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TheJersey City Jerseys were aminor league baseball team based inJersey City, New Jersey that played in theInternational League for two seasons, 1960 and 1961. They were theAAA affiliate of theCincinnati Reds. The team's home stadium wasRoosevelt Stadium. The team began life inHavana, Cuba as the Havana Cubans (and later renamed theHavana Sugar Kings) then moved to Jersey City following theCuban Revolution. The team folded and moved toJacksonville, Florida, becoming theJacksonville Suns.
The team began in 1946 inHavana, Cuba as the Havana Cubans competing in theFlorida International League. The team was renamed theHavana Sugar Kings upon joining the International League in 1954. The team then ended up winning the 1959Little World Series in seven games over theMinneapolis Millers of theAmerican Association. However, the next year,Fidel Castro nationalized all U.S.-owned enterprises in Cuba, and on July 8, 1960,Baseball CommissionerFord Frick announced that the Sugar Kings would be moving toJersey City, New Jersey and be renamed the Jersey City Jerseys, a move that led managerTony Castaño to quit the team.[1]
The team featured many Cuban andLatino players includingLeo Cárdenas,Mike Cuellar,Vic Davalillo,Julián Javier, andCookie Rojas. However, the Jerseys would last only one more season (1961) before folding due to poor attendance. The franchise was then sold to theCleveland Indians, who moved it toJacksonville, Florida, where it became theJacksonville Suns.