1924-25 Aguilitas card of the legendary José de la Caridad Méndez Arco de Tejada,
better known as simply “José Méndez.” Nicknamed “El Diamante Negro” (The Black Diamond” many consider Méndez to be the greatest of all Cuban pitchers. He was a star on his native island as well as in the U.S. in the Negro Leagues.
In 1908 he had a streak of 45 consecutive shutout innings that included 25 shoutout innings against barnstorming Major League teams. His record against American teams in 1908 and 1909 was 44-2.After one of his many visits to Cuba, John McGraw proclaimed that Méndez was the best pitcher in all of baseball besides Christy Mathewson and Mordecai Brown.
His Negro League career spanned from 1907 to 1927 with his greatest achievement coming in 1924 as the player-manager of the Kansas City Monarchs during the first Negro League World Series. He went 2-0 as a pitcher including a shutout in the final and deciding game to clinch the Championship.
Méndez led the Cuban league 5 times in pitching, including 4 years in a row, and was also a member of the greatest team in Cuban baseball history, the 1923-24 Santa Clara Leopardos. This card pictures him as a member of that team. This is a high-grade example and deemed a 60 (EX) by SGC.
El Diamante Negro died on Halloween in 1928 of tuberculosis at the age of 41.