Since
the beginning of March on Twitter (follow me at Kevin L. Mitchell @Lasttraintocoop)
I have been tweeting about Negro League baseball catchers.
If
you have been reading my blog posts any length of time, you are aware of my
journey through playing Little League and high school baseball handling the so
called “tools of ignorance”. That is the
nickname given to a catcher’s protective equipment: catcher’s mask, chest protector, shin
guards. Supposedly coined by Major
League catcher “Muddy” Ruel who played in the 1920s and 1930s, the phrase
ironically points out the so called smarts needed by a catcher to handle the
responsibilities of the position and the foolishness needed to play a position
where such protective equipment is required. My less than stellar performance at times
questioned if I had the smarts needed for the position, but pain experienced from being hit by foul
tips and from base runners crashing into me trying to score (catchers could
block home plate back then) showed my foolishness in playing it.
The
catchers I mention in my tweets have not gotten the recognition as the four
former Negro League catchers currently in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Roy Campanella (1969), Josh Gibson (1972),
James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey (2006), and Louis Santop (2006). However, some did briefly play Major League
baseball. Others were outstanding
contributors to the success of their team.
They all developed the skills necessary to handle the responsibilities
of the position and helped to build the legacy of Negro League baseball.
Following
are a few of my Twitter tweets on Negro League baseball catchers:
Bruce
Petway
Best defensive catcher in Negro League baseball early 1900s. Cuban X Giants, Philadelphia Giants, Chicago
American Giants 1911 – 1919, Detroit Stars 1920 – 1925.
Larry “Iron Man” Brown
Negro League career 1921 – 1946, teams included Memphis Red Sox and Chicago
American Giants, 7-time Negro League All-Star, Memphis player/manager 1942 –
1944.
Frank Duncan
Kansas
City Monarchs 1921 – 1934, 1937, 1941 – 1947.
Played on both of Monarchs’ Negro League World Series champions 1924 and
1942. Monarchs’ manager 1942 – 1947.
Ted “Double Duty”
Radcliffe
Negro League All-Star, 3-times catcher and 3-times pitcher, 1931
Homestead Grays, Pittsburgh Crawfords 1932, Memphis Red Sox 1938 – 39, 41,
Birmingham Black Barons 1942 – 1946.
Quincy Trouppe
5-time
Negro League All-Star, St. Louis Stars 1930 – 1931, Indianapolis Clowns 1938,
Cleveland Buckeyes 1944 – 1947, signed Cleveland Indians 1952, Major League
debut 4/30/52.
Joshua
Johnson
1934 – 1940 Homestead Grays 1934
– 35, 1940 back up to Josh Gibson, also played with New York Black Yankees 1938.
Albert
“Buster” Haywood
Most productive years Cincinnati/Indianapolis Clowns 1943 –
1953, Negro League All-Star 1944, named manager of Clowns 1948, first manager
for Henry Aaron 1952.
Sam Hairston
Indianapolis Clowns 1945 – 1948, Signed Chicago White Sox 1950, MLB debut 7/21/51,
1952 – 1960 mainly in White Sox minor league system, 2 sons and 2 grandsons
played MLB.
Ray Noble
New York
Cubans 1946 – 1948, played on team’s 1947 Negro League World Series champion,
New York Giants 1951 – 1953, MLB debut 4/18/51.
Otha “Little Catch”
Bailey
Negro League career 1950 – 1959, Cleveland Buckeyes, Houston Eagles,
Birmingham Black Barons, 5’6’’, 150 pounds, One of the best catchers in talent
diluted Negro Leagues 1950s.
All photos courtesy of various Internet web sites via Google Images
