negroleagueshistory.com
Herbert “Rap” Dixon was a 5-tool outfielder who was one of the better hitters of the 1920s and 1930s.
“On a tour of Japan in 1927 he raced around the bases in 14.5 seconds, then amazed the Japanese by standing at home plate and throwing several balls over the outfield fence, 328 feet away.”
Bill James in The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
Dixon’s career spanned from 1922-1937, playing with the Chicago American Giants, Baltimore Black Sox, Hilldale Daisies, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Philadelphia Stars, New York Cubans, Homestead Grays, and others. He played on some great teams. In 1929 his Baltimore Black Sox won the 1929 American Negro League championship, hitting .432 with a .784 slugging percentage. In one series that season he had 14 straight hits. He played in the outfield for the Harrisburg Giants with Oscar Charleston and Fats Jenkins, and that lineup scored runs at a higher pace that the 1927 New York Yankees featuring Ruth and Gehrig.
He was a lifetime .340 hitter. In the first Negro League games played at Yankee Stadium, Dixon hit 3 home runs in a doubleheader.