Humorous when you find yourself a younger kid, how actually historic moments could drop into your lap and you do not notice it. I used to be solely 10 years previous and dwelling in Bakersfield, CA, when my Dad got here to the breakfast table one morning, smiling and holding a pair of tickets in his hand. “Son,” he mentioned, “I’ve received two tickets to a baseball sport at Sam Lynn Ballpark for immediately, would you prefer to go?” Nicely, I did play Little League Baseball and only a 12 months earlier than had turn into a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, after watching them win their First World Collection. So, I mentioned, “Positive.” It wasn’t till I used to be an adult, a few years later, and was sorting via an previous box of my belongings from my youth, that I noticed, “My God, I received Willie Mays’ autograph.”
Now, let me put a few issues in perspective. Bakersfield solely had about 50,000 residents on the time. A Main League Baseball participant coming to city was about as uncommon as seeing an eclipse with the bare eye. An entire crew of Main Leaguers coming to Bakersfield to play an exhibition sport was like stumbling over a gold nugget solely to seek out a whole mine simply beneath your ft. And but, the Corridor of Fame outfielder of the then New York Giants did come to city with a barnstorming group of ballplayers billed as, “Willie Mays Main League Negro-American All-Stars Tour.”
The unhappy factor is I most likely knew who Willie Mays was, and that may have been the hook that satisfied me to go to the sport. However, in truth, I’m too previous to recollect. I do recall that Dad purchased me a memento program for the sport, and in it was a web page which about half means down had the phrase “Autographs” printed on it over a big space of empty white area. I can’t let you know a lot concerning the sport – who gained it, who made the nice performs, or if Mays hit a dramatic homer. Like I mentioned, I used to be 10 years previous. I Checked with The Bakersfield Californian, the town’s solely main day by day. It doesn’t have a report of the sport. Solely by discovering a Willie Mays biography on the lower than dependable Wikipedia did I uncover that Mays did certainly go on a tour with black Main Leaguers that 12 months.
I do know that I spent a substantial period of time sticking that program and a blue ink pen in entrance of each ballplayer I may get near that day. Earlier than I get to the gamers, how about some historical past? Solely 9 years earlier than Mays and firm got here to Bakersfield, there have been no black gamers in Main League Baseball. The Coloration Line was not damaged till the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson to play for them in 1947. Rosa Parks’ refusal to surrender her bus seat in Birmingham predated Mays’ go to by solely a 12 months. Governor George Wallace wouldn’t block the doorway to black college students making an attempt to enter the College of Alabama for the primary time till seven years later in 1963. Equal rights for African-People wouldn’t be achieved till President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
There was loads of racial turbulence across the nation and extra to come back after that sport performed in Bakersfield. A lot has been mentioned of Mays as a ballplayer, however to take an all-black crew on a collection of exhibition video games in cities across the nation, throughout that point in historical past, confirmed how a lot of a forward-thinker he was, too. The saddest factor is that he needed to do it in any respect. One different element concerning the sport in Bakersfield – the opposing crew was comprised of all-white gamers, principally minor leaguers. Segregation was nonetheless alive exterior Main League Baseball – matching race in opposition to race – not on the streets however inside a ballpark.
Right here is how Wikipedia referred to the tour. “1956 Willie Mays Main League Negro-American All-Stars Tour. In 1956, Mays received lots of Main League Baseball’s largest black stars to go on a tour across the nation after the season had ended to play exhibition video games. Whereas a lot of the tour has gone undocumented, one venue the place the tour made a cease was at Andrews Discipline, situated in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on October 16. Among the many gamers to play in that sport had been Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron, Elston Howard, Monte Irvin, Gene Baker, Charlie Johnson, Sam Jones, Hank Thompson, and Joe Black.” And naturally, one of many undocumented cities was Bakersfield. In spite of everything, I’ve the autographs to show it.
Extra data and perception concerning the tour may be discovered on-line on the Baseball Historical past Weblog. The data is concerning the 1955 and 1956 exhibition excursions, which apparently befell in November one 12 months and October within the different. It provides good glimpses into what the tour was all about. A few of the extra enlightening data reveals that one cause the gamers agreed to play the exhibition video games was so they might earn between $2,000-$4,000 for the month, which amounted to about 50 % of what a Main Leaguer would make taking part in a whole 154-game schedule.
Talking of schedules, the weblog prints out the 1956 location of the exhibition video games. All 4 in California – Los Angeles, San Franciso, Oakland and Los Angeles once more – had been all canceled, it says. Bakersfield isn’t talked about on the schedule, which implies it should have been added as an after thought to recoup a number of the income misplaced by not taking part in the opposite California video games.
However to dwell on the disparities of the time isn’t my aim. As a substitute, I wish to single out a number of the black gamers who made that journey to Bakersfield, and who had been form sufficient to signal their autographs, permitting me, years later, to find what accomplishments they made to the sport of Main League Baseball. Think about for a second that many of those males had been properly past their prime taking part in days after spending years within the Negro Baseball League – in lots of circumstances mendacity about their ages only for the prospect to play within the Main Leagues. Many had what would have been Corridor of Fame years whereas taking part in within the Negro League however didn’t have sufficient good years left once they received their probability within the Majors. Nonetheless, many did succeed, and those that didn’t made it doable for individuals who would observe to take action.
The Autographs
Willie Mays – What can I say about him that has not already been written? Let’s enumerate some, anyway. They’re value repeating: 1951 Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months, two-time Nationwide League MVP, 24 occasions a Nationwide League All-Star and twice the MVP of the sport, 12-time Gold Glove winner and a person who amassed 660 homeruns in his profession – fourth better of all-time, and Mays did it with out efficiency enhancing medicine.
Jim Gilliam – He was the1953 Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months, performed 14 years as an infielder with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, was twice named to the Nationwide League All-Star crew and was on 4 Dodgers World Collection Championship groups. As a rookie with the Dodgers, he hit extra triples, 17, than any Dodger since 1920, and in 1956, the identical 12 months he performed the sport in Bakersfield, Gilliam tied a Main League report that had stood since 1892, when he totaled an unbelievable 12 defensive assists in a single sport.
Joe Black – He was the 1952 Nationwide League Rooke of the 12 months and the primary black pitcher to win a World Collection sport. His rookie 12 months, Black gained 15 video games, saved 15 video games, had an ERA of two.15, and got here inside eight innings of being eligible to win the NL ERA title. He pitched six years within the Main Leagues. It might need been longer, however he was already 28 when he received his probability. He joined with Jackie Robinson to push for a pension plan for Negro League gamers and inclusion of those that performed earlier than 1947.
Gene Baker – If it weren’t for unhealthy luck, Baker, a second baseman, would have gone down in historical past as the primary African-American to play for the Chicago Cubs. He was the primary to be placed on the roster in 1953 however an damage prevented him from taking part in, and the distinction went to Ernie Banks, who was referred to as up later. Nonetheless, he and Banks (who performed shortstop) grew to become the primary black double play mixture in Main League Baseball. As a part-time participant, he earned a World Collection Championship ring with the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. A 12 months later, the Pirates made him the primary black minor league supervisor, the place he additionally performed and batted.387 for the Class D Batavia Pirates.
Wes Covington – He performed 10 years within the Majors as an outfielder, none greater by way of dramatics than the 12 months 1957. Known as up by the Milwaukee Braves with rather less than half the season already gone, Covington, taking part in in the identical outfield with Henry Aaron, hit.284 with 21 homers and 65 runs batted in. When the Braves went to the World Collection that 12 months, Covington made an unattainable catch robbing the Yankees’ Bobby Shantz of an additional basehit, after which drove within the profitable run for the Braves. Covington crashed into the fence to steal a homerun from Gil McDougal and save Recreation 5 for the Braves, who went on to win the World Collection.
Al Smith – Though he performed 12 years within the Majors, most of Smith’s memorable moments got here with the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. Two years earlier than the Mays All-Stars got here to Bakersfield, Smith performed in opposition to Willie within the 1954 World Collection wherein he led off the primary sport with a homerun. Smith additionally performed within the 1959 World Collection for the White Sox in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In all, he had eight World Collection hits. He was additionally twice named to the American League All-Star Workforce.
George Crowe – He was a 30 12 months previous first baseman, when he received his Main League probability with the Boston Braves. Crowe was a school graduate from the College of Indianapolis (referred to as Indiana Central School again then) and a gifted athlete in two sports activities. He was Indiana’s first “Mr. Basketball.” His largest 12 months was with the Cincinnati Reds in 1957, when he stuffed in for the injured Ted Kluszewski and hit 31 residence runs on the age of 36. Crowe was named to the 1958 Nationwide League All-Star Workforce. At one-time, he held the Main League report for many pinch hit homeruns -14.
Humberto Robinson – He was a door opening pitcher. The primary native-born participant from Panama to make it to the Main Leagues, he was referred to as up by the Milwaukee Braves in 1955. As such, he paved the best way for a lot of different Panamanians who adopted, together with standouts Carlos Lee, Dave Roberts, Manny Sanguillen, Corridor of Famer Rod Carew and future Corridor of Famer Mariano Rivera. He gained 122 video games in 10 minor league seasons. Robinson was a center reliever for six years with 4 groups within the Majors. Robinson’s integrity makes him a footnote in baseball historical past. Whereas pitching for the Phillies in 1959, he refused a $1,500 bribe to throw a sport and made positive the person who made the bribe was arrested 강남야구장.
Harry “Suitcase” Simpson – As an outfielder, he got here as much as the Majors in 1951 with the Cleveland Indians and performed eight seasons with 5 totally different groups. Sportswriters nicknamed him “Suitcase” after a Toonerville Trolley character referred to as Suitcase Simpson. He performed on the 1957 New York Yankees World Collection crew. Supervisor Casey Stengel referred to as him “one of the best defensive proper fielder within the American League.” The feat for which he’s most likely finest remembered got here on Aug. 26, 1952, when he broke up a no-hitter by Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Artwork Houtteman with a two-out, ninth inning single.
Bennie Daniels – If nothing else, it seems Daniels, a beginning pitcher, had a flare for pitching in landmark ballgames. He was nonetheless a minor leaguer taking part in for the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League, when he performed within the Bakersfield sport. The subsequent 12 months, 1957, he can be referred to as up by Pittsburgh and spend 10 seasons with the Pirates and Washington Senators. Think about these landmark video games wherein he pitched: 1957 – began the final sport ever performed at Brooklyn’s Ebbetts Discipline; 1960 – misplaced a one-hitter to the Dodgers and Sandy Koufax, however his hit broke up the no-hitter; 1962 – began the final sport ever performed at Griffith Discipline; 1962 – began the primary sport in historical past at D.C. Stadium (now referred to as RFK Stadium) a five-hit, 4-1 win over Detroit.
Charlie White – His profession as a Main League catcher was over by the point he performed within the Bakersfield sport. He performed in solely 62 video games, backing up Milwaukee Braves’ catcher Del Crandall from 1954-55. In whole, White spent 13 years within the minor leagues. But, he had some historical past whereas within the Majors. White hit his first Main League homerun in the identical sport teammate Henry Aaron hit his first on April 23, 1954. Not like Aaron, who would hit one other 754 in his profession, White by no means hit one other one. His different declare to fame? He was Aaron’s first Braves’ roommate.
So, whereas some could regard my scrap of paper as a meaningless memento, to me, the historical past it reveals makes it a priceless treasure.