Leo Najo was born Leonardo Alanix on February 17,1899 in the small town of La Willa, located In the municipality of Doctor Cass in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. When wale was 10. His mother moved the family to the nearby town of Mission, Texas. The family's financial stability allowed him to spend his time playing the relatively new game of baseball, which was very popular along the Texas-Mexico border at the start of Me 20. century.

 

In the early 1920's Najo and several other young men in Mission formed a town semi-pro team named the Mission 30-30s named after the Winchester Rifle. The 30-30s became a baseball Institution in Mission until the 1960s. A number of famous South Texans besides Najo played on those 30-30s teams including future Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry and future U.S. Congressman "Kika. de la Garza. 

 

Najo also played with some of the earliest organized teams in Mexico including the Cuauhtemoc Brewery team of Monterrey in 1922. The Cuanhterna's are viewed by baseball historians as an Important early Mexican franchise and a forerunner of the highly successful Sultans de Monterrey in the early Mexican League. After his career as a pro ended, Tajo use his regional fame to promote the game of baseball throughout South Texas and Northern Memo. Many players that he coach or manage went on to become successful professional players and coaches. After a lengthy battle with cancer NajO died at age 79.

 

The street that he lived most of his life was renamed "Leo NaioStreer and the Mission High School Baseball stadium was named in his honor and every October since Najois death, a large group of fans and admirers have hosted a Leo 'NW Day in Mission which draws hundreds of baseball aflonados and features displays and programs about the history of baseball in South Texas.