View source for Millito Navarro

{{short description|Puerto Rican baseball player (1905-2011)}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name        = Millito Navarro 
|image       = Millito Navarro.jpg
|position    = [[Second baseman]] / [[Shortstop]]
|bats        = Right
|throws      = Right
|birth_date  = September 26, 1905
|birth_place = [[Patillas, Puerto Rico]]
|death_date  = {{death date and age|2011|4|30|1905|9|26}}
|death_place = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
|debutleague = Negro leagues
|debutdate   = 
|debutyear   = 1928
|debutteam   = Cuban Stars (East)
|finalleague = Negro leagues
|finaldate   = 
|finalyear   = 1937
|finalteam   = Cuban Stars (East)
|statleague = Negro leagues{{efn|On December 16, 2020, Major League Baseball declared certain Negro leagues, from the span of 1920–1948, to be "major" leagues.<ref>{{cite web|title=MLB officially designates the Negro Leagues as 'Major League'|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-officially-designates-the-negro-leagues-as-major-league|website=MLB.com|date=December 16, 2020|accessdate=November 23, 2024}}</ref> Navarro's statistics reflect his time in the Negro leagues from 1928–1929.}}
|stat1label  = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value  = .286
|stat2label  = [[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value  = 53
|stat3label  = [[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value  = 20
|stat4label  = 
|stat4value  = 
|teams       = 
*[[Cuban Stars (East)]] ({{by|1928}}–{{by|1929}}, {{by|1937}})
|highlights  = 
*Administrator, [[Francisco Montaner Stadium|Paquito Montaner Stadium]]
*[[Ciudad Deportiva Millito Navarro]]
*[[Parque del Tricentenario (Ponce, Puerto Rico)|Parque de los Ponceños Ilustres]]
*''"The Ideal Professional Baseball Player"''
*[[MLB]] ceremonial Negro League draftee - [[New York Yankees|NYY]]
*Puerto Rico Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee
*Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
*[[Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame]] Inductee
|hoflink = 
|hoftype = 
|hofdate     = 
|hofvote     = 
}}

'''Emilio Navarro''' (September 26, 1905 – April 30, 2011), better known as "'''Millito Navarro'''", was a [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] [[second baseman]] and [[shortstop]]. Navarro was the second Puerto Rican to play [[baseball]] in the [[United States|American]] [[Negro leagues]], two years after [[Gacho Torres]] played for the [[1926 in baseball#Eastern Colored League final standings|1926]] [[Newark Stars]]. At the time of his death, at age 105, Navarro was the oldest former [[professional baseball]] player and the last surviving player from the [[American Negro League]].<ref name="NL"/>

==Biography==
Navarro was born in [[Patillas, Puerto Rico|Patillas]], [[Puerto Rico]], to Botello and Pepa Navarro, and raised in the city of [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]]. His father was a well-known shoemaker in Patillas who died when Emilio was 6 years old. His widowed mother soon moved to Ponce where she had family.  From a young age, Navarro helped his family economically by selling newspapers, peanuts and ice.<ref name="ES">[https://web.archive.org/web/20100808151112/http://siglo21.com/2010/07/boricua-con-104-anos-el-ultimo-sobreviente-de-%E2%80%9Cnegro-american-league%E2%80%9D/ El Siglo 21 newspaper]</ref> In Ponce he attended Castillo Public School, a public school on Calle Castillo, Ponce, and worked after school shining shoes and delivering the foods which his mother prepared to support the family.<ref name="ES"/><ref>[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/fd60c6fc ''Millito Navarro.''] Joseph Gerard. Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed 10 November 2019.</ref> His first contact with baseball occurred when he went to watch the school team play. On one occasion he did not have enough money to pay for an entrance ticket to watch a game between the Castillo and Reina teams. He therefore jumped a fence, which happened to be in the outfield.  It so happened that one of the Castillo team members became sick and when the coach saw Navarro jump the fence he asked him to play.  He agreed and played baseball since.<ref name="SPR"/>

After graduating from high school, Navarro was offered a grant to attend the [[University of Puerto Rico]] in [[Mayagüez, Puerto Rico|Mayagüez]], which he turned down.  Instead, Navarro felt that he should help his family financially and believed that he was more than ready to play in the [[MLB|Major Leagues]] in the [[United States|U.S.]]<ref name="SPR"/>

==Baseball career==
In the 1920s, the United States was a racially segregated country and Navarro's skin color presented a problem for his participation in American baseball leagues — in baseball, black players were not permitted to play in the same leagues as their [[White (people)|white]] counterparts.  As a consequence of this policy, a group of white and black businessmen joined forces and organized their own Negro leagues. The teams played against each other and even had their own [[Negro World Series]].  Two of those teams were the [[Cuban Stars (East)|Cuban Stars]], owned by [[Alex Pompez]], and the [[Cuban Giants]].<ref>[http://www.nlbpa.com/navarro__emilio_-_millito.html Negro League Players Association] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207151901/http://www.nlbpa.com/navarro__emilio_-_millito.html |date=2012-02-07 }}</ref>  Both of those teams consisted mainly of [[African-American]] or [[Afro-Latino]] players.<ref name="NL">[http://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/history/players/navarro.html Negro League Museum]</ref>

Navarro played for two years with the Cuban Stars and had a [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] of .337.  The experience was bittersweet for Navarro, especially when they played in the South — he felt discriminated against due both to his skin color and his lack of [[English Language|English]]. After playing with the Negro leagues, Navarro traveled and played for teams in the [[Dominican Republic]] and in [[Venezuela]].<ref name="NL"/>

By the time baseball had become [[racial integration|integrated]] in the United States, Navarro had returned to Puerto Rico. The experience and knowledge he had gained contributed to his success when he became one of the founders of the [[Leones de Ponce (baseball)|Leones de Ponce]] baseball team in his hometown of Ponce. He played, coached, and contributed in various other ways in the team, dedicating 20 years of his life to the "Leones".<ref name="SPR"/>

==Retirement from baseball==
After Navarro retired from active baseball, he worked as administrator of the [[Francisco Montaner Stadium|Francisco "Paquito" Montaner Stadium]] in Ponce,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wapa.tv/noticias/locales/lamentan-muerte-de-millito-navarro_20110501100909.html|title = Lamentan muerte de Millito Navarro}}</ref> a position that he held for 10 years.<ref name="Hospitalizado Millito Navarro.">{{cite web |url=http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/beisbol/nota/hospitalizadomillitonavarro-500260/| title=Hospitalizado Millito Navarro |date=29 April 2011 |publisher=Primera Hora| language=Spanish |author=Karla Pacheco Álvarez}}</ref>

==Awards and accolades==
In 1938, Puerto Rican sportswriter Emilio Huike voted Navarro as the "Ideal Professional Baseball Player".<ref name="NL"/>

Navarro became a [[centenarian]] on September 26, 2005, and the following years saw many tributes to him in both Puerto Rico and the United States. His life and experiences in baseball were part of an American documentary called "Beisbol", on the contributions and influence of [[Hispanic]]s in America's national pastime. He was elected to the Puerto Rico Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.<ref name="NL"/> The Senate of Puerto Rico presented him with Resolution #1026 in recognition of his contributions to baseball on June 7, 2005.<ref name="SPR">[https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS274&ie=UTF-8&q=EMILIO+%27MILLITO%27+NAVARRO&start=80&sa=N Senado de Puerto Rico]</ref> On December 29, 2006, Navarro was inducted into the [[Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame]]. Former [[Astros]] great [[José Cruz|José (Cheo) Cruz]] presented the plaque of induction to Navarro.<ref name="ES"/><ref>[http://www.loveofthegameproductions.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1359 Hispanic Baseball Museum to induct 101 year old player] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217210121/http://loveofthegameproductions.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1359 |date=2007-12-17 }}</ref>

On June 6, 2008, [[Major League Baseball]] held a ceremonial Negro league draft prior to the amateur draft. Navarro was selected by the [[New York Yankees]]. He was also honored at a game during the final homestand in [[Yankee Stadium]] history on September 18, 2008.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/beisbol/nota/rectificanelerror-196834| title=Rectifican el error| author=Alex Figueroa Cancel| publisher=Primera Hora| language=Spanish| date=2008-06-04| accessdate=2008-06-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-winfield060408| title=Winfield's brainchild thrills Negro Leaguers| author=Tim Brown| publisher=Yahoo! Sports| date=2008-06-04| accessdate=2008-06-06}}</ref> In 2010, Navarro was honored by "Experience Works" who recognized him as an outstanding active Senior Citizen in the United States.<ref name="ES"/>

==Later years and death==
On April 27, 2011, Navarro was hospitalized at [[Hospital San Lucas]] in Ponce after suffering a minor heart attack.<ref name="Hospitalizado Millito Navarro." /> On April 28, he was transferred to the hospital's [[intensive care unit]] after suffering a stroke.<ref name="Hospitalizado Millito Navarro."/> He died two days later on April 30, 2011, after failing to overcome the effects of his stroke.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120804150151/http://wapa.tv/noticias/locales/lamentan-muerte-de-millito-navarro/20110501100909 ''Ponce llora a uno de sus grandes.''] WAPA-TV. Retrieved 11 May 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/otros/nota/millitonavarroenunidaddecuidadointensivo-499913/| title=Millito Navarro en unidad de cuidado intensivo. |author=Karla Pacheco Álvarez | publisher=Primera Hora |date=28 April 2011 |accessdate=11 May 2011| language=Spanish}}</ref> He was survived by four children, 11 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110505223249/http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jSMF472u6GgSCt_jPSEgJUr2bW5g?docId=6720177 Emilio Navarro, Puerto Rico baseball great, dies at 105 in Caribbean homeland]</ref>

==Legacy==
On May 1, 2011, the [[New York Yankees]] held a moment of silence to honor Navarro before the start of their game against the [[Toronto Blue Jays]].<ref>[https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=6457594 ''Emilio 'Millito' Navarro dies at 105.''] ESPN MLB. ESPN. Retrieved 27 August 2011.</ref> In 2011, his home municipality of Ponce named a sports complex after him, ''[[Ciudad Deportiva Millito Navarro]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/futbol/nota/poncetendraestadiodefutbol-512618/ |title=Ponce tendrá estadio de fútbol. (English: "Ponce will have a soccer stadium.") |author=Michelle Estrada Torres |date=4 June 2011 |publisher=Primera Hora |accessdate=29 January 2012| language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>[http://www.noticel.com/noticia/116333/en-marcha-ciudad-deportiva-millito-navarro.html ''En marcha ciudad deportiva Millito Navarro.'' (English: "Ciudad Deportiva Millito Navarro moving forward.")] Noticel. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.</ref>  He is also recognized at Ponce's [[Parque del Tricentenario (Ponce, Puerto Rico)|Parque de los Ponceños Ilustres]] in the area of sports.<ref>[http://www.travelponce.com/Sports.html ''Sports''.] TravelPonce.com Retrieved 18 April 2013.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico|Biography}}
*[[List of Puerto Ricans]]
*[[List of Negro league baseball players]]
*[[Black history in Puerto Rico]]
{{clear}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=n/navarmi01}} and [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=navarr000mil Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats] and [https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=navar01mil Seamheads]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120207151901/http://www.nlbpa.com/navarro__emilio_-_millito.html Negro League Baseball Players Association]
*[http://www.pontealdia.com/article.php?article=19772&edition=273&shownav=1 100th birthday announcement] {{in lang|es}}
*[https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3419394 MLB plans ceremonial Negro League draft for June]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Navarro, Emilio}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:African-American centenarians]]
[[Category:American men centenarians]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Burials at Cementerio La Piedad]]
[[Category:Cuban Stars (East) players]]
[[Category:Negro League Baseball players from Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:People from Patillas, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican baseball players]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican men centenarians]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of African descent]]