Negro
League Baseball:
Gone But Not Forgotten
Have you ever heard of Oscar Charleston — does his name ring
a bell at all? He's recognized by some as one of the most
talented baseball players of all time. His career has been
compared to both Ty Cobb's and Babe Ruth's. In 1921, he batted
.430 and led the league in doubles, triples and home runs. He
retired with a .376 batting average, and in 1976 was inducted
into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New
York.
Yet sadly, the answer to the question just asked is
probably "no" — because Charleston played at a
time when blacks weren't allowed to play in the
"white" major leagues. He is just one of literally
thousands of exceptional ball players that segregation robbed
of the recognition and the opportunities they richly deserved.
The
Early Stages
In May, 1878, John "Bud" Fowler became the first
black player to play professionally, albeit in the minors,
when he took the mound for the Lynn Live Oaks of the
International League. Throughout the 1880's, despite a
prevalence of segregation, many black players suited up for
minor league teams and finally in 1884, Moses
"Fleetwood" Walker became the first black baseball
player to reach the majors when his Toledo Blue Stockings
joined the majors' American Association. Unfortunately it was
short-lived, as the team could not survive financially and
folded after the 1884 season. The talent exhibited by Walker
and the other black players was unquestioned ,and according to
reports, began to scare white players who felt that their jobs
might be in jeopardy. Black players were greeted more and more
with "Whites Only" signs on locker room doors, and
by the late 1880s, the color barrier was in full effect.
The first all-black team was put together in 1885 and was
for a short time known as the "Argyle Athletics."
They toured the Northeast, often playing the best white teams
in the area, but were usually met with resistance from white
fans. With hopes of attracting more white fans to the games,
team owner Walter Cook attempted to fool them by changing the
name of the team to the Cuban Giants. Players were even
instructed to avoid speaking English while in public and on
the field. The scheme worked for a while but by the turn of
the century, no black players or teams were allowed to play
with whites.
A Temporary Breakthrough
|
©
