1951-52 Denia card of HOFer, Willard Brown. Brown had an outstanding career in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs, but in Puerto Rico, he was an absolute legend. How he managed to hit at all with that goofy stance is impressive by itself. But in spite of being a great Negro Leaguer, and perhaps the most dominant hitter in Puerto Rican baseball history, his claim to fame is being the first black player to hit a home run in the American League. Known as "Home Run Brown," his pioneering homer was actually inside-the-park. Unfortunately, he played for the Browns in St. Louis, one of the worst possible places to be a pioneering black ballplayer in 1947.
The 1951-52 Denia set is by far the toughest of the baseball card issues produced in Puerto Rico in the 1940s and 50s. It is much tougher than any of the 3 Toleteros sets. In fact, as far we know, this is the first time the Willard Brown Denia card has ever been offered for sale publicly. One of the toughest cards of "Ese Hombre."