The Negro Southern League

José de la Caridad Méndez

Jose Mendez

José de la Caridad Méndez (March 19, 1887 – October 31, 1928) was a Cuban right handed pitcher and manager in baseball‘s Negro Leagues. Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, he died at age 41 in Havana. Known in Cuba as El Diamante Negro (the “Black Diamond”), he became a legend in his homeland. He was one of the first group of players elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. He was elected to the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.