Cuban Stars Alejandro Pompez Letter (c. 1920’s)

This letter was written by Alex Pompez, the manager of the Cuban Stars, to A. Lopez in Santa Clara, Cuba. The letter is written on Cuban Stars letterhead and signed in pencil by Pompez.

Alex Pompez

The Cuban Stars were founded in 1905. There were two Cuban Stars baseball teams in early Negro League baseball history. One team, the Cuban Stars (East), played primarily on the East Coast. The other team, the Cuban Stars (West), played mainly in the Midwest and Great Lakes area.

The Cuban Stars (East) played in the following leagues during their franchise history:

                        Independent                           1916-1922

                        Eastern Colored League            1923-1928

                        American Negro League             1929

                        Independent                            1929-1932

                        East-West League                    1932

                        Independent                            1933-1934

The Cuban Stars (West) played in the following leagues:

                        Independent                            1905-1919

                        Negro National League               1920-1930

The Cuban Stars also were promoted under several other names: New York Cubans, Havana Cuban Stars, Cincinnati Cubans and the All Cubans. The team was generally of a mixed race composition. The Cuban Stars were owned and managed by Alejandro (Alex) Pompez during the 1920’s and 1930’s. He reorganized the Cuban Stars into the New York Cubans in 1935. Pompez then immediately entered the team in the Negro National League. The New York Cubans played in the Negro National League from 1935 to 1950.

Alejandro (Alex) Pompez made most of his money as a gambler, bookmaker and in the numbers racket. Pompez base of operations was in Harlem (New York City). He also had significant interests in sports as a promoter, booking agent, owner/manager of Cuban Stars, owner of New York Cubans, Vice President of the Negro National League and scout for the New York Giants. Pompez signed  Orlando Cepeda for the Giants. Alex Pompez was a powerful force in Negro League baseball from the 1920’s through 1940’s.

Alejandro (Alex) Pompez was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.