Voices from the Negro Leagues

Baseball lore is replete with the tales of such legendary Negro League stars as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson and a few others. But the stories of the many other African Americans, both stars and journeymen, have largely been forgotten. These were the men who barnstormed the country, playing in loosely organized leagues and eking out a living doing what they did best, playing baseball. In this work, 52 players reminisce about what it was like to play in the Negro Leagues, from the great teams and players to the terrible Jim Crow conditions they faced in the South. Now in their sixties, seventies and eighties, these men reflect on their careers with humor, bluntness, and poignancy, providing a rich record of a part of the game that is quickly being lost to history.

Brent Kelley, a retired equine veterinarian from Lexington, Kentucky, is the author of numerous McFarland baseball books.

Brent Kelley

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 342
Bibliographic Info: 81 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2005 [1998]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2279-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0909-6
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction     1

PART ONE: BEFORE JACKIE ROBINSON ENTERED ORGANIZED BALL     5
Cowan “Bubba” Hyde Leadoff Hitter 1924     7
Harold Tinker Josh and the Crawfords 1929     12
Al Fennar Beck’s Buddy 1931     18
Rodolfo Fernandez Cuban Hall of Fame 1932     22
Wild Bill Wright The Complete Ballplayer 1932     26
Buck Leonard Hall of Fame 1933     32
Josh Johnson From Catching to College 1934     36
Edsall Walker “Big” 1934     43
Red Moore Defensive Whiz 1935     49
Henry Kimbro Not So Evil 1937     56
Lyman Bostock, Sr. First Generation 1938     62
Max Manning “Dr. Cyclops” 1938     67
Art Pennington Superman 1939     76
Frazier Robinson Satchel’s Catcher 1939     85
Mahlon Duckett The Youngest Regular 1940     91
Frank Duncan, Jr. Second Generation 1940     98
Wilmer Fields Triple Threat 1940     102
Chester Gray Jackie’s Roomie 1940     110
Connie Johnson Wanderlust 1940     113
Verdell Mathis The Best Lefty in the League 1940     123
Piper Davis Willie’s “Father” 1942     128
Willie Grace A Pennant for Cleveland 1942     133
Bill Cash A Star in Philadelphia 1943     144
Stanley Glenn Pride in Defense 1944     154
Elbert Isreal .300 Hitter 1945     161
Minnie Minoso Cuba’s Greatest Export 1945     164
Warren Peace Too Many Starters 1945     170
Curley Williams Punch at Short 1945     176

PART TWO: AFTER JACKIE ENTERED ORGANIZED BALL     181
Bob Boyd “The Rope” 1946     183
Sherwood Brewer Four-Position All-Star 1946     189
Jim Cohen Coal Miner 1946     193
James “Jimmy” Dean The Original 1946     199
John Miles “Mule” 1946     206
Al Smith Almost MVP 1946     210
Gene Collins A Two-Way Player 1947     219
Chuck Harmon The Black Red 1947     225
Clinton “Butch” McCord One Step Away 1947     233
Al Surratt “Slick” 1947     241
Thomas Turner “High Pockets” 1947     244
Tom Alston The First Black Redbird 1948     250
Don Johnson Groundhog 1948     254
Melvin Duncan Pitchin’ and Guitar Pickin’ 1949     259
Walter Johnson The Second One 1949     266
Bunny Warren Stuck Behind Pee Wee 1949     271
Otha Bailey Good as Campy 1950     277
Bill Beverly “Fireball” 1950     281
Ollie Brantley Red and White Sox 1950     290
Charlie Davis “Lefty” 1950     293
Ira McKnight There to the End 1952     301
Dave Whitney Baseball’s Loss = Basketball’s Gain 1952     305
Dennis Biddle In and Out by 19 1953     310
Elliot Coleman “Junior” 1954     317

Bibliography     325
Index     327

“a wonderful book that should be exceedingly popular among fans with an interest in the game’s history”—Booklist; “interesting…a solid contribution…should be part of academic and public library collections”—MultiCultural Review.