Bayne: The ‘Immortal’ Martin Dihigo may have been the best baseball player ever
From Bijan C. Bayne at The Undefeated on April 13, 2020:
Martin Dihigo could get hits off Satchel Paige when it mattered. He was a role model for Minnie Minoso. He is enshrined in five national baseball halls of fame. Before his career as a standout pitcher, genius outfielder and influential manager was over, he was known by the nicknames “El Maestro” and “El Inmortal.”
One hundred years after the founding of the Negro Leagues, it’s worth revisiting the life of the man some Negro League stars considered the greatest player who ever lived.
In the U.S., Dihigo played for the Cuban Stars from 1923 to 1927; the Homestead Grays in 1928; Philadelphia’s Hilldale Giants (also known as Darby Daisies) from 1929 to 1931; and the New York Cubans, whom he also managed, in 1935 and 1936. He led the Negro Leagues two times in home runs. “Only a very small handful of guys are in the conversation for greatest all-around player of all time — Oscar Charleston, Willie Mays, Honus Wagner and Martin Dihigo,” baseball writer Ryan Whirty told The Undefeated.
Read the full article here: https://theundefeated.com/features/the-immortal-martin-dihigo-may-have-been-the-best-baseball-player-ever/
Originally published: April 13, 2020. Last Updated: April 13, 2020.