Dihigo, Martín

bynames El Inmortal (“The Immortal”) and El Maestro (“The Teacher”)

(born May 25, 1906, Cidra [Matanzas], Cuba—died May 20, 1971, Cienfuegos) professional baseball player who became a national hero in his native Cuba. In addition to playing in the Cuban League, Dihigo played in the leagues of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela and in the U.S. Negro leagues. Because of the colour barrier that existed in professional baseball in the United States until 1947, Dihigo is not familiar to most fans there, yet he is considered to be among the best players in the history of the game. (See also Sidebar: Latin Americans in Major League Baseball.)

During his career, which spanned the years 1922 to 1947 and included play in both summer and winter leagues in five countries, Dihigo had a lifetime batting average of .304 and a pitching record of 256 wins and 136 losses. He began his career in the United States with the Cuban Stars of the Eastern Colored League, but he also played for the Homestead Grays, the Hilldale Giants, the Darby Daisies, and the New York Cubans. Dihigo was known for his versatility and could play all infield and outfield positions. A large man—standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 metres) tall and weighing 190 pounds (86 kg)—he was an exceptionally graceful athlete, possessed great speed in the outfield and on the base paths, and was an outstanding hitter.

As unusual as it is to have a player who is able to play well at all the fielding positions, what ultimately set Dihigo apart is that he was also an outstanding pitcher. Once in Cuba and again in Mexico, Dihigo was the leading pitcher and the batting champion in the same season. After his playing career ended in 1947, Dihigo managed in both Cuba and Mexico until the late 1950s. Later in life he was the minister of sports in Cuba. Dihigo was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, U.S., in 1977; until the induction of Tony Pérez in 2000, Dihigo was the only Cuban represented at the Hall. He is also enshrined in the Baseball Halls of Fame in Cuba and Mexico.

Milton Henry Jamail