Pancho! The Man. The League. A Bit of History.

Named after one of the all-time baseball greats, Francisco Luis “Pancho” Coimbre, The Pancho Coimbre / Central Park Baseball League aims to bring the same positivity, excitement, enthusiasm, and mentorship to the game that Pancho did. As Luis Rodriguez Mayoral wrote in 2018, “Francisco Luis “Pancho” Coimbre came from an era in which films were black and white, and records were inaccurate or incomplete. To get a sense of his aura and skills, you have to trust in the words of legends like Roberto Clemente.

“‘They say I’m a good player. But he was better than me,’” Clemente told me time and time again — this, from a man who batted .317 in an 18-year major league career. Though Coimbre stood 5-foot-8, three inches shorter than Clemente, there was no doubt about his stature on the diamond.”

The League

Founded in 1959 by Jose Calderon and his wife, Candita, the Pancho Coimbre / Central Park Baseball League is one of — if not the — longest running independently operated amateur baseball leagues in the United States and, for all intents and purposes, the world. 

“There was a time in baseball history where, you know, New York City was it,” explains longtime former Coimbre player, manager, and fan, Jose (Snoop) Ferreira. “It was like the heartland of baseball leagues. It was very competitive. There were players that were coming over from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, you name it.” 

At the time, baseball, like everything else in the States, was still struggling mightily with integration. For new immigrants to New York City, finding a place to play the game they loved was not easy. But pockets of paradise did exist, namely in St. Mary’s Park (Independencia) and Crotona Park (Caribe) in the Bronx and the crown jewel, Pancho Coimbre, in the far northern reaches of Central Park. 

“All these people from the Caribbean would land in New York and they would find these three leagues, that combined, were called La Liga de la Caribe,” Snoop says. “They operated independently of each other but the champions from each league would meet in a tournament and the winner of that tournament got an all expenses paid trip to Puerto Rico to play the Puerto Rican all stars.” 

Many of the teams at the time revolved around restaurants and cafes, like Choco Meat Market and the world famous Cafe Bustelo, that have long since vanished (though you can still get Bustelo coffee) but Pancho Coimbre Baseball has persisted. Much of that longevity stems from the strict foundation the league was built on. “Back in the day we had ID cards,” Snoop explains. “When you joined a team you were on a two year contract and you couldn’t leave your team unless your manager and the commissioner gave it the ok. And even if you got the ok to leave, you couldn’t leave and play in one of the competing Caribbean leagues in the Bronx.

“The managers met once a week and everyone had to show up. That is where trades would happen, disputes would get resolved, and they figured out how to keep the league going.” 

For years, the Calderons ran this tight ship with the help of Ronquito, their raspy voiced right hand man. Without fail you could find the couple (and Ronquito) behind home plate at the main diamond (#10 at the time) in North Meadows of Central Park. Toward the end of his reign, Jose couldn’t see out of one eye and fans would faithfully relay plays to him as they happened. 

The league continued to prosper under the Calderons watchful, though partially blind, eyes into the 90s when they passed it on to their longtime partner, Ronquito. 

Ronquito took the reigns and successfully steered the league through tough times. As other leagues came and went — including its sister leagues in the Bronx — Pancho Coimbre thrived, playing host to many famous faces including Manny Ramirez, Frankie Rodriguez, and Bobby Bonilla, to name a few. More infamous names have found their way to Pancho Coimbre as well, including controversial Little League phenom, Danny Almonte. And in more recent years, former Yankee, Mariner, and current Met, Robinson Cano, has sponsored a mean team that struck fear into the hearts of its opponents. 

In 2015, Ronquito handed over the keys to current commissioner, Jamey Libhart, walking him over to the Central Park Conservancy where Ronquito had to hand write a note saying the league was entrusting its long-held and sought-after permits to this new commissioner. 

Libhart has seen the league through some tough times as well, including a Covid-canceled 2020 season and a Covid-constricted 2021 season. But 2022 represents a resurgence in New York City baseball. And 63 years after Pancho Coimbre’s first opening day, the league excitedly welcomes three new teams to the league to add to its already stellar lineup and looks forward to hosting its all star game and Championship series at the Brooklyn Cyclones, Maimonides Park, in Coney Island some 20 years after hosting its first all star game at Shea Stadium (yeah, that really happened!). 

Throughout its existence, the Pancho Coimbre / Central Park Baseball League has always been a place for everyone to enjoy the game they grew up with. And today, despite all the craziness beyond the field, Pancho Coimbre remains a place to connect with people from all over the world who, on any given sunny afternoon in Central Park, come to soak in the beautiful sounds of the crack of a bat and the pop of a catcher’s mitt. 

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