OK look, I know this one is pretty obscure. Even among Cuban and Negro League collectors, not many are actively building the Victoria set. It’s too big and maybe a bit too rare for its own good. But I recently acquired a complete set, and I document things. Some day, somewhere, someone will Google search for “1952-53 Victoria checklist,” and this article will come in handy. Maybe.

1952-53 Victoria Set Details

There are 168 cards in the set, and it is loaded with star Cuban and American Negro Leaguers. Cards are 2-1/8×3-1/8″ and printed on thin paper stock. I love that they are printed in vibrant color, since most of my Cuban cards are black and white. These pop. Teams represented are: Habana, Almendares, Marianao and Cienfuegos. Like most Cuban issues, the cards were designed to be pasted into an album (pictured below–but not mine. I would love to find one for display), and many survivors will show some evidence of album removal.

The HOF Cards

Highlights include HOF Orestes (Minnie) Minoso and Ray Dandridge.

More Star Power

But there is wide appeal beyond the HOF cards, including early cards of Americans Joe Black and Don Zimmer.

The set starts out with umpire, stadium, and announcer cards (1-19). Even the team masseuse gets a card! So be aware that not all cards are of players.

The Complete 1952-53 Victoria Checklist 

• Cards in BOLD are notable stars, MLB, Cuban HOF, or Negro Leaguers

1. Amado Maestri

2. John Mullen

3. Gran Stadium

4. Bernardo Rodriguez

5. Raul Atan

6. Cudo Conde

7. Manolo de la Reguera

8. Rafael Ramirez

9. Rafael Rubi

10. Gabino Delgado

11. Fernando Menendez

12. Buck Canel

13. Orlando Sanchez Diago

14. Pedro Galiana

15. Jess Losada

16. Juan Ealo

17. Rene Molina

18. Miguel A Ruiz del Vizo

19. Ruben Rodriguez (card also pictures Minoso, I believe)

20. Habana banner

21. Miguel Angel Gonzalez

22. Tomas de la Noval

23. Salvador Hernandez

24. Manuel Garcia (Cocaina)

25. Edilio Alfaro

26. Julio Navarro

27. Richard Rand

28. Andres Fleitas

29. Isaac Seoane

30. Jimmie Kerrigan

31. Robert Alexander

32. Charles Sipples

33. Adrian Zabala

34. Rogelio Martinez (Limonar)

35. Carlos Pascual (Patato)

36. Mario Picone

37. Eusebio Perez (Silverio)

38. Julio Moreno

39. Gilberto Torres

40. Berthol Haas

41. Johnny Jorgensen

42. Lou Klein

43. Damon Phillips

44. Orlando Varona

45. Jorge Lopez

46. Pedro Formental

47. Robert Usher

48. Edmundo Amoros

49. Alejandro Crespo

50. Oscar Sardinas

51. Almendares banner

52. Robert Bragan (Bobby)

53. Clemente Carreras (Sungo)

54. Rodolfo Fernandez

55. Manuel Fernandez (Manolo)

56. Orlando Echevarria

57. Charles Thompson

58. Oscar Hernandez

59. Hal Erikson

60. Conrado Marrero

61. Agapito Mayor

62. Octavio Rubert

63. Edward Roebuck

64. Duke Markell

65. Rene Massip

66. Pedro Naranjo

67. Roque Contreras

68. Wayne McLeland

69. Frank Kellert

70. Forest Jacobs

71. Hector Rodriguez

72. Guillermo Miranda (Willie)

73. Roberto Ortiz

74. Frank Carswell

75. Asdrubal Baro

76. Paul Smith

77. Antonio Napoles (Tony)

78. Francisco Campos (Cisco)

79. Angel Scull

80. Raymond Coleman

81. Gino Cimolli

82. Amado Ibanez

83. Avelino Canizares

84. Conrado Perez

85. Marianao banner

86. Fermin Guerra

87. Jose Maria Fernandez

88. Jose (Joe) Olivares

89. Ramon Carneado

90. Alejandro Fernandez

91. Emilio Cabrera

92. Sandalio Consuergra

93. Thomas Fine

94. Miguel Fornieles

95. Camilo Pascual

96. Miguel Lopez (Montelongo)

97. Clarencio Iott

98. Dale Mattweson

99. Hampton Coleman

100. Terris McDuffie

101. Raul Sanchez

102. Lorenzo Cabrera (Chiquitin)

103. Ray Dandridge HOF

104. Silvio Garcia

105. Carlos De Souza (Yiqui)

106. Orestes Minoso HOF

107. Sebastian Basso

108. William Wilson

109. Hank Workman

110. Fernando Diaz

111. Juan Antonio Vistuer

112. Hiram Gonzalez

113. Julio Becquer

114. Stan Rojek

115. Ramiro Vazquez(Cuco)

116. Juan Izaguirre

117. Cienfuegos banner

118. William Herman (Billy)

119. Oscar Rodriguez

120. Julio Rojo

121. Pedro Pages

122. Felix Masud

123.Rafael Noble

124. Mario Diaz

125. Luis Aloma

126. Santiago Ulrich

127. Armando Roche

128. Raul Lopez

129. Armando Suarez

130. Vicente Lopez

131. Ernesto Morillas

132. Alfredo Ibanez

133. Alan J. Gettel

134. Ken Lehmann

135. Patrick McClothin

136. Regino Otero

137. Felipe Montemayor

138. Jack Cassini

139. Donald Zimmer

140. Robert A. Wilson

141. Humberto Fernandez

142. Pedro Ballester

143. Walter Morin

144. Roberto Fernandez

145. Claro Duany

146. Pablo Garcia

147. James Pendleton

148. Oscar Sierra

149. Adolfo Luque

150. Cando Lopez

151. Joe Black

152. Napoleon Reyes

153. Rafael Cabrera (Villa)

154. Charles Barret (Red)

155. Fred Martin

156. Isidro Leon

157. John Rutheford

158. Max Lanier

159. Julio Ramos

160. Manuel Hidalgo

161. Wilfredo Calvino

162. Joe Nakamura

163. Martiniano Garay

164. Fernando Rodriguez (Trompoloco)

165. Anibal Navarrete

166. Rafael Rivas

167. Wilfredo Salas

168. Jocko Thompson