Hector López, a two-time World Series champion with the Yankees and the first Black Triple-A manager, dies at 93 on September 29th in Hudson Florida. The New York Yankees, the team that López spent most of his career with, held a moment of silence to honor him before their game this past Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.
López was a former resident of West Hempstead where he raised two boys. One of his children, Darrol Lopez is the long-time head coach of the Malverne High School boys basketball team where he won his 300th game this past December.
Hector López had an 11 year major league career with 7 of those years with the Yankees (1959-1966). He played in 15 World Series games where he had a batting average of .286. After López retired from the Yankees, he became the first Black manager in Triple-A history. He would later coach and scout for various organizations, including the Yankees.
López coached the Malverne High School baseball team in 1990 and also worked in the Parks Department for the Town of Hempstead.
There is a small, hard-to-find, street off of Woodfield Road, near Elm Street, named Lopez Drive that according to local residents is named after López. Given his many accomplishments on and off the field, locally and historically, a more fitting memorial and legacy in the community should be considered.
