The Negro League Baseball History Fact for Today - Jim Pendleton

Born on January 7, 1924 in St. Charles, Missouri, James Edward “Jim” Pendleton played shortstop for the Chicago American Giants in 1948 after serving in the military during World War II.  At 6’ and 185 pounds, he had speed and range playing the position; plus he could hit.  Pendleton missed the desegregation of the US military, an early major step in the civil rights advancement of African Americans.   President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which began the process of ending the racial segregation of the Armed Forces after the speedy infielder had returned to civilian life.  However, Pendleton would be involved in the concurrent major step in African American civil rights; the integration of Major League baseball. 
 


After the 1948 season, it is said the Brooklyn Dodgers paid the American Giants $7,500 for Pendleton’s contract.  Two of his teammates would also sign with Major League teams, Quincy Trouppe with the Cleveland Indians in 1952 and Roberto Vargas with the Milwaukee Braves in 1955.  The “invisible color line” which had kept African Americans and dark-skinned Hispanics out of Major League baseball for nearly half the 20^th Century had been erased in 1947 by Jackie Robinson, but the integration process began slowly.  Other than the Dodgers, who along with Robinson had Roy Campanella, the Cleveland Indians were the only other Major League team in 1948 with African American players.  Larry Doby and “Satchel” Paige were on the World Series Champion Indian team that year.
 


But with Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese the unmovable fixture as the Dodgers’ shortstop, Pendleton spent four years (1949 – 1952) in the team’s minor league system.  Before the 1953 season, he was traded to the Milwaukee Braves and converted into an outfielder.  In 120 games he batted .299 that season and hit three straight home runs during a hot streak at the plate.  It would be his best Major League season.




The Braves traded for New York Giant star outfielder Bobby Thomson before the 1954 season.  He broke his ankle during spring training and opened the door for Pendleton to become a fixture in the Braves’ outfield.  However, after failing in his attempt to get a higher paying contract, Pendleton arrived at spring training late and not in top shape.   He lost the opportunity to replace Thomson to Henry Aaron; a 21 year old rookie who would go on to have a Hall of Fame career.   Pendleton never returned to his 1953 form and spent the remainder of his Major League career as a pinch hitter and reserve outfielder.




After two more seasons with the Braves, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the start of the 1957 season and in 1959 traded to the Cincinnati Reds. 


Pendleton spent two years in the minor leagues, 1960 -1961, and then resurfaced to play for the Houston Colt 45s in 1962.  It was the inaugural season for the National League expansion team.  Although 38 years old, he had his best statistical season since 1953 playing in 117 games and batting .246 with a career high eight home runs.




What former Negro League player that had a Hall of Fame career was a Major League rookie in 1953 with Jim Pendleton?






To learn more about Negro League baseball history, read "Last Train to Cooperstown":  http://booklaunch.io/kevinlmitchell/last-train-to-cooperstown.















 

 

 

Happy New Year from The Baseball Scroll!

A belated Happy New Year!  Thanks to all who supported THE BASEBALL SCROLL in 2015.  Your encouraging feedback inspired me to continue providing content for the blog each week. 


Thanks to everyone also for the support you gave my first book, Last Train to Cooperstown. ( http://booklaunch.io/kevinlmitchell/last-train-to-cooperstown)  The response towards it last year was fantastic and I anticipate more activity surrounding it in 2016.  This coming February and April I will discuss it during my program, “Negro League Baseball:  The Deep Roots of African Americans in America’s Great Game”, that will be presented at several branch locations of the Mid-Continent Public Library System in the Kansas City area.  


THE BASEBALL SCROLL’s focus for 2016 will be the time period when the “invisible color line” for professional baseball was erased and the process of integrating Major League baseball began; the late 1940s and the 1950s.  It was a period of joy, but also frustration for African American and dark-skinned Latino ballplayers.  The door to the Major Leagues had opened, but the process of integration was slow due to the prevailing racial prejudice and discrimination.  Also occurring in the period was Negro League baseball’s final descend into oblivion.


Continue to enjoy THE BASEBALL SCROLL in 2016 and spread the word about it!


            HAPPY NEW

YEAR!

2016

Keep Hall of Fame door open for Negro League baseball

     Rap Dixon         Newt Allen




 CI Taylor                                       Bill Byrd

Two weeks ago the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Pre-integration Committee voted on ten candidates for induction next summer.  None of the ten were from the Negro League baseball era.   No one from that era has been selected for induction into the hallowed halls of the museum in Cooperstown, New York since 2006.  The 17 inducted that year are profiled in my book Last Train to Cooperstown.  Is the door for other candidates from the Negro Leagues closed?

For years the Hall of Fame’s Veteran’s Committee had been responsible for considering candidates who failed to get the necessary votes needed for induction during their initial years of eligibility.  However, in 2010 the committee was restructured into three separate committees.  The Pre-integration Committee was created to consider candidates that existed prior to 1947, the year Jackie Robinson crossed the “invisible color line” to become the first African American or dark-skinned Latino to play Major League baseball.  The other two created were the Golden Era Committee to consider potential Hall of Fame candidates from the period 1947 – 1973 and the Expansion Era Committee to consider those from after 1973.

With a grant from Major League Baseball, the Hall of Fame in 2006 created a special committee of baseball historians to give a thorough review of the Negro League baseball era.  Based on the committee’s work, 99 individuals were identified as eligible for Hall of Fame recognition.  Of those, a final vote was taken on 39 of which 17 were recommended to be a part of the 2006 induction class.

It will be the responsibility of the Pre-integration Committee for adding others that are deserving recognition from the Negro League era.  The committee meets every three years and so far there have been no nominations from that era.  The legitimacy of Negro League baseball is no longer in question.  It is time to give a second look at some of the 82 identified from the black ball era, but not chosen by the 2006 special committee.

As I stated in The Last Train to Cooperstown;

“It is uncertain as to whether any of the other former Negro League players and executives/managers not chosen during the 2006 selection process will be someday elected into the Hall of Fame.  Although one, John “Buck” O’Neil, has a statue now at Cooperstown recognizing him as Negro League baseball’s greatest ambassador, he did not get selected for induction in 2006 as a player.  Also not selected were:  “Cannonball” Dick Redding, who some say threw the ball as hard as Hall of Famer “Smokey” Joe Williams; Grant “Home Run” Johnson; Dick Lundy; Newt Allen; C. I. Taylor; or Minnie Minoso who also had an All-Star Major League career.  They will be included in the on-going debate along with former Major League players such as Gil Hodges, Roger Maris, and others about who deserves a plaque in Cooperstown.

But being a part of the black baseball era should not negatively affect the Negro Leaguers in this debate.  Negro League baseball has come from behind the “invisible color line” and is now clearly identified as an everlasting fixture of baseball history.  The 17 Hall of Fame inductees from the Negro Leagues that arrived on the train to Cooperstown in 2006 cemented that fact”.

  For more information go to http://booklaunch.io/kevinlmitchell/last-train-to-cooperstown.

One of the last Negro League All Stars - Ernest Westfield

The following is an excerpt from my book, “Last Train to Cooperstown:  The 2006 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees from the Negro League Baseball Era”:

“Jackie Robinson broke through the color line in 1947 and began his successful Major League playing career with the Brooklyn Dodgers.  With the line erased by Robinson and as more African Americans began playing in the Major Leagues, the eventual future end of Negro League baseball became obvious by the early 1950s.  Instead of attending Negro League games, more and black baseball fans began following former Negro League players in the Major Leagues.  By the middle of the decade talented young African American players were bypassing the Negro Leagues and directly signing with Major League teams.  The death of Negro League baseball came by the early 1960s due to economic problems caused by a declining fan base and a decreasing level of talent.”

Born on November 30, 1939 in Cleveland, Tennessee; Ernest Westfield was the starting pitcher for the East squad in the last Negro League Baseball East-West All Star Game.  The contest was held on August 21, 1960 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the same as where the first was played in 1933.  In spite of the league being in decline, it was still an honor to be chosen to participate in the All Star Game.  Ike Brown, the West squad’s shortstop, went on to play for the Detroit Tigers in 1969 and was the last player from the Negro Leagues signed by a Major League team. 

A 6’3”, 160 pound  right handed pitcher, Westfield spent the 1958 season in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system.  The next year he signed with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League (NAL). 

Westfield gave up three runs in the first three innings and the West squad won the game 8 – 4. 

A perfect Christmas gift for the sports fan on your shopping list.  Go to http://klmitchell.com/books/.