Information below courtesy of “The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues” by James A. Riley, foreword by Monte Irvin. 1st Carroll & Graf trade pbk. ed. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2002, c1994. Special thanks to The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Bob Mitchell – P – Kansas City Monarchs Bob “Peach Head” Mitchell played four seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League. Mitchell compiled a career record of 30-14 and has been a leader of local efforts to change the pension rules for former players of the Negro Leagues.
Atlanta Braves: James “Red” Moore – 1B – Atlanta Black Crackers, Baltimore Elite Giants, Newark Eagles James “Red” Moore, who was born in Atlanta in 1916, was regarded as one of the greatest fielding first basemen in the Negro Leagues from 1936-40. He played on three All-Star teams, three Second Half Championship teams and was selected to the 1938 Southern News Services All-American Negro League Baseball Team.
Baltimore Orioles: Bert Simmons – P/OF – Baltimore Elite Giants Hubert Simmons played for the Baltimore Elite Giants in 1950 and played in a four-team doubleheader at the Polo Grounds in New York which involved the Newark Eagles, New York Cubans, Homestead Grays and Baltimore Elite Giants. Simmons earned All-Conference honors from 1946-49 at North Carolina AT&T State University, and was inducted into the University’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.
Boston Red Sox: P – Jim Colzie – Indianapolis Clowns, Atlanta Black Crackers A pitcher for seven years, Georgia native Jim Colzie characterizes his finest career moment as the time he beat future Hall of Famer Satchel Paige in 1947. After his retirement from playing professionally, Colzie spent two decades working with Little Leaguers and umpiring in semipro leagues, all while working as a junior high history and math teacher.
Chicago Cubs: Walt Owens – P/1B – Detroit Stars Walt Owens played in the Negro Leagues for two years from 1953-55, and when integrated baseball began in Detroit in 1957, he played with the all-white Detroit Pepsi-Cola team. Owens played on three high school championship teams and won four National Amateur Baseball Championships.
Chicago White Sox: Hank Presswood – SS/3B – Cleveland Buckeyes, Kansas City Monarchs Henry “Hank” Presswood played four seasons in the Negro Leagues from 1948-50 and 1952. He played shortstop for the Cleveland Buckeyes for his first three seasons, and two years after leaving the team, he played as a third baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League.
Cincinnati Reds: Charlie Davis – P – Memphis Red Sox Charlie “Whip” Davis played in the Negro Leagues from 1950-55 and was selected to play in the 1953 East-West All- Star game. After leaving the game, he managed in the Georgia/Alabama Amateur League for the Rockdale Rawhides.
Cleveland Indians: Otha “Li’l Catch” Bailey – C – Chattanooga Black Lookouts, Cleveland Buckeyes, Houston/New Orleans Eagles, Birmingham Black Barons At 5’6”, Otha “Li’l Catch” Bailey served as a catcher in the Negro Leagues for 11 seasons from 1949-59. In the early 1950’s, Bailey was scouted by the Boston Red Sox. Otha only hit one home run in his career, but was behind the plate for three no-hitters. He started in two East-West All-Star Games.
Colorado Rockies: Mack “Mack the Knife” Pride Jr. – P – Memphis Red Sox, Kansas City Monarchs Mack Pride played two seasons in the Negro Leagues from 1955-56. Mack is the older brother of country music star and former Negro Leaguer Charley Pride (see the Texas Rangers’ listing below).
Detroit Tigers: Cecil Kaiser – P/1B/OF – Homestead Grays, Pittsburgh Crawfords Cecil Kaiser played five seasons in the Negro Leagues from 1945-49 and also played in leagues in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Over the course of five games from April 27-June 1, 1947, he started two games and pitched relief in the other three. During that span, he tossed 13.2 scoreless innings. In 1949, Kaiser led the Puerto Rican Winter League with a 1.68 ERA.
Florida Marlins: Enrique Maroto – P – Kansas City Monarchs Enrique Maroto made his Negro League debut in 1954 and was known most for pulling “double duty.” When the Monarchs had a double-header, Maroto would often pitch the entire first game and play the outfield during the second game. He was signed by two Major League teams – the Cardinals in 1956 and the Senators in 1957, but was never added to the active roster.
Houston Astros: Bill Blair – P – Detroit Stars, Cincinnati Clowns Bill Blair played six seasons in the Negro Leagues from 1946-51 and once threw a no-hitter during a Denver Post Tournament. He was the youngest black sergeant to serve in the United States Army in 1945 during World War II. In 1948, Blair became the founder and owner of Southwest Sports News, a newspaper that specialized in publishing scores from African-American college games throughout the United States.
Kansas City Royals: Ulysses Hollimon – P – Birmingham Black Barons, Baltimore Elite Giants Ulysses “Slim” Hollimon played seven seasons in the Negro Leagues from 1949-55. He pitched in the 1951 East-West All-Star game at Comiskey Park in Chicago and also hit a double in that game. Holliman attended Tennessee A&I College in Nashville, Tennessee, and coached Little League for several years in Plattsburg, Missouri.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Neale “Bobo” Henderson – SS – Kansas City Monarchs Neale Henderson made his Negro League debut in 1949 with the Kansas City Monarchs, the team he once served as a batboy for when he was just seven years old. Henderson served in the United States Army during the Korean War.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Andrew Porter – P – Baltimore Elite Giants, Louisville Black Caps, Cleveland Buckeyes, Newark Eagles, and Indianapolis Clowns Andrew Porter played 19 seasons in the Negro Leagues from 1932-50 and was selected to the East-West All-Star game in 1934, 1937 and 1949. Porter also played for the Satchel Paige All-Stars and Jackie Robinson All-Stars, and played in winter leagues in Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela.
Milwaukee Brewers: Joseph B. Scott – P/1B – New York Black Yankees, Memphis Red Sox Joseph B. Scott began his career in 1945 as a reserve outfielder. In 1947, he was a part-time starter and often his club’s leadoff man. In 1948 he batted .261, following with a .289 average in his last season in the Negro Leagues.
Minnesota Twins: Bill “Lefty” Bell – P – Kansas City Monarchs, Birmingham Black Barons Bill Bell began his career with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1949. The left-hander pitched with both the Monarchs and the Birmingham Black Barons in 1950, and he continued with the Monarchs on into the early 1950s, when the league was strictly a minor league.
New York Mets: Robert Scott – P/1B – New York Black Yankees, Memphis Red Sox In 1950, Robert Scott played with the Jackie Robinson All-Stars. Scott has been honored by both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets and at the Hall of Fame of Elizabeth, New Jersey. His picture is a part of the collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, New York.
New York Yankees: Emilio “Millito” Navarro – SS/2B/3B – Cuban Stars Millito Navarro had good hands and was considered an excellent hitter. In 1928 he was the regular shortstop and leadoff batter for the Cuban Stars of the Eastern Colored League, and the following season he posted a .337 batting average. A star in his homeland, he was elected to the Puerto Rico Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. Currently 102 years of age, Navarro is believed to be the oldest living professional baseball player.
Oakland Athletics: Irvin Castille – SS – Birmingham Black Barons Irvin Castille played shortstop for Birmingham in the 1951-53 seasons; he now resides in Los Angeles. He signed autographs and shared stories about his playing days at the Times of Greatness Mobile Museum in Chicago, June 8-9, 2007.
Philadelphia Phillies: Mahlon Duckett - 2B/3B – Philadelphia Stars, Homestead Grays Born in Philadelphia in 1922, Mahlon Duckett entered the Negro Leagues in 1940 at the age of 17. In 1945, at the age of 21, Duckett hit .277. He was a longtime infielder for the Philadelphia Stars.
Pittsburgh Pirates: James Tillman – C – Homestead Grays, Charlotte Black Hornets In 1941-1942, the 20-year-old James Tillman got the chance to play professional baseball with the Homestead Grays in his hometown of Washington, D.C. Another Homestead catcher at the same time was the legendary Josh Gibson. Tillman forged a relationship with the future Hall of Famer before retiring a few years later. Tillman was one of 14 Negro League players honored in a pregame tribute before a May 2nd, 2008 game in Washington between the Nationals and the Chicago Cubs.
St. Louis Cardinals: “Prince” Joe Henry – 2B/3B – Memphis, Detroit, Indianapolis/Detroit “Prince” Joe Henry hit .284 with the Memphis Red Sox in 1950. He was known as a good base stealer. In the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, he posted batting averages of .275 and .274.
San Diego Padres: Walter McCoy – P – Chicago American Giants, Kansas City Monarchs In 1948, while playing in the Mexican Winter League for Cuidad Obregon, Walter McCoy set a league pitching record by winning 11 consecutive games. During this 11-game winning streak, he twice earned wins in games against Hall of Famer Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees. From 1946-1948, he played with Satchel Paige's All-Stars and frequently played against Bob Feller's All-Stars. In 1950, he became the first black player to play for Sacramento in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.
San Francisco Giants: Carlos Manuel Santiago – 2B/SS – New York Cubans Carlos Manuel Santiago was selected in 1944 to play on the Puerto Rican All-Star team in the Caribbean World Series in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1947 Santiago became the first black Puerto Rican to break the color barrier into "organized" baseball when he signed with the Stamford Bombers in the Colonial League.
Seattle Mariners: John “Mule” Miles – OF – Chicago American Giants John Miles received his nickname from former manager Jim Taylor, who thought John “hits as hard as a mule kicks.” Miles proved him right when he blasted 11 home runs in 11 straight games in 1947. Miles continued to play in various Texas-based minor leagues before retiring from baseball in 1952.
Tampa Bay Rays: Walter Lee Gibbons – P – Philadelphia Stars, New York Black Yankees, Indianapolis Clowns Walter Lee Gibbons, a pitcher, lost his only decision in 1941 while splitting the season between the Philadelphia Stars and the New York Black Yankees in the Negro National League. After World War II he signed with the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro American League and pitched for two seasons, 1948-1949.
Texas Rangers: Charley Pride – P – Memphis Red Sox, Birmingham Black Barons Before embarking on a highly successful career as a country and western music singer, Charley Pride was a pitcher with a "pretty good little curve" for the Memphis Red Sox and the Birmingham Black Barons during the early 1950s. He was first discovered when he pitched for a sandlot team against the Memphis Red Sox. Charley played with a group of Negro Leagues All-Stars in 1956 against a team of African-American Major League stars, including Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Ernie Banks. Charley went into the ninth inning with a 1-0 lead, but the Major Leaguers rallied for two runs. Thus, Charley’s 12-strikeout performance did not net him a win. He had try-outs with the Los Angeles Angels in 1961 before earning multiple gold records in his decorated music career. Charley also went to camp with the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers and routinely worked out with the Texas Rangers after he hit it big in music. He once served as the Rangers’ “designated pinch-hitter” in a Spring Training game, going 1-for-2 vs. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer.
Toronto Blue Jays: Harold Gould – P – Philadelphia Stars Born in 1924, Harold Gould was a New Jersey pitcher who was scouted by the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns. In 1946, he signed with the Philadelphia Stars. In 1947, he went 14-4 on the season before moving on to play in Canada in 1948 and 1949. After serving in Korea and playing for Army teams while on duty, he was discharged in 1952 and played baseball in local leagues until 1960. Harold was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame on November 5, 1994. He also was inducted to the Cumberland County (New Jersey) Black Hall of Fame on May 28, 1995 and was named one of the Cumberland County (New Jersey) People of the Century on December 31, 1999. One of his fondest memories was pitching against the legendary Satchel Paige at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park.
Washington Nationals: Mamie “Peanut” Johnson – P – Indianapolis Clowns Mamie “Peanut” Johnson won 33 games from 1953 to 1955 for the Indianapolis Clowns. Nicknamed "Peanut" because of her size (5’4”, 120 lb.), the little right-hander threw as hard as many male pitchers. Johnson, who was one of three women signed by the Clowns in the 1950s, became the first woman to pitch and win a ballgame in a “men’s” professional baseball league. Johnson was also a good hitter, batting between .262 and .284 in each of her three seasons and filling in at second base on many occasions. One of Mamie’s proudest moments came when she struck out Hank Bayliss, known as one of the best hitters of his day. Johnson, a former teammate of Henry “Hank” Aaron, was included among the first group of eight players inducted into the Negro League Wall of Fame at County Stadium in 1997. She attended Long Branch High School, where she played boys' sports, including football. She also attended New York University, where she studied medicine and engineering, before signing with the Clowns at the age of 22.
In addition, Major League Baseball also will have former Minor League umpire Osibee Jelks in attendance at the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. After serving in the U.S. Army, Jelks worked in the Provincial League (1956), the New York-Penn League (1957-1960), the Northwest League (1960-1963) and the Pacific Coast League (1963-1968).