Born: January 29, 1909 in Coamo, Puerto Rico
Died: November 4, 1989 in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Position: Rf
Bats: Right Throws: Right
HT: 5-8 WT: 170 lb.
Led the league in batting in 1942-43 (.342) and 1944-45 (.425)…only player to led the league in batting one year, the following year runner-up, and again win the batting title, three years in a row (1942-43, 1943-44 and (1944-45)…led the league in runs in 1941-42 (46) and hits in 1943-44 (59)…has second best lifetime average (.337)…one of four to bat .400+ twice ( the others are Perucho Cepeda, Tetelo Vargas and Willard Brown)…Struck out only 20 times in 1,750 at bats (first season not included) for a ratio one strikeout every 87.50 at bat…for three consecutive seasons he did not struck out (1939-40, 1940-41 y 1941-42)…in four season he had more homers than strike outs and in four seasons, same amount of homers and strike outs:
1939-40 (2 HRs/0 K)
1940-41 (3 HRs/0 K)
1941-42 (5 HRs/0 K)
1943-44 (1 HRs/1 K)
1944-45 (1 HR/1 K)
1945-46 (2 HRs/2 Ks)
1947-48 (4 HRs/4 Ks)
1948-49 (3 HRs/1 Ks)
Name to the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991…in 2014 he was selected as one of the best 75 players of the Puerto Rico Professional League…first Puerto Rican to play in the East-West All Star Game of the Negro Leagues in 1941.
Photo colorization: Joe Torres