Pedro Almenares Alarcón

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Outstanding baseball player from Manzanillo who dedicated his life to sports and the training of new generations of baseball players.

Pedro Almenares Alarcón was born in Manzanillo and like any young man of his time, he saw baseball as the only way to advance in life.

Two blocks from his house there was a large, flat piece of land where the best baseball in the area was played. There he learned the secrets of discipline by watching those older than him. He rarely stopped dreaming of excelling in baseball, while alternating practice with learning the carpentry trade and attending school. His family was quite large, so his 13 siblings had to help out at home from a young age.

When the amateur team from Cienfuegos, national champions in that 1941 season, visited Manzanillo to face the local team, it just so happened that one of the starting outfielders of the local lineup refused to participate in the match, so the organizers turned to him. They found him a pair of spikes, a uniform, and placed him in left field where he was fortunate enough to not look bad.

Two months later a team directed by Lorenzo (Chiquitín) Cabrera visited Manzanillo, which included true luminaries of Havana amateur baseball, who once a year would unite to travel through the eastern provinces in search of some money.

By then he had some standing within the local team. After the three agreed-upon matches concluded, they recommended him to play in Bayamo. From there he moved to central America, as an overseer, and later represented Violeta. In these he played interprovincial baseball.

Shortly after, he set out for Santi Spíritus, where he was unable to perform as a regular and had to resort to his carpentry knowledge to survive, because those teams didn't even pay a small salary.

With these he stayed for a while until he was hired to play at central Washington, in Manacas. That was the hometown of one of the stars of Cuban professional baseball Manuel (Cocaína) García, who served as an assistant for the renowned Leones de la Habana (Professional).

Cocaína himself perceived his qualities and recommended him to Miguel Ángel González, owner of the Habana club in professional baseball. With the Lions he practiced for two years (1951-1952) and although he received a small sum of money, he was not on the official roster of 22 players.

He was able to make the regular roster in the 1953-1954 season and upon concluding the regular schedule he is named the best rookie thanks to his batting average of .328.

That performance allowed him to earn merit to receive an offer from the Brooklyn Dodgers organization and with them he played AAA, AA, and Class A.

After concluding the professional campaign of 1960-1961 (February 7), this man refused to return to paid baseball, not only in the United States, but in Mexico, where he also could have. He preferred to fully dedicate himself to training new athletes in different disciplines, although he admits that baseball was, is, and will be his great passion, therefore he has never been able to distance himself from it.

During those early years of the nascent Revolution, Almenares continued his work in the training camps until in 1962, he participated along with other colleagues in the organization of the first Baseball Series, which led to the greatest sporting spectacle for the Cuban people throughout the island's geography.

Also in his municipality of residence, San Miguel del Padrón, he participated in the construction of Bobby Salamanca stadium.

Among the multiple activities of Pedro Almenares, appears the beautiful venue of Juan Ealo, where day after day, he forgets the passage of years and gives the best of himself, along with other colleagues, to keep it as one of the best in the country.

Although he is no longer as agile in his gait nor can he hit home runs, at 83 years old he assures he feels strong; today his greatest satisfaction is seeing the little ones grow, bat in hand, because he always keeps in mind his great passion: Baseball.