About Carlos Ascanio
Carlos Ascanio, 79, Venezuelan baseball player.
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Full Biography
|Carlos Ascanio Serrano (April 4, 1918 – February 27, 1998) was a Venezuelan baseball player for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro leagues. He played first base and was nicknamed "the Earthquake" (Spanish: Terremoto) due to his powerful swing. Ascanio was the only Venezuelan to play in the Negro leagues.
Career
Ascanio debuted with the "Luciteño" club before signing with Cerveceria Caracas, a first-division club; from there, he was signed by manager Joseíto Rodríguez to play in the Cuban Winter League with Cienfuegos. In Cuba, he was recruited by pitcher Dan Bankhead to join the Black Yankees. He appeared in 18 games with the club, slashing .161/.235/.161.
After his career in the Negro leagues, he returned to Venezuela. In the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP), Ascanio played with Vargas (1946-1950, 1951–52), Caracas (1950-51), Venezuela (1950-51, 1952-53, 1954-55), Valencia (1957-59), and Pampero (1955-56, 1959-61); he also played in Venezuela's Western League with Centauros and Gavilanes. His best season was with Vargas in 1946, when he hit .378 and knocked in 14 runs. Over the course of his 15 winter league seasons, he posted a .275 batting average with 392 hits and 124 runs batted in.
After retiring in 1961, he spent a number of years running a sporting goods store in the Venezuelan capital city, Caracas. When petroleum prices began dropping rapidly in the 1980s, the former baseball player was forced to close his business.
On February 9, 1998, Ascanio was found "destitute and starving" on a sidewalk in downtown Caracas, where he had been living with his wife in a rundown boarding home. The two people that had found him immediately transported Ascanio to the nearest emergency room, where he was diagnosed with severe anemia caused by years of malnutrition. Just three weeks later, on February 27, Ascanio died due to complications from anemia and respiratory failure.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Ascanio
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Carlos Ascanio's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the date of birth of Carlos Ascanio?
- A.February 27, 1998
- B.February 9, 1998
- C.April 4, 1918correct
- D.April 4, 1928
Carlos Ascanio was born on April 4, 1918.
Source: biographical introduction
2.What specific position did Carlos Ascanio play during his baseball career?
- A.Catcher
- B.First basecorrect
- C.Pitcher
- D.Shortstop
Carlos Ascanio played the position of first base.
Source: biographical introduction
3.What was the nickname given to Carlos Ascanio during his baseball career?
- A.The Hurricane
- B.The Venezuelan Power
- C.The Tank
- D.The Earthquakecorrect
Carlos Ascanio was nicknamed the Earthquake, or Terremoto in Spanish, because of his powerful swing.
Source: biographical introduction
4.Which team did Carlos Ascanio play for in the Negro leagues?
- A.Lucite%f1o
- B.Cienfuegos
- C.Caracas
- D.New York Black Yankeescorrect
Carlos Ascanio played for the New York Black Yankees while in the Negro leagues.
Source: biographical introduction
5.Who recruited Carlos Ascanio to join the Black Yankees while he was in Cuba?
- A.Dan Bankheadcorrect
- B.Jose%edto Rodr%edguez
- C.The Venezuelan league scouts
- D.The Lucite%f1o club management
Pitcher Dan Bankhead recruited Carlos Ascanio to join the Black Yankees while playing in Cuba.
Source: Career section
6.How many games did Carlos Ascanio play for the Black Yankees?
- A.21
- B.25
- C.18correct
- D.15
Carlos Ascanio appeared in a total of 18 games for the Black Yankees.
Source: Career section
7.What was the batting average of Carlos Ascanio during his 15 seasons in the Venezuelan winter leagues?
- A..378
- B..235
- C..161
- D..275correct
Carlos Ascanio recorded a career batting average of .275 over 15 seasons in the Venezuelan professional leagues.
Source: Career section
8.After retiring from professional baseball in 1961, what business did Carlos Ascanio run in Caracas?
- A.A restaurant
- B.A clothing store
- C.A boarding home
- D.A sporting goods storecorrect
Carlos Ascanio spent a number of years running a sporting goods store in Caracas after retiring in 1961.
Source: Career section
9.What caused Carlos Ascanio to close his sporting goods business in the 1980s?
- A.Lack of interest
- B.Declining petroleum pricescorrect
- C.Retirement
- D.Health complications
Carlos Ascanio was forced to close his business when petroleum prices began dropping rapidly in the 1980s.
Source: Career section
10.On what date was Carlos Ascanio found on a sidewalk in downtown Caracas?
- A.March 2, 1998
- B.April 4, 1918
- C.February 9, 1998correct
- D.February 27, 1998
Carlos Ascanio was discovered on a sidewalk in Caracas on February 9, 1998.
Source: Career section
11.What medical condition was Carlos Ascanio diagnosed with after being taken to the emergency room?
- A.Severe anemiacorrect
- B.Respiratory failure
- C.Diabetes
- D.Heart disease
Carlos Ascanio was diagnosed with severe anemia caused by years of malnutrition.
Source: Career section
12.What was the ultimate cause of death for Carlos Ascanio?
- A.Complications from anemia and respiratory failurecorrect
- B.Severe malnutrition
- C.A fall on the sidewalk
- D.Heart complications
Carlos Ascanio died from complications related to anemia and respiratory failure.
Source: Career section
13.In which league did Carlos Ascanio play for the teams Centauros and Gavilanes?
- A.Negro leagues
- B.Venezuelan Western Leaguecorrect
- C.Cuban Winter League
- D.Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Carlos Ascanio played for Centauros and Gavilanes in Venezuela's Western League.
Source: Career section
14.What was the batting average Carlos Ascanio achieved during his best season with Vargas in 1946?
- A..161
- B..235
- C..378correct
- D..275
Carlos Ascanio hit .378 during his best season with Vargas in 1946.
Source: Career section
15.Carlos Ascanio was notable for being the only person of what nationality to play in the Negro leagues?
- A.Dominican
- B.Cuban
- C.American
- D.Venezuelancorrect
Carlos Ascanio was the only Venezuelan baseball player to play in the Negro leagues.
Source: biographical introduction
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