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Jacinto and Tomás Calvo: Early Life

 * Jacinto or Jack Calvo and his older brother Tomás Calvo were born in La Habana, Cuba (Jacinto- June 11, 1894- June 15, 1965; Tomás- 1890- Unkown). Growing up in Cuba, Jacinto and Tomás Calvo were raised by their father. Their father was a wealthy and successful sugar farmer. So Jacinto and Tomás had no need to work while they were young. Instead of working, they played baseball from the moment the sun rose, until it fell later in the day.

Baseball in the Cuban National League

 * By 1913, the two brothers began their professional baseball careers playing for the Almendares in the Cuban National League. Jacinto emerged as a star that year, with a batting average of .356 in just 19 games. He played in the outfield and it was rare to see a ball headed his way that did not make contact with his glove. While his brother Tomás had a mediocre year with a batting average of only .231, but he was still a great fielder. In a series against the Philadelphia Athletics and against the New Orleans Pelicans Jacinto’s batting average was an astonishing .400. Tomás was never as flashy as his brother, but he was never too far behind his brother’s talent.

Opportunities to play MLB

 * Their dedication and passion for the game quickly caught the eyes of MLB scouts in the United States of America. Late in the year of 1913 Jacinto was signed by the Washington Senators. Jacinto made his debut on May 9th and had a batting average of .242. Even though this may have not been his best performance, the fans were still impressed by his arm. Jacinto did not fair too well for the rest the season with the Senators and he bounced around to a couple minor league teams before returning to play baseball in Cuba. Similarly Tomás earned the respect of the Boston Red Socks and was signed in December of 1913. Unfortunately Tomás did not make it in Boston and would quickly move back to Cuba to reunite with his brother.
 * Jacinto did find his way back with the Washington Senators a second time in 1920, but just like before he did not perform well. It was thought that Jacinto and Tomas just weren’t cut out to play against MLB pitchers. In Jacinto’s two seasons with the Washington Senators he played 33 games and only had a .161 batting average.

Returning to Cuba and life after Baseball

 * When the brothers returned to Cuba, they played with Habana from 1913-16. During the 1915-1916 season Jacinto lead the Cuban National League with 8 doubles and in at bats with 153 in 42 games. After the 1916 season with Habana, Tomás retired from baseball after only playing professional baseball for 4 seasons and it is unknown what he did after baseball, where he went, or how he died. The following year in 1917, Jacinto continued his career with the Orientals in the Cuban National League. That year he once again led the league in doubles with 3 and 6 stolen bases. From 1918-1921, he returned to Habana and led the league in triples twice. Jacinto Calvo continued to play in the Cuban National league until he retired in 1927 at the age of 33 years old. In total he played 13 seasons in the Cuban National League and his all time batting average was .308.
 * Jacinto Calvo ranks 8th on the Cuban National League all time batting average list. He also holds the record for most triples in a game after his performance on January 9th, 1920. He hit three triples in one game, that’s astonishing. Not many MLB players have accomplished the same thing. Jacinto Calvo was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cuba in 1948. Sometime later, Calvo moved to Miami, Florida to retire and he died in Miami on June 15, 1965 at 71 years old.

Impact

 * Jacinto and Tomás Calvo might not have made much of an impact in the United States of America as baseball players, but they did when it comes to race. MLB was predominantly white in the 20th century and minority baseball players were not very accepted. It wasn’t until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 that an African American entered the MLB. Jacinto and Tomás were amongst the few minority baseball players allowed in MLB before it become an open race league. You could say they were some of the early pioneers for minorities in MLB. I doubt it was just the pitching that effected the brother’s play while in the United States. I assume the crowd’s yelled racist slurs, teammates probably mistreated them, and they were not living the same comfortable lifestyle they were used to in Cuba. These all had to be key factors on the brother’s performances. Regardless the two brothers lived marvelous lives and should always be remembered in the realm of Baseball.