"Last Seasons in Havana is a much-needed addition to baseball history. . . . The complete history of Cuban baseball may never be known, but Brioso has cracked open the door with some valuable information and insights."—Bob D’Angelo, Sport in American History
"Focusing on the final three seasons of the Cuban League (1958–61) and the final two seasons of the Havana Sugar Kings (1959–60), Last Seasons in Havana explores how Castro’s rise to power forever altered Cuba and the course of a sport that had become ingrained in the island’s culture over the course of almost a century."—Jason Schott, Brooklyn Fans
"In the 1950's, baseball was at the height of its popularity in Cuba, in both terms of spectator attendance and the quality of baseball played. However, once Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista and took control of the island's government, the fate of the sport changed. These changes which led to the end of the Cuban League and the presence of minor league baseball in Cuba are captured in this interesting book by Cesar Brioso."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports Books
“A well-told history of the swan song of Cuban professional baseball, caught between two dictatorships, Batista’s and Castro’s.”—Roberto González Echevarría, author of The Pride of Havana and Cuban Fiestas
“Tommy Lasorda, Carl Yastrzemski, Luis Tiant, and Fidel Castro are among the cast of characters in César Brioso’s rich account of the last days of the professional game in Havana. A must-read for baseball and history fans.”—Tim Wendel, author of Castro’s Curveball and Summer of ’68
“Last Seasons in Havana is a well-researched examination of the Marxist sociopolitical upheaval that convulsed the island of Cuba in the early 1960s and altered baseball in the Caribbean for the remainder of the century.”—Lou Hernández, author of Manager of the Giants: The Tactics, Temper and True Record of John McGraw
