Esteban Bellán: A Cuban Baseball Pioneer

by Sadie Keller

Esteban Bellán || Image from Wall Street Journal

Cuban-born players in Major League Baseball (MLB) have been known to make headlines for their incredible talent and uncanny abilities. Kendrys Morales, José Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, Yoenis Céspedes, Yasiel Puig, and Aroldis Chapman are arguably some of the most well-known players in the game today. If Cuba were part of the United States, it would be one of the biggest producers of professional baseball players. In 2019, 30 active MLB players were Cuban-born, accounting for a greater number of players than 43 states. It would not be possible for the steady stream of Cuban-born players to put their skills in the MLB spotlight without the efforts of Esteban “Steve” Bellán, the first Latin-born player in a top professional baseball league.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1849, Bellán grew up in an affluent family with a wealthy Cuban father and an immigrant, Irish-born mother. During this time, Cuba was still a Spanish colony and due to the turmoil as the struggle for independence ensued, it became common for upper-class Cubans to send their children to the United States for the best possible education. Bellán, along with his mother and older brother, left Cuba to attend school in the United States in 1863. In the fall, the brothers enrolled at St. John’s College in the Bronx, New York, which is known as Fordham University today. St. John’s fielded its first baseball team in September 1859, and Bellán joined the club at age 16 in 1866. It is unknown whether he was exposed to baseball in Cuba before journeying to the United States, though it is unlikely because the introduction of the game to Cuba subsequently occurred in 1866, over two years after Bellán left.

After competing with the St. John’s College team, Bellán left school to pursue a career in professional baseball and never graduated. An opportunity arose to play for the Unions of Morrisania in the National Association of Base Ball Players League (NABBP) in 1868. As a half-Irish, Cuban-born ballplayer, Bellán was fair-skinned enough to advance past the racial prejudice prevalent in the league at the time. Just a year before Bellán joined the NABBP, it voted to ban any black clubs, classified as “any club which may be composed of one or more colored persons” from entering the league.”

Troy Haymakers 1871 Team Photo || Image from Society for American Baseball Research

While playing in 20 games for Morrisania, Bellán was provided the opportunity to play in major Midwestern cities and gain exposure to the world of high-level baseball. He continued, and joined the Troy Haymakers in 1869 also part of the NABBP). At the end of 1870, the league was in turmoil and collapsed. The National Association of Professional Baseball Players, also known as the National Association, rose in its place and was the sport’s first professional league. On May 1st, 1871, Bellán suited up for his first game with the Troy Haymakers in the new league, becoming the first Latin American player in U.S. professional baseball. It was there where he was nicknamed “The Cuban Sylph” for his slick play in the infield and ability to stop line drives in the hot corner at third base. He then played a utility role for the New York Mutuals in 1873 where he finished his professional career in the United States. Bellán’s final career statistics include a .251 batting average, nine doubles, three triples, 43 RBIs, and 52 runs scored.

Upon completion of his professional campaign, Bellán moved back to Havana in 1874 to help further establish baseball in Cuba. While it is widely accepted that the Guilló brothers brought baseball to the island, Bellán played an integral part in the further development of the game. When he returned to the island, baseball became a form of rebellion against Spain, and the passion of the sport became ingrained into the DNA of the Cuban people. Under the pressure of colonial rule, bullfighting on the island was strongly favored by Spain as a Spanish tradition, and baseball was banned in some areas of Cuba. The game became a statement of Cuban identity as the fight for independence raged on. Bellán seized the opportunity and brought his passion and skill to officially organize Cuban baseball.

Palmar de Junco field, early 1900s || Image from Cesar Brioso

At the end of 1874, Bellán was a key factor in the first formal, organized baseball game in Cuba. On December 27th, the famous game was played in Palmar de Junco field between Bellán’s team from Havana and the home club from Matanzas. Havana won in blow-out fashion, routing Matanzas by a final score of 51-9. Bellán, not known for his power, knocked three home runs and scored seven times. In another major advancement for the game, the Cuban League was established at the end of 1878. Bellán once again charted the way as he served the role of player-manager in the league. His Havana team went undefeated in its inaugural season and won the championship that year. Bellán continued to catch and manage the Havana ballclub through the 1885-1886 season. He led his team to be competitive each year and ultimately, won three Cuban League championships. He remained active in Cuban baseball for several years until he slowly faded from historical records. The final four decades of his life remain largely a mystery before he passed on August 8, 1932, at the age of 82.

It is hard to fathom Bellán’s impact on the game of baseball and the lives of countless Latin-born baseball players. He, among others, is commonly known as the Father of Cuban baseball. While Bellán's life after baseball is unknown, the product of his efforts, the Cuban League, continued until 1961 when the new government banned professional baseball. Shortly after the dissolution of the Cuban League, the post-revolutionary Cuban National Series was formed. Amateur baseball became as popular as ever and provided opportunities for ballplayers from each province. Outside of Cuba, Bellán had a direct impact on players from other Latin American countries such as powerhouses in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico; the impact can be seen all over the MLB. In 2020, each of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball had at least one player on their roster that was born in a Latin American country.

Bellán might have been the first professional Latin American baseball player in the United States, but his commitment to the game ensured he wouldn’t be the last. The role Bellán played in establishing baseball as part of the Cuban culture, and the opportunities created will forever impact players in Cuba and other Latin American countries. Though his career in American baseball produced relatively modest statistics, and Bellán isn’t the flashy player often seen in today’s headlines, the pipeline of Latin American players in the United States would not have been a reality if not for the efforts of Esteban Bellán. For that reason, he will always be remembered as a Cuban legend.