Cando López

Justo Cándido López
(Police Car)

• Bats Right, Throws Right

• Debut 1926
• Final Game 1939
• Born 1906 in Havana Cuba
• Died September 1979 in Puerto Rico

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Biographical Information

Cando López was a Negro League and Cuban Winter League outfielder noted for his defense in center field and for his speed (which earned him the nickname Police Car).

López debuted in Cuba in 1925-1926, hitting .262 for San Jose. He hit .365 for the Cuban Stars in 1926, leading his team and just missing the top five in the Negro National League. He split 1926-1927 between Cienfuegos and Almendares, hitting .393, only .005 behind leader Manuel Cueto. His 15 steals paced the CWL. He fell to .268 in the summer of 1927 back in the USA. Cando hit .297 in 1927-1928 and slugged .373. His steal total fell to three. He led the league with 158 at-bats and his 27 runs were third behind future Hall of Famers Jud Wilson and Martin Dihigo. The 25-year-old batted .319 for the 1928 Cuban Stars.

López hit .269 in 1929. With Almendares in 1929-1930, he batted .261 and slugged .326. He struggled at .200 in 1930, the heart of the liveball era. He hit only .213 and slugged under .250 in the 1930 Campeonato Unico but led in at-bats (61). In 1931, he hit .222, his last season as a starter in the USA for eight years.

Cando hit .325 for the Regla club in 1931-1932 and slugged .492. He led the CWL with 120 at-bats and his four triples tied for the lead. He hit .250 and slugged .288 in 1932-1933, back with Almenadres. In 1934-1935, he hit .288 for Almendares and slugged .328. He led the CWL with 36 hits, 18 runs and 125 at-bats. During 1935-1936, he hit .270 and slugged .380 for Almendares while leading with 200 at-bats. The next winter, he played for Almendares and Marianao and hit .285 while slugging .395. His five triples tied Herman Andrews for the most. In the summer of 1937, he hit .283 for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican League.

López hit .245/?/.304 for Marianao in 1937-1938 and .207/?/.251 for Habana in 1938-1939. He returned to the Cuban Stars in 1939. In the second 1939 East-West Game, he played as a backup outfielder for the East. Pinch-hitting for Vic Harris in the 5th inning, he went 1 for 3 in a 10-2 win.

Cando batted .233 and slugged .286 for Habana in 1939-1940, then went 1 for 9 for the same team in 1940-1941 to end his career at age 38. He later coached in Cuba. In 1984, he was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame along with Miguel Cuellar, Mike Fornieles, Adrian Zabala, Preston Gomez and others.

Notable Achievements

• NNL All-Star (1939)

Sources

• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo