José de la Caridad Méndez Báez (March 19,1887– October 31, 1928) was a Cuban professional baseball right-handed pitcher, shortstop, third baseman and manager in the Negro leagues.

A relatively small man (5 feet, 10  inches, 152 pounds),[4] he threw a hard fastball with a deceptively easy motion and a snapping curve.

That summer he made his United States debut with the Cuban Stars and also went 3–0 for the Brooklyn Royal Giants.

The Cincinnati Reds were visiting Havana playing the Cuban League teams, and Méndez completely dominated, pitching 25 consecutive scoreless innings in 3 appearances.

His statistics from the Cincinnati Reds series were W-2, L-0, earned run average (ERA)-0.00, games played (GP) - 3, games started (GS)-2, innings pitched (IP)-25, hits allowed-8, runs (R) allowed-0, bases on balls (BB)-3, strikeouts (K)-24.

[d][15] One of his losses came on July 1 in Chicago when Rube Foster and the Leland Giants defeated him 1–0 when a dropped fly ball led to an unearned run against him.

More than one big leaguer from the states has faced him and left the plate with a wholesome respect for the great Cuban star.

He is a natural ballplayer if there ever was one and with his pitching, it is no wonder that the Cubans win games ... At that, he is a remarkable pitcher, and if he were a white man would command a good position on any Major League club in the circuits.

In late 1914 Méndez developed arm trouble and cut back on his pitching, eventually stopping altogether.

Méndez became the star of the first Negro World Series in 1924 against the Hilldale Club of the Eastern Colored League.

He pitched for the 1923/24 Santa Clara Leopards team that is considered the most dominant in the history of Cuban baseball; other members of that team included Oscar Charleston, Alejandro Oms, Dobie Moore, Bill Holland, and Eustaquio Pedroso.