- Alex Pompez
Alejandro "Alex" Pompez (May 14, 1890 - March 14, 1974) was an American executive in
Negro league baseball who owned theCuban Stars (East) andNew York Cubans franchises from 1916 to 1950. He later served as a scout, and as director of international scouting, for the Giants franchise inMajor League Baseball .Born in
Key West, Florida toCuba n immigrant parents, he signed numerousLatin America n players for his Negro League teams, includingMartín Dihigo ,Minnie Miñoso andAlejandro Oms . He also helped organize the firstNegro League World Series in by|1924.Pompez, like many Negro League owners, was involved with organized crime figures. His connections with
Dutch Schultz 's organization led to hisindictment in 1936 for involvement in policy rackets when New York County District AttorneyThomas Dewey selected him as one of the targets in a crackdown on New York City racketeering. Pompez fled to Mexico after being tipped off to his arrest; he was eventually arrested by Mexican authorities, but Mexican officials refused to extradite him. Pompez decided to return to the U.S. as a state witness in the investigation.Pompez served on the
Baseball Hall of Fame 's special Committee on Negro League Baseball in the early 1970s. He died at age 83 in New York City. He was himself elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006.External links
* [http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/Pompez_Alex.htm Baseball Hall of Fame bio]
References
* Riley, James A. (1994). "The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues". New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 978-0-7867-0065-3.
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