Martin "El Maestro" Dihigo

Hall Of Fame Induction:  1977

Dihigo started his career with the barnstorming Cuban Stars of the newly organized Eastern Colored League (ECL).  He started out as a first baseman under owner Alex Pompez.  Another first baseman, Hall of Famer Buck Leonard, claimed:  “Dihigo was the best all-around baseball player I have ever seen.  H e could run, hit, throw, think, pitch and manage.  He both knew the game and could play it.  I was in the game for 2 years and I never saw anyone better than he was.”

Dihigo played Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba and the United States, where he was better known for his offense than his pitching.  He batted .421 in 1926 and .370 in 1927 for the stateside Cuban Stars.

The great manager Cumberland Posey once said, “Dihigo’s gifts afield have not been approached by any man—black or white.”  The Cuban also became the only player in the world, black or white, elected to baseball Halls of Fame in three countries; the United States, Cuba and Mexico.

The following year, Dihigo joined an unknown independent team based in the steel-mining town of Homestead, PA, located just outside of Pittsburgh.  The team, owned by Posey, a former college basketball star, was called the Grays and would become one of the reigning teams of the East.  Dihigo teamed with other marvelous hitters like John Beckwith and Vic Harris and splendid pitchers like Smokey Joe Williams and Sam Streeter.

In 1929, the Grays made their entrance into league play under the banner of the American Negro League.  But Dihigo had settled in with the Hilldale Giants, a club from the Philadelphia suburb of Darby.  He enjoyed his new surroundings, batting a royal .386.  But his lofty average did not win him a crown.  Teammates Oscar Charleston and Judy Johnson batted .396 and .390 respectively.  The Hilldales of 1929 were loaded with speed and power.  Crust Holloway led the league with 29 steals, while Johnson had 23, Charleston 22, and Dihigo and Eggie Dallard had 18.  With Crush and Eggie, batting in the number one and two slots, followed by Johnson, Charleston and Dihigo, they presented a most fearsome lineup.  Dihigo also added 18 homeruns, a second in the league only to Chino Smith (also batting champ), who had 23.

The great catcher Biz Mackey joined the team in late June.  He had been suspended for taking an unauthorized Oriental junket with the Philadelphia Royal Giants.  With Mackey inserted in the heart of the lineup, and able to play either catcher or shortstop, the Hilldale club dominated league play, but failed to catch the front running Baltimore Black Sox, who featured the Milliion Dollar Infield of Jud Wilson (1b), Frank Warfield (2b), Dick Lundy (ss) and Oliver Marcelle (3b).

After spending two seasons with the New York Cubans (1934-35) and losing an electrifying seven game series to the powerhouse Pittsburgh Crawfords, Dihigo began spending his summer seasons in the Mexican League (1937-44, 1946-47, 1950).  He was primarily a pitcher down south, where he blazed to glory with a 119-57 record (.676) in eleven seasons.  At the same time, he established a lifetime batting average of .317.  His magical performances included a six-for-six effort in a 1937 contest.  In 1938, he bewitched the Mexican League with 18 wins against only two loses, with a minuscule 0.90 ERA, meanwhile winning the batting crown with a .387 average.  In 1942, he notched another ERA title to his championship belt with a 2.53 ERA.  In Mexico, he threw his first no-hitter, later notching one each in Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

Dihigo also enjoyed his winters in Cuba.  For 24 seasons (1922-29, 1931-46), he hit over .300 nine times for the island teams, accumulating a winter lifetime average of .291.  he also put together a phenomenal 115-60 won-lost (.657) pitching performance.

After seeing Dihigo play in the winter leagues, former major league slugger Johnny Mize with a tone of admiration:  “The greatest player I ever saw was a black man.  He’s in the hall of Fame, although not a lot of people have heard of him.  His name is Martin Dihigo.  I played with him in Santo Domingo in winter ball in 1943.  He was the manager.  He was the only guy I ever saw who could play all nine positions, run and was a switch hitter.  I thought I was havin’ a pretty good year myself down there and they were walkin’ him to get to me.

Martin Dihigo, El Maestro, served as the Minister of Sports in Cuba, until his death at age 65.  Baseball’s magic man is buried in Cienfuegos, Cuba.  A manager’s dream, an opponent’s nightmare, he remains today one of few players in baseball history who could truly do it all.

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