Cuban Baseball Cards

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Cubans in Baseball Cards
As in the United States, Cuban Baseball Cards began as Trade Cards, Cabinet Photos and promotional giveaways with Tobacco products. But instead of cardboard being the main printing media of choice in Cuba it was a thinner paper with cards made mostly to paste into accompanying albums. Cuban Baseball Cards are some of the rarest and most difficult for collectors to find. Complete sets are almost impossible to find. Providing some of the only cards to be found of great Negro League legends like the Cuban Martin Dihigo, John Henry Lloyd, Oscar Charleston and Ray Dandridge. In addition many Cuban born players have appeared in American, Canadian, Japanese, Venezuelan and Dominican Baseball card sets.


	United States/Canada:

You Need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view List Below:
Cubans in U.S. Cards:
Pre-1980 by Alpha Order
Pre-1980 by Year of Card
Post-1980 by Alpha Order
Top 20 US and Cuban Cards
and Most Wanted


	Japan: Pictured here is a Japanese Baseball Card of Roberto "Chico" Barbon, who was the first Cuban to play in Japan (1955 to 1964). Other Cubans who have played in Japan include Ozzie Canseco, Orestes Destrade, Chico Fernandez, Tony Gonzalez, Roman Mejias and Zoilo Versalles. The latest to go is Alex Ochoa.

Venezuelan Baseball Cards: Venezuela produced card sets in 1916, 1931-34, 1943, 1948 and 1935. In the years 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966-68 Topps produced sets of baseball cards for the Venezuelan market. Additionaly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s several baseball card sets where produced. Included in these sets were many Cuban ballplayers. More recently some cards of Cubans can be found in modern Venezuelan baseball card sets. Pictured here is card of Cuban Pedro Pages from a rare 1953 set (Courtesy of Rafael Lairet).

Latin Baseball Cards: In addition to Venezuela Baseball card sets picturing Cuban baseball players have been produced in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Nicaragua. Little is known about the rare card sets made in these Latin American countries during the 1950s and 1960s. Several Cubans are included in these sets. Pictured here is a Dominican Republic card of the great Martin Dihigo (Courtesy of Ryan Christoff). More recently card sets have been produced covering the Winter Leagues in Latin nations.

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