Luis Manuel Castro (November 25, 1876 - September 24, 1941) was the first Colombian to play professional baseball in the United States since Cuban player Esteban Bellán in 1871. Likewise, Castro was the first Latin American ballplayer to play in Major League Baseball. (*) He was born in Medellín, Colombia.
A second baseman and right-handed batter, Castro played his one and only season with the 1902 American League champion Philadelphia Athletics. In his brief 42-game stint, he posted a .245 batting average, with one home run and 15 runs batted in, 35 hits, 18 runs scored, 8 doubles, 1 triple and two stolen bases in 143 at bats.
Though it is known that Luis Castro died in Colombia at age of 64, little else is known about the first Latino to play in the majors.
(*) According to the MacMillan Baseball Encyclopedia, "the first Latin American to enter the big leagues was Luis Castro, an infielder who played 42 games with the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1902 season." - 100 Years & Counting: The Latino Baseball Legacy
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