BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-CUBAN " LAZARO SALAZAR " WAS A CUBAN BASEBALL OUTFIELDER IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES AND THE MEXICAN LEAGUE : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                                             BLACK                  SOCIAL             HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Lázaro Salazar (February 4, 1912 – April 25, 1957) was a Cuban baseball outfielder in the Negro leagues and the Mexican League. He played from 1924 to 1952 with several clubs, including the Cuban Stars (West), New York Cubans, Cafeteros de Córdoba, Azules de Veracruz, Industriales de Monterrey and Sultanes de Monterrey.^[1]

Salazar also played and managed in Venezuela for a long time. While pitching for the Gavilanes team, he was part of the longest contest in Venezuelan baseball history in a 20-inning game that lasted 6 hours, 20 minutes, losing a pitching duel to Andrés Julio Báez [Grillo B] and the Pastora team, 1–0 (Maracaibo, May 5, 1938).^[2]

He later managed the Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League during seven consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1956, leading the squad to championship titles in the 1949–1950, 1950–1951, 1951–1952 and 1954–1955 campaigns.^[2]

Salazar was elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954.^[1] He also gained induction into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2010.^[2]