Carlos Paula
*Carlos Paula was born on this date in 1927. He was an Afro Cuban Major League Baseball right fielder.
A native of Havana, Cuba, Paula was acquired by Washington via a transaction with the Paris Indians Big State League before the 1954 season. He was sent to the Senators' Charlotte, North Carolina affiliate, the Charlotte Hornets, on March 30, 1954. He became the first Black player in Washington Senators ' history when he made his major league debut on September 6, 1954, at Griffith Stadium. He played nine games that month.
He played in 115 games during the 1955 season, batting .299 with six home runs and 55 batted in. In 1956, he appeared in only 33 games and batted .183. His last game was on June 23. Paula was optioned to the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association on April 2, 1957. On April 12, 1958, he was sold by the Senators to the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League.
His career totals for 157 games include a .271 batting average (124-for-457), 9 HR, 60 RBI, 44 runs scored, and a slugging percentage of .416. In his 111 appearances in the outfield, he successfully handled 211 out of 222 total chances for a fielding percentage of .950, well below the league average during his era. Carlos Paula died on April 25, 1983, at 55, in Miami, Florida.
