Nino Escalera

Nino Escalera
Outfielder/First baseman
Born: December 1, 1929 (1929-12-01) Santurce, Puerto Rico
Batted: Left	Threw: left
MLB debut
April 17, 1954 for the Cincinnati Redlegs
Last MLB appearance
September 25, 1954 for the Cincinnati Redlegs
Career statistics
Batting average	.159
Home runs	0
Runs batted in	3
Teams
Cincinnati Redlegs (1954)

Saturnino (Cuadrado) Escalera (born December 1, 1929 in Santurce, Puerto Rico) is a former outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Redlegs in the 1954 season.

He started his baseball career at a very young age, often playing with his brothers and neighbors from the Loiza Street in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 1946 at the Amateur Baseball World Series held in the latin american Republic of Colombia Escalera was named best first baseman and most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament.

In 1950, the New York Yankees organization obtained Escalera from the Bristol Owls of the Colonial League. In 1952, he was purchased by the Toledo Mud Hens-Charleston Senators of the American Association, and later that year, by the Cincinnati Redlegs organization.

On April 17, 1954 at the Milwaukee's County Stadium, a 24-year-old Escalera, standing at 5'10 and weighting 165 pounds, became the first black to play for the Cincinnati Redlegs. He entered the game as a pinch hitter, and hit a single in a 5–1 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

He played in 73 games during his only big league season, often as a pinch hitter. Season and career totals include a .159 batting average (11-for-69), 3 runs batted in, 15 runs scored, and an on base percentage of .234. He committed just one error in 49 total chances at OF/1B for a fielding percentage of .980.

Escalera worked as a scout for the New York Mets organization from 1966 to 1981. In 1982, he served as a scout for the San Francisco Giants organization. Among players signed by Escalera are retired major league players Jerry Morales, Ed Figueroa, Benny Ayala, José Oquendo and Juan Berenguer.

Escalera is a member of the Puerto Rico Baseball Hall Of Fame, Rio Piedras Sport Hall of Fame, Puerto Rico Sport Hall of Fame and Santurce Sport Hall of Fame. He is considered alongside Victor Pellot and Orlando Cepeda among the best first basemen in Puerto Rico history.

MINOR LEAGUE EXPERIENCE:

• /1949 Colonial League (B) Bristol Owls/
• /1950 Canadian-American League (C) Amsterdam Rugmakers NYA/
• /1950 Colonial League (B) Bristol Owls/
• /1951 Central League (A) Muskegon Reds NYA/
• /1951 International League (AAA) Syracuse Chiefs/
• 1952 American Association (AAA) Toledo Mud Hens/Charleston Senators/
• /1953 American Association (AAA) Indianapolis Indians CLE
• /1953 Texas League (AA) Tulsa Oilers CIN/
• /1954 National League (MLB) Cincinnati Redlegs CIN/
• /1955 International League (AAA) Havana Sugar Kings CIN/
• /1956 International League (AAA) Havana Sugar Kings CIN
• /1957 International League (AAA) Havana Sugar Kings CIN/
• /1958 International League (AAA) Havana Sugar Kings CIN/
• /1959 International League (AAA) Columbus Jets PIT/
• /1960 International League (AAA) Columbus Jets PIT/
• /1961 International League (AAA) Columbus Jets PIT/
• /1962 International League (AAA) Rochester Red Wings BAL/

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• List of first black Major League Baseball players by team and date

External links

• http://minors.sabrwebs.com/cgi-bin/person.php?milbID=escale001sat
• Baseball Reference - major league statistics
• Baseball Reference - minor league statistics
• Retrosheet
• Baseball Library
• Baseball Integration Timeline