The Negro League baseball history fact for today - Walt Calhoun

Walter “Walt” Calhoun, born on August 21, 1911 in Union City, Tennessee, pitched for 10 Negro League baseball teams.  The 5’ 9” 180 pound southpaw was known for having good control over the variety of his pitches.

He first played for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1931, the last year of the original Negro National League.  In 1932, Calhoun pitched in the Negro Southern League with first the Memphis Red Sox and then the Montgomery Gray Sox.  By 1937, he was in the revived Negro National League (NNL) with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and split 1938 between the Washington Pilots and the Indianapolis ABCs ; the latter team being in the newly formed Negro American League (NAL).

Calhoun’s best years were 1939 and 1940 with the St. Louis/New Orleans Stars.  Chosen for the 1940 Negro League East-West All Star Game, he pitched two and one-half innings giving up six hits and six runs in the West All Stars’ 11 – 0 loss.  

He finished his career pitching for the New York Black Yankees and Philadelphia Stars in 1942 and then in 1946 with the Cleveland Buckeyes.

What future Major League player was the only pitcher on the West quad not to give up a run in the 1940 Negro League All Star Game?