Martin Dihigo Joins Hall of Fame
01/14/1955 Someone once said, "There's no crying in baseball." But the tears were flowing in abundance today at the Hall of Fame induction of baseball great Martin Dihigo. They were tears of joy.
The superstar hurler got quite emotional at times during his speech as he retraced his journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of success in the baseball world.
He told the audience, "The greatest feeling in the world is to win a major league game. The second greatest feeling is to lose a major league game. For someone who truly loved playing baseball, I couldn't really lose either way. Just to be on a baseball diamond is a wonderful feeling. Life just doesn't get any better than that. I will really miss it."
Baseball newest legend ended his career at age 42 with 258 wins and 244 defeats and compiled a 4.40 ERA. Dihigo made 653 appearances and struck out 2031 in 4537.2 innings. Teams hit a composite .281 against him.
Hall of Fame Inducts Bill Foster
01/05/1955 What a way to cap a glorious career -- get elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. That's exactly what happened to pitching star, Bill Foster. The Baseball Writers Association rewarded him for his sensational seasons on the mound and today he took his place among the baseball immortals.
Foster told the audience at the ceremonies, "Baseball has been my life ... and what a wonderful life it has been. The truth is I would have played it for almost nothing -- but I wouldn't have told any of the owners that."
Foster had a career record of 358 victories and 319 losses with 2540 strikeouts in 6090.1 innings and a 3.66 ERA. He was 45 when he retired from baseball, and he appeared in 877 games.
Dick Lundy HOF Legend
01/05/1949 The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame honors those players who are the best at their position, those special individuals whose skills make them unforgettable in the eyes of baseball fans everywhere. Another such player was recognized today, as shortstop Dick Lundy was enshrined at his induction ceremony.
There was no mistaking the look of pride on Dick Lundy's face as he saw his statue for the first time and the plaque recounting the many accomplishments over his 3361-game career. Lundy played until he was 45 and had a lifetime .289 batting average with 95 home runs. Baseball's newest Hall of Famer batted in 1552 runs and scored 1740 times.
Fans of all ages watched in appreciation as Lundy blinked back tears. "I really don't know what to say during such an enormous moment," he managed to finally say, "because words cannot describe all the feelings and thoughts running through my head. The love and appreciation from all my fellow players and all the fans out there has been overwhelming, but I would not be here today without the love and support of my family. My greatest thanks goes to them." Dick Lundy: The Best Shortstop You Never Heard Of.
Featured image: Pablo Mesa, Oscar Charleston, and Alejandro Oms. Team mates on the Cuban Stars in the mid 1920s.
