When most people think of major league baseball being integrated in St. Louis they think of the St. Louis Cardinals being warned by the commissioner of baseball against boycotting Jackie Robinson in 1947. Although the Cardinals deny this accusation it is still considered to be part and parcel of baseball lore. After all St. Louis was the southern most city in the major leagues for a long time and many people felt it represented the thoughts and attitudes of the deep south.
In some ways this was true. The Cardinals did have segregated seating from 1925 - 1945 but on the field the Cardinals followed along with the majority of major league baseball where Cubans and other Hispanic and Spanish descent players played some important roles.
The first player of color to play professional baseball in St. Louis was Alfredo Cabrera in 1913. Cabrerra was a shortstop who played in one game on May 16 and went 0 - 2. He was from the Canary Islands which is just off the coast of Africa. In a sense, Cabrera was not only the first person of Spanish decent to play for the Cardinals, he was the first African player ever in the majors.
If that’s not shocking enough the second player of color to play for the Cardinals was a Cuban catcher named Miguel Gonzalez in 1915. In 1928 Pepper Martin an Osage Indian began a career with the St. Louis Cardinals that would put him on 4 All Star teams. In 1938, Gonzalez became the first Hispanic manager in all of the major leagues when he was named interim manager for the Cardinals. He was also named interim manager for the Cardinals in 1940.
So 20 years before Jackie Robinson broke the color line for baseball the St. Louis Cardinals had a Cuban manager. 25 years before that the St. Louis Cardinals had it’s first Spanish born player and the first and only African born player in the majors.
The first player of color to play professional baseball in St. Louis was Alfredo Cabrera in 1913. Cabrerra was a shortstop who played in one game on May 16 and went 0 - 2. He was from the Canary Islands which is just off the coast of Africa. In a sense, Cabrera was not only the first person of Spanish decent to play for the Cardinals, he was the first African player ever in the majors.
If that’s not shocking enough the second player of color to play for the Cardinals was a Cuban catcher named Miguel Gonzalez in 1915. In 1928 Pepper Martin an Osage Indian began a career with the St. Louis Cardinals that would put him on 4 All Star teams. In 1938, Gonzalez became the first Hispanic manager in all of the major leagues when he was named interim manager for the Cardinals. He was also named interim manager for the Cardinals in 1940.
So 20 years before Jackie Robinson broke the color line for baseball the St. Louis Cardinals had a Cuban manager. 25 years before that the St. Louis Cardinals had it’s first Spanish born player and the first and only African born player in the majors.
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