Carlos Ascanio
| Carlos Ascanio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: April 4, 1918 Santa Lucía, Venezuela | |
| Died: February 27, 1998 (aged 79) Caracas, Venezuela | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| Negro leagues debut | |
| 1946, for the New York Black Yankees | |
| Last Negro leagues appearance | |
| 1946, for the New York Black Yankees | |
| Negro leagues statistics | |
| Batting average | .161 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 5 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Member of the Venezuelan | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2019 |
| Election method | Historical Committee |
Carlos Ascanio Serrano (April 4, 1918 – February 27, 1998) was a Venezuelan baseball player for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro leagues.[1] He played first base[2] and was nicknamed "the Earthquake" due to his powerful swing. Ascanio was the only Venezuelan to play in the Negro leagues, which he joined in 1946 after being recruited by pitcher Dan Bankhead.[3][4]
Ascanio debuted with the "Luciteño" club before signing with Cerveceria Caracas, a first-division club; from there, he was signed by manager Joseíto Rodríguez to play in the Cuban Winter League with Cienfuegos. After his career in the Negro leagues, he returned to Venezuela. In the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP), Ascanio played with Caracas, Magallanes, Vargas, Venezuela, Valencia, and Pampero; he also played in Venezuela's Western League with Centauros and Gavilanes.[5]
After retiring in 1961, he spent a number of years running a sporting goods store in the Venezuelan capital city, Caracas. When petroleum prices began dropping rapidly in the 1980s, the former baseball player was forced to close his business.
On February 9, 1998, Ascanio was found "destitute and starving" on a sidewalk in downtown Caracas, where he had been living with his wife in a rundown boarding home. The two people that had found him immediately transported Ascanio to the nearest emergency room, where he was diagnosed with severe anemia caused by years of malnutrition.[6] Just three weeks later, on February 27, Ascanio died due to complications from anemia and respiratory failure.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Carlos Ascanio Negro League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ McNeil, William (2007). Black Baseball Out of Season: Pay for Play Outside of the Negro Leagues. McFarland. ISBN 9780786429011.
- ^ "Daily News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ^ ""Terremoto" Ascanio, el venezolano de la Negro League". Prodavinci. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ "CARLOS "TERREMOTO" ASCANIO". Museodebeisbol.com. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Venezuelan Ex-Negro Leaguer Dies". AP News. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference and Seamheads
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