The Future of Negro League Players in the Hall

[Kenny Cole]

I used to have this Spottswood Poles postcard which I really regret giving up, although the deal was such that I couldn't pass it up. The only one I have ever seen

[Scocs]

....and how's about Cannonball Dick Redding, who was a superb pitcher and halfway decent manager!

[aljurgela]

Originally Posted by Kenny Cole

I used to have this Spottswood Poles postcard which I really regret giving up, although the deal was such that I couldn't pass it up. The only one I have ever seen

Very cool postcard... I wish that you still had it as well... Al

[Scocs]

It might ultimately come down to a LOT of petitioning on OUR part since these Negro leaguers don't have anyone else....

[Jason19th]

Originally Posted by Scocs

It might ultimately come down to a LOT of petitioning on OUR part since these Negro leaguers don't have anyone else....

I think that this is actually the real problem here. We - collectors and historians -
Are the only ones who seem to have any interest in the negro leagues as a whole. There is a chapter in the Great Experiment called Paul Bunyan in technicolor about Satchel Paige. To me this type of focus actual is a bit of a disservice to the league and players ad a whole. We make players like Paige and Gibson and foster to be myths from an shadow history. We talk about epic and unreal feats like Gibson hitting a ball that landed the next day or Bell being so fast that he could turn off the lights and be in bed before it got dark. But we don't talk about the league as a real league. As a business that employed thousand and brought millions into the black community. As a league that kept stats and had championships and all star games. What I am basically saying is that maybe we need to worry less about getting more players in the hall and more about getting more of the real history into the hall and the public perception

[Topnotchsy]

Originally Posted by Jason19th

I think that this is actually the real problem here. We - collectors and historians -
Are the only ones who seem to have any interest in the negro leagues as a whole. There is a chapter in the Great Experiment called Paul Bunyan in technicolor about Satchel Paige. To me this type of focus actual is a bit of a disservice to the league and players ad a whole. We make players like Paige and Gibson and foster to be myths from an shadow history. We talk about epic and unreal feats like Gibson hitting a ball that landed the next day or Bell being so fast that he could turn off the lights and be in bed before it got dark. But we don't talk about the league as a real league. As a business that employed thousand and brought millions into the black community. As a league that kept stats and had championships and all star games. What I am basically saying is that maybe we need to worry less about getting more players in the hall and more about getting more of the real history into the hall and the public perception

I mentioned it earlier, but I think if we got a group a people involved a project scouring old newspapers, the data is out there to be able to build a better picture of some of the career information.

I've wanted to research some of the barnstorming tours that Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Satchel Paige and others led. (Actually just won a program to the 1953 Jackie Robinson tour at the Huggins and Scott auction that ended last night...)

[Jason19th]

Jeff - I was very lucky to be a part of a pbs show called history dectectives where they did a 15 min segment on a program I have regarding Jackies 1946 barnstorming tour - you can google Jackie Robinson and history detectives for the clip - I have limited wifi right now so I will not be able to send the link

[Topnotchsy]

Originally Posted by Jason19th

Jeff - I was very lucky to be a part of a pbs show called history dectectives where they did a 15 min segment on a program I have regarding Jackies 1946 barnstorming tour - you can google Jackie Robinson and history detectives for the clip - I have limited wifi right now so I will not be able to send the link

Just got a chance to watch it and the segment is awesome! That's a program I'd love to find a copy of one day.

[triwak]

Originally Posted by Kenny Cole

I used to have this Spottswood Poles postcard which I really regret giving up, although the deal was such that I couldn't pass it up. The only one I have ever seen

Kenny, this (former) card of yours just recently sold again on eBay. I seriously considered pulling the trigger (it was a "Buy it Now" listing), but someone beat me to it. Cool freakin' card!!

[Misunderestimated]

I think that Buck O'Neill has a good chance... My reading of the history is that he probably was not as good a player as most of the others Kenny listed. But his post-playing accomplishments put him in another class. I think that the HOF electorate (whoever it is for this group) will want to recognize that.

I would also toss in Gus Greenlee a non-player Negro League luminary (owner -operator) that may deserve HOF recognition.
As I recall, Greenlee's bio is not ideal but there are plenty of rascals in the HOF.
(then again Steinbrenner's not in yet)

[prewarsports]

I feel that the clear cut number one case is Bud Fowler and I am kind of shocked nobody has even thrown his name out there. I cant think of a single player from before 1900 that made a bigger impact on the game and probably dealt with more racial bias than most of the later guys considering he had no choices outside the United States during his career. He was the first black to play professional baseball, organized tours, founded the Page fence Giants, managed, and was THE dominant force in black baseball for three decades.

[Kenny Cole]

Originally Posted by prewarsports

I feel that the clear cut number one case is Bud Fowler and I am kind of shocked nobody has even thrown his name out there. I cant think of a single player from before 1900 that made a bigger impact on the game and probably dealt with more racial bias than most of the later guys considering he had no choices outside the United States during his career. He was the first black to play professional baseball, organized tours, founded the Page fence Giants, managed, and was THE dominant force in black baseball for three decades.

That would not cause me any heartburn at all. Nor would George Stovey from roughly the same era or Bill Monroe from a little later. But I do think there are probably several other candidates who are just as viable.