Sabourín organized the first baseball championship in Cuba's history on December 31, 1874, in Matanzas.[1] In 1878, he helped organize the Habana club,[2] which would go on to win the Cuban League's inaugural championship.[3][4] Sabourín, who would eventually take over as manager, continued as a player with Habana through the 1887 season, as the club won-seven straight championships.[5] Remaining Habana's manager, Sabourín acquired future Cuban Baseball Hall of Famers Valentín González and Carlos Royer from amateur clubs in an effort to restock the club after multiple desertions.[6] By 1892, Habana had won their ninth championship in 11 years.[7]
^Perez, Louis A. (1994). "Between Baseball and Bullfighting: The Quest for Nationality in Cuba, 1868-1898". The Journal of American History. 81 (2): 513–514. JSTOR2081169.