams in the regular Cuban League (Almendares, Habana, Cienfuegos, Marianao) as well as all four teams in the National Federation League (Habana Reds, Oriente, Camaguey, Matanzas).
In 1946, a group of “outlaw” Major Leaguers jumped to the Mexican League, lured by higher salaries. MLB commissioner Happy Chandler was not happy that players were being poached so he famously banned any MLB player who jumped to Mexico from returning to the Majors for 5 years. Danny Gardella was the first of the “outlaw” players to go to Mexico, where he earned twice the salary he did in the United States. There were 21 MLB players in total who jumped to Mexico and were banned by MLB. Gardella later sued MLB and the five-year ban was dropped in June of 1949. Many of these banned players played in Mexico in the summer and Cuba in the winter, before going back to the Majors in 1949. The 1946-47 Cuban League was considered an “outlaw” league and Chandler warned American players not to play in it or they would face suspension. As a result, a competing league called “Federacion Nacional” was established as a sanctioned competitor to the regular Cuban League. Many of the outlaw MLB players who had jumped to Mexico also played in the regular Cuban League, since they were already banned for five years. A number of those banned “outlaw” players are included in this lot. Card #179 has a large tear. Includes:
10. Adrian Zabala (outlaw)
17. Danny Gardella (outlaw)
19. Myron Hayworth (outlaw)
26. Roy Zimmerman (outlaw)
28. Jim Roy
20. Walter Nothe
38. Rene Monteagudo (outlaw)
45. Carlos Blanco (Negro Leaguer)
48. Sagua Hernandez
49. Mosquito Ordenaña
50. Lazaro Medina
51. Fred Martin (outlaw)
54. Lou Klein (outlaw)
55. Pablo Garcia (Negro Leaguer)
58. Adolfo Luque
63. Santos Amaro
64. Norm Robinson (Negro Leaguer)
65. Lazaro Salazar (Negro Leaguer)
66. Andres Fleitas
67. Hector Rodriguez (Negro Leaguer)
71. Roberto Ortiz
74. Jesse Williams (Negro Leaguer)
79. Mario Ariosa
81. Marianao pennant
82. Armando Marsans
86. Roberto Estalella (outlaw)
88. Gilberto Valdivia
90. Oliverio Ortiz
91. Francisco Campos
92. Sandalio Consuegra
96. Pedro “Charolito” Orta
97. Cochihuila Valenzuela
99. Aristonico Correoso
100. Daniel Doy
101. Joe Lyndsay
102. Habana Rex pennant
103. Gilberto Torres
104. Oscar Rodriguez
105. Isidoro Leon
107. Chulungo del Monte
111. Guillermo Monje
116. Claro Duany (Negro Leaguer)
118. Francisco Quicutis
127. Pedro Arango (Negro Leaguer)
129. Jose Cendan
130. Eddie Chandler
131. Rogelio “Limonar” Martinez
132. Atares Garcia
133. Manuel Godinez (Negro Leaguer)
134. Johnny Williams (Negro Leaguer)
137. Armando Gallart
138. Ruben Garcia
139. Leovigildo Xiques (Negro Leaguer)
141. Jacinto “Siki” Roque
144. Camaguey pennant
145. Antonio “Pollo” Rodriguez
146. Manuel Parrado
148. Amado Ibañez (Negro Leaguer)
149. Teodoro Oxamendi
150. Adolfo Cabrera
151. Oscar Garmendia
152. Hector Arango
153. Evelio Martinez
154. Raquel Antunez
158. Roberto Johnson
162. Orestes Pereda
164. Oriente pennant
165. Fermin Guerra
166. Jose Maria Fernandez (Negro Leaguer)
167. Cando Lopez (Negro Leaguer)
168. Conrado Marrero
179. Armando Vazquez (Negro Leaguer)
180. Jose Zardon
181. Jose Luis Colas (Negro Leaguer)
182. Rogelio “Mantecado” Linares (Negro Leaguer)