Carlos Paula

Carlos Paula was a hard-hitting outfielder from Cuba. He made his way through the ranks of the Washington Senators' minor league affiliates. He arrived for spring training in 1954 but was cut when the major league team broke camp for the regular season. Paula was called up by the big league Nationals in September of '54. He impressed fans with his ability to hit the ball hard and also to run the bases with speed. His major weakness was an inability to field without making numerous errors. By the end of spring training he was cut by the Sens, only to re-emerge for the Sacramento Solons and the Havana Sugar Kings in the minors. I have utilized old newspaper accounts and ancestry records to profile Paula's emergence as the first Black starter for the Washington Senators.