Joe Cambria: International Super Scout of the Washington Senators

One of the most prolific scouts in baseball history, Joe Cambria almost single-handedly saved the Washington Senators from ruin. Signing a stream of young players from Cuba--as many as 20 per season for three decades--he fed the team affordable talent and kept them competitive during World War II, when many front-liners went to the front lines. Cambria subverted baseball’s color line years before Jackie Robinson broke it, signing light-skinned Cubans--many of African descent--who could pass in the all-white Major Leagues. This first ever biography traces his memorable career, including the shady hiring practices and flamboyant deals that drew rulings from the bench of Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Paul Scimonelli, retired teacher and musician, had a successful music career for more than 50 years. He has written numerous articles for music journals and his dissertation on the history of the Catholic University of America’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music is a widely read resource in the university library’s database. He lives in Columbia, Maryland.