1922-23 HABANA TEAM PHOTO W/HOFERS MARTIN DIHIGO, POP LLOYD & CRISTOBAL TORRIENTE.
Item Description
Presented here is one of only two known examples depicting the 1922-23 Cuban Winter League powerhouse, Habana baseball club, highlighted by the presence of three future National Baseball Hall of Famers: Martin Dihigo (back row, third from left), John Henry "Pop" Lloyd (back row, fourth from right) & Cristobal Torriente (middle row, second from left). In addition, the inclusion of Dick "Cannonball" Redding (back row, second from left) almost certainly assures us that there will one day be four Cooperstown members here as Redding is at the top of the short list of future HOF candidates. Printed text box at the bottom center reads "Obsequio de La Discussuion, Enero 1923" which translates to "Gift of The Discussion, January 1923." The photograph was apparently a premium issued by a newspaper by the name of "The Discussion," and credits the photograph to photographer F. Gilbert. Other star players of the day that we have also been able to identify are: Monk Pareda, Miguel Gonzalez, Ricardo Torres, Charlie Blackwell, Jose Acosta and Dolph Luque.
The Habana team was one of the original four baseball clubs comprising the Cuban Winter Baseball League during the 1920s, joining Almendares, Santa Clara & Marianio. Joining Habana in 1922 was a 17-year old youngster embarking on his professional baseball debut, his name was Martin Dihigo. Over the next 30 years, Dihigo would go on to rewrite the record books, becoming one of only two individuals (Willie Wells was the other) to be selected for five different Baseball Halls of Fame: American, Cuban, Dominican, Venezuelan and Mexican. Martin was a four time Cuban Winter League MVP but his career year came in the Mexican League in 1938 with Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz where he went 18-2 with a 0.90 ERA on the mound while winning the league batting title with a .387 average at the plate. Dihigo would also spend a total of twelve seasons in the Negro Leagues, finishing with a career batting average of .307 along with a .511 slugging percentage and 2.92 ERA during his pitching days.
Pop Lloyd would become known as the "Black Honus Wagner" as his shortstop skills, both in the field and at bat, would be unmatched in the annals of black baseball. Lloyd would spend his earliest professional baseball years starring for the Philadelphia Giants from 1907-09 before joining the Leland Giants for one season and following that up with four more years with the New York Lincoln Giants. Pop would be the last of the terrific trio (along with Rube Foster & Pete Hill) to join the Chicago American Giants, playing with the club from 1914-17, during the prime years of his career. Following his days with the American Giants, Pop would spend much of his remaining playing career with the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants during the 1920s. Lloyd was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.
Cristobal Torriente was a native of Cienfuegos, Cuba and would begin his professional baseball career with the Habana ball club during the 1912-13 winter league season. Torriente holds the all-time Cuban baseball batting record with a career average of .352, earning two batting titles, including a .402 season. Cristobal would spend a total of fifteen seasons playing in the US Negro Leagues, starring for the Cuban Stars and Chicago American Giants for much of that time from 1915 to 1932. Torriente was the clean-up hitter for the three-time Negro League champion, Chicago American Giants, from 1920-22. Torriente was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Although not yet enshrined in Cooperstown, Dick "Cannonball" Redding was one of the top 10-12 pitchers in the history of Negro League baseball. Redding began his pro baseball career with the Lincoln Giants baseball club in 1911, marking the beginning of a 21-year career in the Negro Leagues. Dick would also spend time with the Lincoln Stars and Chicago American Giants during the 1910s before spending almost the entire decade of the 1920s with Brooklyn Royal Giants before finishing up his career with the Bacharach Giants in 1932.
Original 7.25x9.75 matte finish photo. Moderate scattered wear and margin wear w/a number of small .25" or so tears w/archival tape repairs on reverse. Very slight margin trim to top and bottom. Some scattered aging and trace of brown spotting/staining above the Dihigo image and on the face of the player seated in front row second from the left. However, overall the photo remains clean w/sharp image and clear details. VG.
Don't pass up this opportunity to own one of the most significant pieces of baseball memorabilia in existence from the original Cuban Winter Leagues of the 1920s, not to mention the earliest professional baseball image of five-time Hall of Famer, Martin Dihigo. With the added bonus of two more upper-tier HOFers, Pop Lloyd & Torriente, this one is a must have for any serious Cuban baseball enthusiast. The Black Ball Collection.
