1933 Goudey #209 Adolfo Luque ⭐ MLB Pioneer.
Inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957.
This is one of my favorite cards. It's from the historic 1933 Goudey Baseball Card set of one of MLB's Pioneers playing in both MLB and Negro League.
Adolfo Luque was a true pioneer in baseball history, bridging cultures and breaking barriers long before integration became a reality. A native of Cuba, he first played in the Negro Leagues, where he showcased his talent among some of the greatest Black ballplayers of his era, and then went on to establish himself as one of the most successful Latin American pitchers in Major League Baseball. With the Cincinnati Reds, Luque became the first Latino pitcher to achieve sustained success in the majors, even winning 27 games in 1923 and helping the Reds capture the 1919 World Series. His presence and accomplishments challenged the rigid racial boundaries of the time, as he stood as proof that talent knew no color line. By excelling in both the Negro Leagues and MLB, Luque helped blur those lines, paving the way for future generations of Latino and international players to thrive in the big leagues.