The Negro League Bseball History Fact For Today - Henry Kimbro

In celebration of Black History Month, here is Today’s Negro League Baseball History Fact:  Henry Kimbro.

Born 2/19/12 in Nashville, Tennessee, Henry Kimbro spent the prime years of his Negro League baseball career (1937 – 1950) with the Baltimore Elite Giants.  Considered one of the best center fielders in the Negro National League during the 1940s, Kimbro played in six Negro League East-West All-Star games.

Defensively, he had speed for great range in the outfield and he challenged base runners with his strong throwing arm.  A good lead-off batter who consistently hit over .300, the left-handed swinger also had home run power.  Kimbro gained the reputation of being a doggedly determined competitor who was not friendly with opponents and combative with teammates.

During his years with Baltimore, Kimbro's teammates included Roy Campanella, Joe Black, and Junior Gilliam; all of which went on to play in the Major Leagues. However, Kimbro did not.  Scouts deemed him beyond his prime, over 35 years old, once the door to play Major League baseball opened for African-American ballplayers.     

Negro League baseball is not just a part of African American history, but is woven into the fabric of 20^Th Century American history.

To read more about the Negro League baseball era Last Train To Cooperstown