A Publication of SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee “We are the Ship, All Else the Sea” Editor, Larry Lester September, 2012 In the News Another highlight of the conference was the debut of the Jerry Malloy Conference Review Larry Doby Forever Stamp by the United States Postal AN DID WE HAVE FUN! – According to Service. Postmaster W. Spencer Hsu and Senior Vice- our feedback surveys the presentations were President of Public Affairs for the Indians Bob DiBiasio the best ever. We had several rookie presented the stamp along with David Van Allen of Mpresenters this year in Cleveland that USPS’s Corporate Communications. Afterwards full sheets included Melissa Booker (on Satchel Paige), Joshua and First Day Covers were available for hand cancelation. Fleer (House of David), David Krell (Cleveland Buckeyes), Ron Briley (Elston Howard), and Jennifer In only its third year, the Authors Panel was another Vokoun (League Park). Overall, they brought new spirit informative session. The eminent Lee Lowenfish, author and energy in revitalizing the 15-year old symposium. of “Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman,” Tom Aiello (The Kings of Casino Park), Byron Motley (Ruling Other presentations included a Over Monarchs, Giants & Stars: crowd pleasing story about “The Hsu (L) & DiBiasio (R) Umpiring in the Negro Leagues & Woman Who Saved Satchel Beyond) and Terry Pluto, author of Paige for Cleveland” by Donald several books and the sports Spivey, along with Todd columnist for the Plain Dealer Peterson’s discovery of “The revealed the inside scoop of Greatest Catcher in America: publishing and editing. George “Chappie” Johnson.” At the conference we announced the Chris Lamb set the story winners of our $2,500 scholarships; straight about “Did Rickey Sign Katrina Nguyen and Michael Robinson to right a 40-year-old Zoorob, and the $1,000 Library wrong?” Meanwhile Ted Knorr Grants were awarded to Windy Hill revealed the details of Rap Elementary School (Jacksonville, Dixon’s record 14 consecutive FL), and Buffalo United Charter hits against blackball’s top Photo by Phillip Ross School (Buffalo, NY). Art contest winners included hurlers. (Also see page 5). Milbert Brown, Jr., (in the Amateur category), Darryl Shelton (Professional) and Manning Felder (Youth). Former players in attendance, received personalize Rawlings bats, included Ernie “Cokey” Nimmons (of, Annual winners of the prestigious Robert Peterson Kansas City Monarchs, Indianapolis Clowns and the Recognition Award for their outstanding books, were Philadelphia Stars), Ted Toles, Jr., (p, Pittsburgh Donald Spivey for “If You Were Only White: The Life of Crawfords, Newark Eagles and the Cleveland Satchel Paige,” and Al Hunter, Jr., for “Thou Shalt Not Buckeyes), Gene Johnson (1b, Detroit Stars), and Steal: The Baseball Life and Times of a Rifle-Armed Melvin Duncan (p, Kansas City Monarchs, Detroit Negro League Catcher: Bill “Ready” Cash”. Gary Stars). They all shared their stories of triumph and Ashwill picked up the Tweed Webb Lifetime tribulation, as we laughed and shed a tear or two. Achievement Award for his statistical and biographical research of players. Attendees were also treated to a special appearance by Mrs. Minnie Forbes, former owner of the 1956 Detroit Wayne Stivers from Plano, Illinois received the highest honor, winning the 6th Fay Vincent Most Valuable Stars. The charming Lady Forbes shared her insight Partner (MVP) Award for many years of donating vintage about business and the personalities of players like Olan memorabilia to our silent and live auctions. All in all, it “Jelly” Taylor. (See page 6). was another great conference. Hope to see you next year! The Courier - September, 2012 – a SABR publication – Page 1 of 6 Your Daily All-Star Team: Dugout Reading • Monday’s Child is fair of face. The Best Season: The • Tuesday’s child is full of First Ninety Games by grace. Bob May. How would 21 • Wednesday’s child is full stars from the blackball era of woe. like to be honored? There are • Thursday’s child has far a significant number of great to go. historical books published on • Friday’s child is loving the NL. However, most of the and giving. evidence of their exploits on • Saturday’s child works the field is anecdotal. May has hard for a living. created a simulated board game analysis of blacks vs. • But the child who is born on the Sabbath whites via a Bill James Day is bonny and blithe and good and gay. The top 12 bonny & blithe Negro Leaguers born on mentality. Contact the author at: [email protected] for Sunday: your copy of how to win the statistical game. • c, Stanley “Doc” Glenn • p, Ray Brown - HOFer Fans Seek to Name D.C. • p, Willie Foster - HOFer Ballfield after Mamie Johnson • 1b, Ben Taylor – HOFer ellow African American historian and • 1b, Buck Leonard - HOFer memorabilia collector Jerome Gray is helping • 2b, Newt Allen Flead an effort to name the field at Rosedale • 3b, Ray Dandridge - HOFer Recreation Center after pioneering player Mamie • ss, Sam Bankhead “Peanut” Johnson. • ss, Dick Lundy • lf, Roy Parnell History has it that Johnson was playing recreation league • cf, James “Cool Papa” Bell - HOFer baseball at the District’s Rosedale Recreation Center, its • rf, Chaney White ball field three blocks from the house where she lived Can you pick a better Sunday team? with her Mom. She did not know that former Negro Leagues player Bisch Tyson was watching the game and What did Willie “the Devil” Wells that he was captivated by her powerful right-handed hit on Sundays? In 350 games pitching. found, from 1924 to 1948, he hit .329 and slugged for .520. In 1297 At The next day, she was Bats, Wells had 82 doubles, 21 triples introduced to Bunny Downs, manager of the Indy Clowns, and 41 home runs, with 253 RBI’s. who signed her to a contract “The devil made him do it!” after tryouts that afternoon. Two days later, the young From the NLRAG statistical study. lady was on a bus to Richmond, Virginia for spring Sabbath Starters: Listed below are the top training. pitchers who started Sunday’s game, the team’s biggest payday. Robert Clayton, a lawyer 1. SATCHEL PAIGE – 105 and native Washingtonian is 2. SMOKEY JOE WILLIAMS – 98 helping former police officer 3. RAY BROWN – 96 Jerome Gray to honor Johnson’s achievement by naming 4. ELVIS HOLLAND – 92 the Rosedale Recreation Center’s field after her. 5. WILLIE FOSTER - 91 6. CANNONBALL DICK REDDING - 90 Tiny, but tough, Johnson once struck out a batter who 7. WILBER ROGAN – 88 said she looked like a “peanut” on the mound. After 8. CHET BREWER – 83 retiring from her athletic career, Mrs. Johnson became a 9. ANDY COOPER – 79 nurse and coached youth baseball. She celebrates a 10. TED “HIGHPOCKETS” TRENT - 78 birthday on September 27. Send her some well wishes! The Courier - September, 2012 – a SABR publication – Page 2 of 6 Congress Will Be Asked to Probe My Top 3 Negro League Sluggers: Negroes Absence from Baseball NUMBER ONE: Turkey Stearnes – According to – Reprinted from The Hartford Courant, 25 April 1945 career stats compiled by the NLRAG team, Stearnes, not Gibson or Suttles, or Willard “Home Run” Brown, has ongress will be asked to look into the question the most career HR’s and TB’s. With the exception of whether Negroes should play in the big leagues honorable mention Brown, no Negro League player has and other organized baseball circuits. won more batting titles than C Stearnes. Why has this Representative [Vito] Marcantonio (Rep-NY) said Nashville native gone today he will introduce a resolution, probably Thursday, unnoticed all of these years? calling for a study “of Perhaps because he was a racial discrimination in slugging outfielder, who our national game.” batted lead-off. Stearnes hit some of the longest taters “I maintain that baseball recorded, but his slender is interstate commerce, build wasn’t of the slugger and as a member of the motif. He didn’t remind interstate commerce anyone of anybody for he committee I’m going to was unique in hitting style, ask Chairman Lea batting stance and Democrat, California, perceptible swiftness. The tacit Turkey was a modest for hearings soon on this man, with immodest talent. problem,” the only American Labor Party NUMBER TWO: Mule Suttles - If you were asked, member of the House told a reporter. “Who was the greatest home run hitter of all-time; Aaron, Bonds or Gibson?” -- the silence would be triple The New Yorker added that he will “write to big league platinum. And justifiably so! The “real” career leader in club owners and other officials in baseball to come down homers (Aaron), the ‘suspect” season holder (Bonds) here and tell us why qualified players are not permitted and frequent flyer (Gibson) all have worthy cases, but no to play.” batter kicked harder than Mule Suttles. This mule of a man was an oxymoron, possessing surprising agility and Some Negro players definitely are good enough to make quickness for someone of his largeness. A declaration to the big leagues, and “some would go down in the class Suttles position as a home run hitter is, in five East-West of the game’s immortals with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and all-star games, Suttles batted cleanup twice and in the so on,” he said. five spot, three times. In the 1935 game, after three intentional walks, Suttles connected for the game- “Baseball is America’s greatest sport, and it’s silly to winning hit, with two on and two outs, in the bottom of pretend that Negroes are not among the best players the eleventh inning to capture a thrilling 11-8 victory for when we have a Negro, Joe Louis, as our boxing the West squad.