martín dihigo
May 25, 1906– May 20, 1971
martin digigo
Martín Dihigo Llanos, nicknamed The Immortal and The Maestro by his peers was a Cuban professional baseball player playing in the Negro Leagues andLatin American baseball Leagues from 1923 to 1936.
Martín Dihigo Llanos, nicknamed "The Immortal" and "The Maestro", was a Cuban professional baseball player. Dihigo played in both the Negro Leagues and Latin American baseball circuit from 1923 to 1936.
Featured as a two-way player, (pitcher and a second baseman), he honestly excelled at all 10 positions. Later he would include manager to that list of positions.
Dihigo was born in the sugarmill town of Cidra in Matanzas Province, Cuba.
He began his professional baseball career in the winter of 1922-23 at the age of 16 as a substitute infielder for Habana in the Cuban League. The following summer, Dihigo broke into American baseball as a first baseman for the Cuban Stars.
He played in the Negro Leagues from 1923 through 1936 and again briefly in 1945.
Over the course of his career, he played all nine positions. As a hitter, he led the Negro Leagues in home runs in 1926 and 1935.
As a pitcher, he once defeated Satchel Paige while Paige was touring Cuba. [1]
In 1943, at the age of 38, Dihigo decided to stick around and manage his own baseball team. The team was located in the Dominican Republic and featured such talent as friend and New York Giants player Johnny Mize.
While coaching the team he also was a player. They had a 6-3 record but then lost three games in a row to end the exhibition tour.
Dihigo's career record in 12 season playing throughout in the Negro Leagues was a .307 average and .511 slugging percentage, with 431 hits, 64 home runs, 61 doubles, 17 triples, 227 RBI, and 292 runs scored in 1404 at bats. He drew 143 walks and stole 41 bases.
As a pitcher, he went 26–19 with a 2.92 ERA, with 176 strikeouts and 80 walks in 354 innings. [2] Dihigo served as player-manager of the New York Cubans in 1935 and 1936. [3]
Although a two-time All-Star in the American Negro League, Dihigo's greatest season came in 1938 with Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz in the Mexican League, where he went 18-2 with a 0.90 ERA as a pitcher, while winning the batting title with a .387 average.
In another season in the Mexican League, he had a 0.15 ERA.
In his Mexican career, he was 119-57 with a .317 batting average. In the Cuban League, he was 107-56 as a pitcher with a .298 average at the plate. Dihigo continued his playing career in Mexico into the early 1950s.
In Cuba, Dihigo was known as "The Immortal"; in other Latin American countries, he was called "The Master".
Dihigo's career, included statistics from Dominican, American, Cuban, and Mexican professional Baseball Leagues.
Although he is credited with only 68 official home runs during his playing in the United States Negro Leagues, in his home country he is said to have compiled a lifetime .302 career batting average with over 130 home runs.
As a pitcher, his supposed record win-loss record was 252-132. (although he recorded appearing in just 397 games in the United States).
After retiring, Dihigo became a radio announcer for the Cuban Winter League, shortly before fleeing the country in 1952 as a protest to the rise of Fulgencio Batista.
He managed the Leones del Caracas in the 1953 Caribbean League Series.
Upon Fidel Castro's rise to power, Dihigo returned to Cuba where he continued to mentor young latin american baseball players until his death in 1971. [4]
He passed away just five days before his 65th birthday, on May 20, 1971, in Cienfuegos, Cuba.
He was buried in Cementerio Municipal Cruces in Cruces, Cienfuegos, Cuba.
Known as humorous, good-natured, well read, and a respected versatile and veteran player, Martin Dihigo is the only player to ever be inducted into 5 separate baseball hall of fames; in 5 different countries; the United States, Cuban, Mexican, Dominican, and Venezuelan.
Dihigo's stature as a ballplayer is reflected in this conversation between former Dodgers general manager Al Campanis and broadcaster Jaime Jarrín:
Al said, 'Jaime, the best player that I have ever seen in my life is Martin Dihigo, but he never came to the Major Leagues." Jarrin said.
"'After Dihigo, I would put Roberto Clemente above Willie Mays. Those are the three best players I have ever seen in my entire life.' [5]
Homestead Gray and fellow Hall of Fame player Buck Leonard said of Dihigo;
“He was the greatest all-around player I know of. I’d say he was the best ballplayer of all time, black or white. He could do it all. He is my ideal ballplayer, makes no difference what race either. If he’s not the greatest I don’t know who is. You take your Ruths, Cobbs, and DiMaggios. Give me Dihigo and I bet I’d beat you almost every time.”
Hall of Famer Johnny Mize said, “He was the only guy I ever saw who could play all nine positions, manage, run and switch-hit.” [6]
players
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
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Cool Papa Bell
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
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Oscar Charelston
Satchel Paige
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Satchel Paige
Cumberland Posey
Satchel Paige
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Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
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Jackie Robinson
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
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Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
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Gus Greenlee
Roy Campanella
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Henry AAron
Roy Campanella
Candy Jim Taylor
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Candy Jim Taylor
Cristóbal Torriente
Candy Jim Taylor
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Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
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Rube Foster
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
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Larry Doby
Josh Gibson
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Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
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Sol White
Josh Gibson
Ben Taylor
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Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
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Biz Mackey
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
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Nat Strong
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
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Monte Irvin
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
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Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
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Willie Mays
Turkey Stearnes
Steel Arm Taylor
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Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
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Buck O'Neil
Steel Arm Taylor
Martin Dihigo
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Martin Dihigo
Steel Arm Taylor
Martin Dihigo
Martín Dihigo nicknamed The Immortal, was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played in the Negro Leagues and Latin American Leagues from 1923 to 1936.