The Negro League baseball history fact for today

Born August 26, 1928 in Longwood, Mississippi; Frank Barnes began his baseball career in 1947 as an 18 year old pitcher for the Negro American League Indianapolis Clowns.  While playing with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1950, he was sold along with Elston Howard to the New York Yankees.  Howard went on to become the first African American to play in the Major Leagues for the Yankees (1955) and eventually one of the team’s star players.  But Barnes was kept in the minor leagues where he mostly stayed the remainder of his career despite having winning seasons.  At twenty-nine years old in 1957, Barnes made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.  In three seasons with the team, Barnes pitched in only 15 games and finished with a 1 – 3 career Major League record. 

The Negro League baseball history fact for today

After bringing the first African-American ballplayers into Major League Baseball while President/GM for the Brooklyn Dodgers; Jackie Robinson and Don Bankhead in 1947, Roy Campanella in 1948 and Don Newcombe in 1949, Branch Rickey went on to become Vice-President/Board Chairman for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1950.  On October 22, 1953, Rickey signed the first African-American player for the Pittsburgh Pirates; Curt Roberts.  Born on August 16, 1929 in Pineland, Texas; Curtis Benjamin Roberts had played three years in Negro League baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs from 1947 – 1950. 

In Rickey’s desperate efforts to improve his team, the Pirates finished last four of the five years of his tenure, he did not give the 5’8” and 165 lbs. Roberts a season to get prepared in the minor leagues as was done for his African-American players on the Dodgers/. Instead, Roberts played 135 games at second base in his 1954 Major League rookie season and he hit .232.  Roberts was used as a utility infielder the next two seasons, playing in only 37 games.  He was sent back to the minor leagues after the 1956 season when Bill Mazeroski, elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, became the Pirate second baseman for the next 15 years.

Born during the Giants' 1951 pennant run

Although I was born the summer of the 1951 New York Giants’ famous run to capture the National League pennant; the only games played on the actual day I came into this world, Monday August 6, were both in the American League.  The New York Yankees beat the Washington Senators 4 – 0 and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 10 – 1.

On August 6^th, the Giants were in second place (59 – 47), trailing the Brooklyn Dodgers by nine and a half games.  The Dodgers were the “Boys of Summer” team led by Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, and Duke Snider.  The Giants had a 20 year old rookie in center field named Willie Mays, former Negro League star Monte Irvin in left field, and were managed by fiery Leo Durocher.

Two days after I was born, the Giants lost a doubleheader to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.  They lost again the following day to the Dodgers and then dropped the opener of their weekend series against the Phillies in Philadelphia.  On August 12^th, the Giants had fallen 13 games behind the first place Dodgers.

However, the Giants won 37 out of the next 44 games; which included a 16 game winning streak from August 12 to August 27.  Meanwhile, the Dodgers were only 22 – 20 after August 12 and the Giants were tied for first place with them by the end of the season; both teams were 96 – 58.  

A best two out of three playoff was held to determine who would go against the New York Yankees in the 1951 World Series.  After the teams split the first two games, the Giants won Game 3 on October 3rd by what was called, “the shot heard around the world”.  Trailing 4 -2 at the Polo Grounds in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Giants’ Bobby Thomson hit a three run home run off the Dodgers’ Ralph Branca to win the National League pennant.  I was not quite 2 months old at that time and so was not aware of Thomson’s game winning blast.  However, long time Dodger fans painfully still remember it today.

That summer was also the rookie season for the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle and the last one for Yankee great Joe DiMaggio.  Willie Mays was the third former Negro League player named National League Rookie of the Year and Roy Campanella was the second former Negro League player named National League Most Valuable Player.  It was a good baseball season for those born that year, which will be turning 62 this year.
What happened during the baseball season the year you were born?

Near the birthplace of "The Rope"

My Fourth of July holiday was spent in Holly Springs, Mississippi; 38 miles east of Memphis, Tennessee on Highway 78.  Holly Springs is also three miles from Potts Camp, Mississippi; birthplace of the Negro League baseball hitting machine of the late 1940’s, Bob “The Rope” Boyd.  Born October 1, 1919, Boyd hit over .330 in his four seasons with the Memphis Red Sox (1946 – 1949).  The 5’9’’, 168 pound left hand hitting first baseman played in three Negro League East West All Star games, getting two hits in the 1948 contest.

In 1950, he became the first African-American player signed by the Chicago White Sox.  Although Boyd hit over .300 throughout the team’s minor league system, he was never able to get a permanent spot on their Major League roster.  In five years, 1950 – 1954, Boyd played in only 96 White Sox games.

However, beginning in 1956, Major League baseball fans got to witness the hitting skills of Bob Boyd when he was 36 years old playing with the Baltimore Orioles.  During four of the next five seasons, 1956 – 1960, Boyd hit over .300.  His nickname, “The Rope”, did not come when he played Negro League baseball; but from his white Oriole teammates based on the line drives they saw Boyd consistently hit when batting.  In 1956, Boyd (.311) and teammate Bob Nieman (.322) were the first Orioles in franchise history with over 100 at bats to hit .300.  In 1957, Boyd’s .318 batting average was 4^th highest in the American League behind Hall of Fame sluggers Ted Williams (.388) and Mickey Mantle (.365); and Gene Woodling (.321).

Boyd had a ten year (1951 – 1961) Major League career batting average of .293

KCKAA Pirate Update

The Pirates, a team of 10 – 12 year old boys playing in the Kansas City RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner City) league, are 8 – 5.  Not bad for a team of mostly first and second year inner city players learning the fundamentals of the sport.  The keys to the team’s success have been pitchers who throw strikes and do not walk lots of opposing batters, the team’s hitting has improved, and its improved defense.  However, there are still too many dropped balls (trying to catch with one hand instead of two) and errant throws.  Also, some players still need attitude adjustments as they willfully do not want to follow directions.  Knowing they did not have perfect attitudes in their youth, the team’s coaches try to be tolerant.  However, they are not going to allow the patients to run the asylum.

There have been games where the team has been outmatched and ones the team won handily.  The best games however have been the close ones when both the Pirates and their opponent play well.  During those games, there was an infectious, exciting atmosphere that both the players and their fans were caught up.  An atmosphere that is no different than a Major League game.  An atmosphere that gives no credibility to anyone who says baseball is a dull sport.  An  excitement Pirate players will always remember about the sport.

How is your favorite little league team doing?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

The Negro League baseball history fact for today

After two seasons in Negro League baseball, Gene Baker became the first African American player signed by the Chicago Cubs.  However, it would be three years before he took the field in a Cubs' uniform.  Born on June 15, 1925 in Davenport, Iowa; Baker was a slick fielding shortstop in 1948 and 1949 for the Kansas City Monarchs who were managed by John “Buck” O’Neill.  After signing with the Cubs before the 1950 season, Baker stayed in the team’s minor league system for over three years.  During that time the Cubs were getting less than mediocre play from their shortstops, but the team never promoted Baker.  Even the Cubs owner, P. K. Wrigley, began to question why Baker was still in the minor leagues. 

On September 20, 1953, Baker made his Major League debut as a pinch hitter.   Ernie Banks, who the Cubs had signed from the Kansas City Monarchs on September 3, was playing shortstop that day and hit his first Major League home run.  After Baker had left the Monarchs in 1950 to sign with the Cubs, it was Banks that followed as the Monarch’s new shortstop.  However, Banks beat Baker by six days (September 17, 1953) to be the first African American to play a Major League game for the Cubs.

The Cubs moved Baker to second base the next season making he and Banks the first African American double play combination in the Major Leagues.  Baker is credited with helping Banks develop into an All Star, Hall of Fame shortstop; while he was himself selected to play in the 1955 All Star Game.  After the 1957 season began, Baker was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and was a utility infielder and pinch hitter for their 1960 World Series championship team. 

         

The Negro League baseball history fact for today

Only four former Negro League pitchers have taken the mound in a World Series:  Satchel Paige (1948 Cleveland Indians), Don Newcombe (1949, 1955, and 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers), Joe Black (1952 and 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers), and Marshall “Sheriff” Bridges (1962 New York Yankees). Born on June 2, 1931 in Jackson, Mississippi, Bridges was a pitcher and first baseman for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League.  The hard throwing left hander was signed by the New York Giants in 1953, but spent five seasons pitching in the minor leagues before his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959.  After three seasons in the National League, two with Cardinals (1959 – 1960) and one with the Cincinnati Reds (1961), Bridges became the top relief pitcher for the 1962 New York Yankees.  In 52 relief appearances, he won eight games while saving 18 others and helped the Yankees capture the American League pennant.  The “Sheriff” made two appearances in the World Series pitching a total of three and one third innings as the Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants to win the World Championship.  After being shot by a woman in a bar during spring training the next season, Bridges fell out of favor with the Yankees.  Appearing in only 23 games in 1963, he was traded to the Washington Senators after the season.