The Negro League baseball history fact for today - Merle Porter

Born in January of 1921 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Merle Porter followed his older brother into Negro League baseball.  Andy “Pullman” Porter was a mainstay on the pitching staff of the Baltimore Elite Giants in the late 1930s and 1940s.  Younger brother Merle was a left handed first baseman, nicknamed “Fancy Dan”, who played for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1949 and 1950.


Merle began his career playing with the Negro minor league New Orleans Creoles.  Upon coming to the Monarchs, he shared first base duties with Buck O’Neil.  His teammates with the Monarchs included Ernie Banks, Elston Howard, Connie Johnson, Gene Baker, and Bob Thurman who all went on to play in the Major Leagues.

Who was the Monarchs’ manager the two years Merle Porter played with the team?