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(April 25) - Happy 101st birthday to the oldest living major leaguer, Connie Marrero. Marrero pitched for a decade and a half for Cuban League teams and for the Cuban national team and resisted the lure of the major leagues and America for a long time. He finally came to America and pitched for five years for the Washington Senators in his late 30s and early 40s (1950-54). Even at that advanced baseball age Marrero was successful as a "swing man" who could both START AND RELIEVE. HE WAS SELECTED TO THE 1951 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM. Marrero has held that title of oldest living major leaguer for over 18 months.
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My dad insists that Marrero was given permission to smoke cigars in the Nats dugout. At the least, his photos often show him with a cigar.
A story / rumor / legend on one of the current Nats fan boards says that Connie Marrero taught his knee-buckling curve to Camilo Pascual and later to Livan Hernandez. I can't verify it, but it's a good story.
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