Rafael Almeida (baseball)

Rafael Almeida
Rafael Almeida, 1912.
Third baseman
Born: (1887-07-30)July 30, 1887
Havana, Captaincy General of Cuba
Died: March 19, 1968(1968-03-19) (aged 80)
Havana, Cuba
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 4, 1911, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
July 18, 1913, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics
Batting average.270
Home runs3
Runs batted in46
Stats at Baseball Reference 
Teams
Member of the Cuban
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1939
Medals
Manager for  Cuba
Central American and Caribbean Games
1930 HavanaTeam

Rafael D. Almeida (July 30, 1887 – March 19, 1968) was a Cuban professional baseball third baseman from 1911 to 1913 with the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). Along with Armando Marsans, he was one of the first Cuban nationals to play in the National League when the two debuted with the Reds on July 4, 1911.

Six years before debuting with Cincinnati, Almeida and Marsans both played Negro league baseball in the United States as members of the integrated All Cubans in 1905. He also played winter league baseball in the Cuban League from 1904 to 1925.

After his professional career, Almeida managed the Vedado Tennis Club to several pennant victories in the Cuban Amateur League. He also acted as manager of the champion Cuba national baseball team at the 1930 Central American Games in Havana. Almeida was one of ten players elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in its 1939 inaugural class.