On this day in Latinx history: The New York Cubans celebrate their 1947 Negro World Series title

The Cleveland Buckeyes came into the 1947 Negro World Series as underdogs against the heavily favored New York Cubans. After the first game at the Polo Grounds ended in a 5-5 tie because of rain in the sixth inning and the Buckeyes won the second contest, 10-7, at Yankee Stadium, it appeared the Cubans would have stiffer competition than expected.

Those first two games were anomalies, as the Cubans went on to blank the Buckeyes 6-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, rout them 9-4 at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park and obliterate them 9-2 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.

When Game 6 returned to Cleveland on Sept. 27, 1947, New York came out victorious in a hard-fought 6-5 decision at League Park to win its fourth straight game and first Negro World Series championship. News of the Cubans’ victory was not widely reported until Oct. 4, 1947, during the celebration of the championship.

Cubans manager José María Fernández had to rally his team in Game 6, as it found itself in a 5-0 hole in the fifth inning. New York allowed five runs on five hits, while Buckeyes righty Gene Smith held the Cubans at bay, allowing only three hits.

But Cleveland started to fall apart as the Cubans used two hits, a hit batter and two consecutive errors to bring in three runners and pull to within 5-3 after the sixth inning.

In the seventh and eighth innings, New York brought in three more runners on three hits in what would turn out to be the second-to-last Negro World Series ever played.