José Mendez
Nicknames: Joe, The Black Diamond
a.k.a. José Mendez Baez (his real name)

Career: 1908-1926
Positions: p, ss, 3b, 2b, of, manager
Teams: Brooklyn Royal Giants (1908), Cuban Stars (1909-1912), Stars of Cuba (1910), All Nations (1912-1917), Chicago American Giants (1918), Detroit Stars (1919), Kansas City Monarchs (1920-1926)
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5' 8''   Weight: 160
Born: March 19, 1887, Cardenas, Matanzas, Cuba
Died: October 31, 1928, Havana, Cuba
National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee (2006)

A lean and rangy right-hander with a smooth delivery, this wiry Cuban had tremendous speed that was deceptive. A smart pitcher who changed speeds, his rising fastball, coupled with a sharp-breaking curve, made him one of the greatest black pitchers of his time. Mendez had long arms and exceptionally long fingers, enabling him to get more spin on a ball. Some observers considered him to be faster than Smokey Joe Williams, and the graceful hurler threw with a deceptively easy motion that created havoc with batters' timing. He also utilized a quick release that was legal during the time he played but that is now ruled an illegal delivery.

Estaban B. Bellan was born on October 1, 1849 in Cuba. Most encyclopedias cite his birth as “1850” but his passport application in January 1874 states the birth date above. The encyclopedias also note his middle name as “Enrique” but it is listed as “B.” in both his passport application and the St. John’s College registry.

At age 13, Estaban and his older brother Domingo, born in February 1845, came to the United States in 1863 to begin school in September at St. John’s College (later renamed Fordham University) in Bronx, New York. St. John’s, the first catholic institution of higher learning in the northeastern U.S, was a popular site for wealthy Cuban families to send their children during the turmoil of seeking independence from Spain. In 1863 twelve Cubans attended the school.

Domingo is not found in the school registry after the first year; however, Estaban continued through July 1868. In all likelihood Bellan learned to play baseball at St. John’s. The school began playing baseball in September 1859, naming their club the Rose Hills. Two months later, they participated in the first nine-man baseball contest between college clubs (November 3 versus St. Francis Xavier College).

A search of the newspaper archives suggests that the first baseball reference to Bellan may be a New York Times article on June 19, 1868. At age 18 he is a member of the Rose Hill team, catching and batting first. In all likelihood Bellan was playing with the club well before this as his college career was nearly over in June 1868. In the summer of 1868 Bellan joined the Unions of Morrisania, a top New York team. He played second base and outfield in twenty championship games, scoring 28 runs. In 1869 Bellan joined the Unions of Lansingburgh. Lansingburgh, also known as North Troy would be annexed by Troy in 1900.

Leonard, Walter Fenner (Buck)
Born: September 8, 1907, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Died: November 27, 1997, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Vocation: Sports Figure
Geographic Connection to Pennsylvania: Homestead, Allegheny County

Abstract: Walter “Buck” Leonard was born on September 8, 1907, and he grew up in a small town in North Carolina. At an early age he played on multiple semi-pro baseball teams. At the age of 25 he joined the Negro National League, playing for the Grays of Homestead Pennsylvania. He helped lead them to multiple pennants and became one of the first blacks to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He died on November 27, 1997.

Biography:
Walter “Buck” Leonard was born on September 8, 1907, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He was the third child of John and Emma Leonard. He had three sisters and two younger brothers. His father worked as a railroad fireman and his mother stayed at home to take care of the family. As a boy, his parents used to call him “Buddy.” However, his younger brother Charlie couldn’t say “Buddy” and instead he called him “Bucky.” The name stuck and was shortened to “Buck” when he got older.

(born September 17, 1879, Calvert, Texas, U.S.—died December 9, 1930, Kankakee, Illinois) American baseball player who gained fame as a pitcher, manager, and owner and as the “father of black baseball” after founding in 1920 the Negro National League (NNL), the first successful profession league for African American ballplayers.

Foster dropped out of school after the eighth grade, and by the age of 18 he had begun playing semiprofessional baseball in Texas for the Waco Yellow Jackets. In 1902 he joined Frank Leland's Chicago Union Giants but soon left to play in an integrated semiprofessional league in Michigan.

Standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 metres) tall, the large right-hander first made his mark on the game in 1903 as a pitcher for the Cuban X-Giants, winning four games (of a seven-game series) against the Philadelphia Giants in the “Colored Championship of the World.” The next year, as a member of the Philadelphia Giants, Foster earned his nickname by outdueling the great Rube Waddell in a game against the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League. In 1905 he totaled 51 victories out of 55 games played.

A dispute over money with the Philadelphia Giants led to Foster's return to Chicago and the Leland Giants in 1907. As both star pitcher and manager, he guided the team to a 110–10 record that year. His style as a manager was no different from his style as a player—aggressive and intimidating. He was an
innovative strategist, and his team members were renowned for their bunting and baserunning, especially the hit-and-run (in which the batter is signaled to hit a pitch regardless of its location and the base runner
on first begins running before the pitch is released). In 1910 Foster acquired ownership of the Leland Giants and guided the squad to a 123–6 record.