Carlos Paula

{{short description|Cuban baseball player (1927–1983)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Carlos Paula

|position=Right fielder

|image=Carlos Paula Washington.jpg

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1927|11|28}}

|birth_place=Havana, Cuba

|death_date={{death date and age|1983|4|25|1927|11|28}}

|death_place=Miami, Florida, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 6

|debutyear=1954

|debutteam=Washington Senators

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 23

|finalyear=1956

|finalteam=Washington Senators

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.271

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=9

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=60

|teams=

• Washington Senators ({{baseball year|1954}}–{{baseball year|1956}})

}}

{{family name hatnote|Paula|Conill|lang=Spanish}}

Carlos Paula Conill (November 28, 1927 – April 25, 1983) was a Major League Baseball right fielder who played for the Washington Senators from 1954 to 1956. A native of Havana, Cuba, he stood 6'3" and weighed 195 lbs.

Paula was acquired by Washington via a transaction with the Paris Indians Big State League before the 1954 season. He was sent to the Senators Charlotte, North Carolina affiliate, the Charlotte Hornets, on March 30, 1954.Article 10-No Title, The New York Times, March 31, 1954, pg. 35. When he made his major league debut (September 6, 1954 at Griffith Stadium), he became the first black player in Washington Senators history. He got into nine games that month.

He played in 115 games during the 1955 season, batting .299 with 6 home runs and 55 runs batted in. In 1956 he appeared in only 33 games and batted .183. His last game was on June 23. Paula was optioned to the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association on April 2, 1957.Paula of Senators Optioned, The New York Times, April 3, 1957, pg. 48. On April 12, 1958, he was sold by the Senators to the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League.Paula Sold By Senators, The New York Times, April 13, 1958, pg. S14.

Career totals for 157 games include a .271 batting average (124-for-457), 9 HR, 60 RBI, 44 runs scored, and a slugging percentage of .416. In his 111 appearances in the outfield, he handled 211 out of 222 total chances successfully for a fielding percentage of .950, well below the league average during his era.

Paula died at the age of 55 in Miami, Florida.