Luis Márquez
Luis Ángel "Canena" Márquez Sánchez was a professional baseball player. He was the third Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball. Márquez played in a total of 68 games in the major leagues, split in two seasons between the Boston Braves, the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. His final game was on July 11, 1954.
He played in the Negro leagues with the New York Black Yankees, Baltimore Elite Giants and Homestead Grays. In 1949 he became the first black player to sign with the New York Yankees. He played for 20 seasons in Puerto Rico's winter league. In a history of Puerto Rican baseball, Thomas Van Hyning described Márquz as "a complete ballplayer who could hit, run, throw, play good defense and provide power when needed." He is the all-time leader in hits, runs and doubles.
Márquez played 14 seasons in the minor leagues. He played for the Portland Beavers in the Pacific Coast League and for the Milwaukee Brewers, the Toledo Sox, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers in the American Association.
Márquez was involved in baseball throughout his life as player, coach, trainer, and Little League coach. The municipal baseball stadium in Aguadilla, Estadio Luis A. Canena Márquez, is named for him.
Márquez was murdered in Puerto Rico, as he was shot during a domestic dispute.
