(Here and in the following glossary sections, difficult words and phrases, as well as allusions and historical references are explained.)
gaff a large, strong hook on a pole, or a barbed spear, used in landing large fish.
marlin any of several large, slender, deep-sea billfishes.
Dick Sisler famous baseball player and coach on numerous baseball teams, including the Cardinals, the Reds, and the Yankees.
Joe DiMaggio famous baseball player who played for the Yankees and is widely regarded as the best all-around player in baseball history.
John J. McGraw manager of the Giants from 1902 to 1932.
Leo Durocher manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939 to 1946 and 1948.
Adolpho Luque pitcher for the Reds and Giants and a native of Havana, Cuba.
Mike Gonzalez catcher for the Cardinals (1916–1918, 1924) and a native of Cuba.
Que va (Spanish) No way.
oakum loose, stringy hemp fiber gotten by taking apart old ropes and treated with tar, used as a caulking material.
Mosquito Coast region on the Caribbean coast of Honduras and Nicaragua.
Canary Islands group of islands in the Atlantic, off northwest Africa, forming a region of Spain.
Virgin of Cobre reference to the statue of Our Lady of La Caridad de Cobre (Our Lady of Charity at Cobre), the most venerated in all of Cuba.
