Román Mejías – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Cuban outfielder Román Mejías made his mark in baseball history during his nine-year Major League run from 1955 to 1964.

Born in 1925 in Central Manuelita, Cuba, Mejías played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Colt .45s, and Boston Red Sox. He faced the uphill battle of breaking into the majors as both a Cuban player and a man of color in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Most people remember Mejías for his breakout 1962 season with the expansion Houston Colt .45s, when he hit 24 home runs and became the team’s first regular Latino player. His journey from a Cuban shoe factory to the big leagues really shows the grit international players needed back then.

Even though he spent a lot of his career as a backup outfielder behind stars like Roberto Clemente in Pittsburgh, Mejías proved he could play when he finally got the chance.

Román Mejías’s story highlights both the roadblocks and the rare opportunities Latin American players encountered in mid-20th century baseball.

His career stats—54 home runs and a .254 batting average across 627 games—might not jump off the page, but his influence went way beyond those numbers. He helped open doors for future Cuban and Latino ballplayers in the majors.

Early Life and Background

Román Mejías was born on August 9, 1925, in Central Manuelita, a sugar mill community near Abreus in Cuba’s Las Villas province.

Family work in the shoe industry and a growing love for baseball shaped his early years and would eventually set him on the path to the major leagues.

Family and Childhood in Cuba

Román Mejías Gómez was the son of Manuel Mejías and Felipa Gómez. They lived in Central Manuelita, a tiny sugar mill community of just 300 people near Abreus, not far from Cienfuegos.

People often misreported his birth year during his playing days. Baseball cards and official records listed him as born in 1932, and sometimes 1930, but the actual year—1925—only got confirmed after his death in 2023.

Román worked with his father in a shoe factory from a young age. That early factory work in the sugar mill community built his strong work ethic.

Everyone in the community knew each other. It was a close-knit place.

On June 13, 1948, at 22, Mejías married Nicolasa Montero. They had two children: Leandra Rafaela and José.

American sources during his career got his marriage date wrong, reporting it two years later than it really happened.

Education and Early Baseball Experiences

Mejías finished three years of high school in Cuba, juggling schoolwork with family duties. That was pretty typical for young men in rural Cuba in the 1940s.

He started sharpening his baseball skills in the Pedro Betancourt Amateur Baseball League in Matanzas province. This league was quite a distance from home, but it drew young men from all over Cuba looking to get better at baseball.

The league acted as a stepping stone for players hoping to move up in Cuban baseball. It gave them real competition and a shot to get noticed by scouts.

In 1953, while working as an assistant engineer loading sugarcane onto trains, Mejías caught a break. The Pittsburgh Pirates held a tryout camp in Havana, and Cuban lawyer Julio “Monchy” de Arcos paid for Mejías’s trip to try out.

Hall of Fame scout George Sisler noticed his athleticism and traveled 100 miles to Mejías’s hometown to sign him. The whole mill town came out to watch the signing.

Path to Professional Baseball

Román Mejías’s journey from Cuban sugar mill worker to Major League player really started with a stroke of luck during the Pittsburgh Pirates 1953 spring training in Havana.

His quick rise through the minors showed off his raw talent and earned him a shot at the big leagues.

Discovery by George Sisler and Signing

In 1953, Mejías worked as an assistant engineer on a train in Central Manuelita, loading sugarcane. His life totally changed when the Pirates held spring training in Havana.

Branch Rickey, the Pirates’ GM, set up a tryout camp to scout Cuban prospects. Julio “Monchy” de Arcos paid for Mejías’s trip to Havana.

Hall of Famer George Sisler, then a Pirates scout, noticed Mejías at the tryout. Sisler and de Arcos drove 100 miles to Central Manuelita to sign him.

“If you’ve never traveled by car into the interior of Cuba, you can imagine what kind of ride we had,” Sisler later joked. The entire mill town of 300 showed up for the signing.

The Pirates signed Mejías for just a $500 bonus. Several scouts got credit for signing him, including Corito Varona and Howie Haak, alongside Sisler.

Minor League Achievements

Mejías started his pro career with Batavia in the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League in 1953. He got off to a hot start, batting .322 in 117 games.

He quickly became known for his speed. He led the league with 42 steals and also led his team in slugging (.475), doubles (30), and triples (10).

The Big State League in 1954 was where he really shined. Playing for the Waco Pirates, Mejías hit safely in 55 straight games.

He finished that year batting .354 with 15 home runs. Branch Rickey raved, “What a ballplayer! Mejias is sure to go all the way. He defends well, runs well, has a good arm and good power.”

After spending 1956 with the Hollywood Stars in the Pacific Coast League, Mejías played for the Columbus Jets in the International League during parts of 1957 and later seasons.

Transition from Cuban Baseball to U.S. Leagues

Mejías struggled to adjust to American baseball and culture. As a dark-skinned Cuban, he faced racial segregation in the South and Southwest.

He arrived in the U.S. not knowing English. “I never expec’ to be so lonely in the U.S. I couldn’t eat,” he later admitted.

Food was a real problem. “Finally, we learn to go into eating place and we go back in kitchen and point with fingers,” he recalled. Someone eventually taught him to say “ham and eggs and fried chicken.”

Even with all that, Mejías kept playing winter ball in Cuba’s professional league. He debuted with Almendares in 1954-55 and helped the Scorpions win the league championship.

He succeeded in both leagues, which proved how adaptable he was. After Branch Rickey saw him play in Havana that winter, he called Mejías up to Pittsburgh for the 1955 season.

The jump from Cuban baseball to the U.S. pros took a ton of grit, but Mejías’s talent won out over the language and culture barriers.

MLB Career Overview

Román Mejías spent almost a decade in the majors from 1955 to 1964, playing for three teams. He got few chances early with Pittsburgh, broke out with 24 home runs for Houston in 1962, and then struggled during his final stint with Boston.

Debut with Pittsburgh Pirates

Mejías made his MLB debut on April 13, 1955, starting in right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day. At first, he was actually ahead of rookie teammate Roberto Clemente in the outfield rotation.

He picked up a hit and a walk in his first game. The next day, he hit his first big league home run, a two-run shot in the first inning.

Clemente soon took over the right field job, though. Mejías played in 71 games as a rookie but hit just .216.

He spent 1956 back in the minors. When he returned to PIT in 1957, he slowly earned more playing time. His games played climbed from 58 in 1957 to 76 in 1958 and 96 in 1959.

On May 4, 1958, Mejías hit three home runs in one game against San Francisco—a career highlight. Still, he stayed mostly a backup behind Pittsburgh’s strong outfield of Clemente, Bill Virdon, and Bob Skinner.

Years with Houston Colt .45s

The Houston Colt .45s picked Mejías in the 1962 expansion draft, paying $75,000 for his contract. For the first time, he got a real shot as a regular starter.

Houston manager Harry Craft put him in as the starting right fielder. Mejías seized the chance in 1962, starting 137 games for the Colts and having his best MLB season.

He batted .286 with 24 home runs and 76 RBIs. That 24-homer year was almost half his career total.

He was the only Latino player on Houston’s roster that year. During spring training, he led the team with five home runs and 17 RBIs. His performance made him one of the expansion team’s most valuable players.

Funny thing—Mejías was actually 36 that season, though the records listed him as 29. Age mix-ups like that were pretty common among Cuban players then.

Stint with Boston Red Sox

After his big 1962, the Colt .45s traded Mejías to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Pete Runnels. That trade basically derailed his career.

In 1963, Mejías started about half of Boston’s games, mostly in center field. His numbers dropped off from his Houston peak.

The AL style and a new clubhouse seemed to throw him off. In 1964, the Red Sox barely started him. BOS management used him as a bench player, not a regular.

With less playing time, he couldn’t find any rhythm at the plate. The move from Houston to Boston probably made the adjustment even harder.

The trade really ended his days as an everyday major leaguer.

Retirement in 1964

Mejías played his last MLB game on October 4, 1964, against Washington. He went 0-for-2.

After nine seasons, he finished with a .254 career batting average, 54 home runs, 212 runs scored, and 190 RBIs in 627 games. His best years came in the middle of his career.

After leaving the majors, Mejías played Triple-A ball in 1965 and then spent a season in Japan in 1966. After that, he stepped away from pro baseball for good.

He wrapped up his major league career at age 39, though official records still listed him as younger because of those common Cuban age discrepancies.

Playing Style and Positions

Román Mejías was a flexible outfielder—standing 6 feet tall and weighing 175 pounds—who brought power, speed, and solid defense to the field.

His main spot was right field, but he played all over the outfield from 1955 to 1964.

Right Fielder and Outfielder Roles

Mejías made his name as a right fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates. But Roberto Clemente quickly locked down the starting right field job.

The Pirates’ deep outfield limited Mejías’s chances. Bill Virdon handled center field with great defense, and Bob Skinner was steady in left.

When Pittsburgh brought in Gino Cimoli in December 1959, Mejías lost his backup spot completely. That move forced him into a pinch hitter role in his last Pirate seasons.

His ability to play anywhere in the outfield helped when starters needed rest. Mejías started 72 games in 1959, filling in at left field when Skinner was hurt in April.

He also covered right field in May and June when Clemente was on the disabled list.

Slugging and Fielding Capabilities

Mejías really had some pop in his bat, hitting 54 home runs over 627 major league games. His slugging reached its peak in that wild 1962 season with the Houston Colt .45s.

That year, he knocked out 24 home runs, which was almost half his career total. The crazy part? He was actually 36, not 29 like the records said, thanks to some age mix-ups.

He paired his power with solid fielding skills. People at the time said he could run, throw, and field with the best of them.

Mejías wasted no time showing off his power in the majors. In just his second game on April 14, 1955, he crushed a two-run homer in the first inning.

Then there’s May 4, 1958. He absolutely went off, hitting three home runs in the first game of a doubleheader at Seals Stadium in San Francisco.

Comparison with Outfield Contemporaries

Mejías found himself sharing the outfield with some absolute legends. That had to be both a blessing and a curse, right? Roberto Clemente turned into a Hall of Famer and became one of the all-time great right fielders.

Bill Virdon snagged a Gold Glove in 1962. He was one of the top defensive center fielders back then. Bob Skinner? Just a steady pro who always seemed to contribute.

Mejías stood out for his personality, too. People called him affable and good-natured. His humility and energy even reminded some folks of Ernie Banks.

He had the skills, no question, but timing and team rosters kept him from breaking out earlier. Once Houston finally gave him a real shot in 1962, Mejías showed he belonged at that level.

The Colt .45s saw his value and picked him first in the 1962 expansion draft. They dropped $75,000 on his contract, which was no small thing at the time.

Career Highlights and Statistics

Román Mejías put together a .254 career batting average, hit 54 home runs, and drove in 202 runs over 627 games between 1955 and 1964. That 1962 season with Houston really stands out, even though he didn’t get much of a chance in the postseason, despite playing for some strong teams.

Batting Achievements and Records

Over his nine-year career, Mejías put up pretty respectable offensive numbers for his era. He hit .254 in 627 games, with 54 home runs and 202 RBIs.

His best year, without a doubt, came in 1962 with the Houston Colt .45s. He smashed 24 home runs, which was almost half of his career total. That season was a real breakthrough for him after years of bouncing around without a regular spot.

Career Statistics:

• Games: 627
• Batting Average: .254
• Home Runs: 54
• RBIs: 202
• Runs Scored: 212
• OPS: .686

Mejías always showed flashes of power. He hit two home runs in a game five different times. But that game at Seals Stadium on May 4, 1958? Three home runs in one game—just incredible.

Memorable Games and Performances

Mejías definitely had his moments. That three-homer game in 1958 against San Francisco? Easily his best single-game performance.

During spring training in 1962, he helped Houston win the Arizona Cactus League championship. He led the team with five home runs and 17 RBIs that spring.

He made his major league debut on April 13, 1955, picking up a single and a walk in four plate appearances. The very next day, he hit his first career home run—a two-run shot in the first inning.

In 1962, Mejías started 137 games in right field for Houston. That was his one full season as an everyday starter in the majors.

Postseason Experience

Even though he played for some pretty good teams, Mejías barely got to see the postseason. He appeared in just three games for the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, who went on to win the World Series.

He got his shot with the championship team in early May. He pinch-ran twice and struck out in his only at-bat as a pinch hitter on May 5, 8, and 11.

The Pirates sent him back to Columbus before the May 12 roster deadline. They recalled him near the end of the season, but he broke his wrist right before returning and missed the World Series entirely.

After the Pirates won it all, Mejías and six other players got $250 each as a thank-you for their short stints with the team.

Legacy, Impact, and Later Years

Román Mejías left his mark as one of the Cuban pioneers who helped open doors for Latino players in Major League Baseball. His impact went beyond stats, earning him real respect in Cuban baseball circles and keeping him connected to the game long after he retired.

Influence on Cuban and Latino Players

Mejías broke ground for Cuban players trying to make it in the majors during the 1950s and 1960s. His story—from sugar mill worker in Central Manuelita to the big leagues—had to inspire plenty of young Cuban athletes.

He faced real challenges as a “Cuban Negro” in the segregated American South. Language barriers and racism didn’t stop him, though. By pushing through, he made things a bit easier for those who came after him.

He played alongside Roberto Clemente with the Pirates, joining that early wave of Caribbean talent. Mejías handled the cultural differences and still held on to his Cuban identity, showing future Latino players how to do the same.

Key contributions to Latino baseball:

• Among the first Afro-Cuban players to find real success in MLB
• Helped build a Cuban presence in several organizations
• Showed the kind of versatility that became a hallmark of Latino players

People loved his upbeat attitude. He often got compared to Ernie Banks, and he proved Latino players could thrive both on and off the field.

Recognition and Memorials

The Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Mejías in 1997, honoring what he did for Cuban and American baseball. That came decades after he’d retired, which says a lot about his legacy.

His Cuban winter league stats—31 home runs and 181 RBIs over 408 games—earned him a permanent place in Cuban baseball history. The Hall of Fame nod recognized his role in putting Cuban talent on the world stage.

Cuban League Achievements:

• 1954-55: Part of Almendares championship team
• 1957-58: Cuban League Player of the Year
• 1959-60: Led league in hits with 79 for Cienfuegos
• 1960-61: Won another championship with Cienfuegos

People remember him more for breaking barriers than just for his stats. Baseball historians often bring up Mejías when they talk about the early days of Latino players integrating into American pro baseball.

Life After Baseball

After he retired from Major League Baseball in 1964, Mejías headed to Japan and played for the Sankei Atoms in 1966. He took his baseball journey far beyond the U.S., which is honestly pretty remarkable.

Cuba’s political turmoil really changed his later years. When he played winter ball in Puerto Rico after the 1961 expansion draft, Cold War tensions kept him apart from his wife and family in Havana for over a year.

Mejías saw Cuban baseball change completely, from a lively professional winter league to its end after the 1960-61 season. His career stretched right through those last years of Cuba’s pro baseball era.

He stayed close to the game for the rest of his life. He liked to share stories about segregation and the challenges of adapting to new cultures.

Mejías lived to 97, passing away in February 2023. He watched as Latino players became a huge force in modern baseball.

The Houston Colt .45s always remembered him as their first player to wear number 25 in a regular season game, which gave him a special spot in the team’s history.