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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 386 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 386

 Honoring the Pre-Negro Leagues and Negro Leagues baseball players and 
executives elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2006.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 1, 2006

    Mr. Talent (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Frist, and Mr. Sununu) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Honoring the Pre-Negro Leagues and Negro Leagues baseball players and 
executives elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2006.

Whereas African Americans began to play baseball in the late 1800s on military 
        teams, college teams, and company teams, and eventually found their way 
        onto professional teams with White players;
Whereas the racism and ``Jim Crow'' laws that forced African American players 
        from their integrated teams by 1900 compelled those dedicated players to 
        form their own ``barnstorming'' teams that traveled throughout the 
        United States and offered to play any team willing to challenge them;
Whereas, in 1920, the Negro National League was created under the guidance of 
        Andrew ``Rube'' Foster, a former player, manager, and owner of the 
        Chicago American Giants, at a meeting held at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas 
        City, Missouri;
Whereas soon after the Negro National League was formed, rival leagues were 
        assembled in eastern and southern States, bringing the thrills and 
        innovative play of African American ballplayers to major urban centers 
        and rural countrysides throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin 
        America;
Whereas, from the 1920s to the 1960s, over 30 communities located throughout the 
        United States were home to teams in 1 of the 6 Negro Leagues;
Whereas the Negro Leagues maintained a high level of professional skill and 
        became centerpieces for economic development in their communities;
Whereas, in 1945, the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball recruited Jackie 
        Robinson from the Kansas City Monarchs, making Robinson the first 
        African American in the modern era to play on a Major League Baseball 
        roster;
Whereas the integration of Major League Baseball, which soon followed the 
        signing of Jackie Robinson, prompted the decline of the Negro Leagues 
        because the Major Leagues began to recruit and sign the best African 
        American ballplayers;
Whereas it has been recognized by numerous baseball authorities that many of the 
        greatest players ever to play the game of baseball played in the Negro 
        Leagues, rather than Major League Baseball;
Whereas, on February 27, 2006, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that 
        Ray Brown, Willard Brown, Andy Cooper, Frank Grant, Pete Hill, Biz 
        Mackey, Effa Manley, Joe Mendez, Alex Pompez, Cum Posey, Louis Santop, 
        Mule Suttles, Ben Taylor, Cristobal Torriente, Sol White, J.L. 
        Wilkinson, and Jud Wilson had been elected to the National Baseball Hall 
        of Fame Class of 2006;
Whereas less than 1 percent of all professional baseball players have been 
        honored with induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame;
Whereas we congratulate Ray Brown, an ace starter for the Homestead Grays who--

    (1) ranks among the top Negro Leagues pitchers in total wins and 
winning percentage; and

    (2) pitched a perfect game in 1945 as well as a one-hitter in the 1944 
Negro World Series;

Whereas we congratulate Willard Brown, an outfielder with the Kansas City 
        Monarchs who--

    (1) led the Negro American League in home runs and batting average 
during numerous seasons; and

    (2) was considered by many to be the Negro American League version of 
Josh Gibson;

Whereas we congratulate Andy Cooper, a pitcher with the Detroit Stars and Kansas 
        City Monarchs who--

    (1) had a knack for changing the speed of his pitches;

    (2) was the all-time leader in every Detroit Stars pitching category;

    (3) was among the top 10 leaders in career wins, strikeouts, shutouts, 
and winning percentage in Negro Leagues history; and

    (4) later in his career became the manager of the Kansas City Monarchs 
and led them to 3 pennants;

Whereas we congratulate Frank Grant, a second baseman with tremendous range and 
        a strong arm who--

    (1) hit over .300 in 4 seasons with White minor league teams until the 
color lines forced him out of the league in 1886;

    (2) played for top-rated African American teams until 1903; and

    (3) who displayed a unique blend of speed and power in the 
International League that allowed him to turn 1 out of every 4 base hits 
into extra bases;

Whereas we congratulate Pete Hill, a premier outfielder who--

    (1) played brilliantly for the Cuban X-Giants, Philadelphia Giants, 
Chicago Leland Giants, and the Chicago American Giants before the formation 
of the Negro Leagues;

    (2) during his 1911 season as an American Giant, hit safely in 115 out 
of 116 games; and

    (3) was rated the fourth best outfielder in the renowned 1952 
Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the best players of the Negro 
Leagues;

Whereas we congratulate Biz Mackey, a strong-armed catcher who--

    (1) ended his career with a lifetime batting average well over .300;

    (2) ranked among the top Negro Leaguers in lifetime total bases, RBIs, 
and slugging percentage; and

    (3) later managed the Baltimore Elite Giants and the Newark Eagles who, 
under his skill and leadership, won the Negro World Series in 1946;

Whereas we congratulate Effa Manley, the co-owner of the Newark Eagles, who--

    (1) has become the first woman elected to the National Baseball Hall of 
Fame; and

    (2) in addition to her efforts in baseball, played an active role in 
the Civil Rights Movement by promoting such causes as Anti-Lynching Day at 
Ruppert Stadium, which is the home of the Eagles;

Whereas we congratulate Jose Mendez, a right-handed pitcher who--

    (1) earned a winning percentage of just under .700 during his memorable 
career as a member of the Cuban Stars, All Nations, and Kansas City 
Monarchs; and

    (2) managed the Kansas City Monarchs to successive pennants from 1923-
1925, during which time he compiled a 20-4 pitching record with 7 saves;

Whereas we congratulate Alex Pompez, a successful team owner who--

    (1) owned the Cuban Stars of the Eastern Colored League and then the 
New York Cubans of the Negro National League; and

    (2) signed the first Puerto Rican, Dominican, Venezuelan, and 
Panamanian players of the circuit;

Whereas we congratulate ``Cum'' Posey, owner of the Homestead Grays, who--

    (1) won the Negro National League pennant 8 times between 1937 and 
1945; and

    (2) assembled teams that were home to 11 of the 18 Negro Leaguers 
currently in the Hall of Fame;

Whereas we congratulate Louis Santop, a power-hitting catcher who--

    (1) played for several of the greatest African American teams of the 
pre-Negro Leagues era, including the Philadelphia Giants, New York Lincoln 
Giants, and the Brooklyn Giants;

    (2) hit over .320 while slugging tape-measure homeruns during his 
tremendous career in the Negro Leagues; and

    (3) was rated by Rollo Wilson as the first string catcher on his all-
time Black baseball team;

Whereas we congratulate Mule Suttles, a hard-hitting first baseman and 
        outfielder who--

    (1) played spectacularly for the St. Louis Stars, Chicago American 
Giants, Birmingham Black Barons, Newark Eagles, and other Negro League 
teams; and

    (2) was 1 of the most powerful home run hitters in the Negro Leagues, 
ranking third all-time among Negro Leaguers in home runs and RBIs;

Whereas we congratulate Ben Taylor, a pitcher who--

    (1) transitioned into a top-ranked first baseman and clean-up hitter 
for the Indianapolis ABC's at the start of his career;

    (2) served as an extremely successful player-manager from 1923-1929; 
and

    (3) exclusively managed the Washington Potomacs, the Baltimore Black 
Sox, and the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants until 1940;

Whereas we congratulate Cristobal Torriente, a 5-tool outfielder who--

    (1) played most of his games for the Cuban Stars and Chicago American 
Giants;

    (2) earned an incredible lifetime batting average of over .330; and

    (3) is 1 of the all-time offensive leaders in Negro Leagues history, 
ranking in the top 20 all-time in home runs, RBIs, and total bases;

Whereas we congratulate Sol White, a tremendously gifted baseball player who--

    (1) played all infield positions during his 25-year baseball career;

    (2) was a member of the best African American independent teams of the 
pre-Negro Leagues era, including the Philadelphia Giants, which he helped 
found in 1902 as playing manager;

    (3) hit .359 in the White minor leagues during 5 seasons before the 
color line was established; and

    (4) made a timeless contribution to baseball by authoring his book, 
``Sol White's Official Base Ball Guide'', the first history of Black 
baseball before 1900;

Whereas we congratulate J.L. Wilkinson, a creative and innovative team owner 
        who--

    (1) owned the Kansas City Monarchs, the All Nations club, and 1 of the 
first professional women's teams in the United States;

    (2) was a pioneer of night baseball and various ballpark promotions;

    (3) was the only White owner of the Negro National League when it was 
chartered in 1920; and

    (4) ran the longest running franchise in Negro National League history 
during which his teams won an unprecedented 17 pennants and 2 World Series;

Whereas we congratulate Jud Wilson, an intense first and third baseman who--

    (1) ranks among the top 10 all-time in home runs, RBIs, hits, total 
bases, slugging average, and batting average in the Negro Leagues;

    (2) holds a lifetime batting average over .340;

    (3) earned from fans the nickname Boojum, after the sound that his line 
drives made when slamming off the fences; and

    (4) played on pennant-winning teams as a member of the Baltimore Black 
Sox, Philadelphia Stars, and Homestead Grays;

Whereas those baseball legends will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall 
        of Fame on July 30, 2006, in Cooperstown, New York, joining former Negro 
        Leagues players Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, 
        Monte Irvin, Roy Campanella, ``Satchel'' Paige, Willie Mays, Bill 
        Foster, ``Buck'' Leonard, ``Bullet'' Rogan, ``Cool Papa'' Bell, Hilton 
        Smith, ``Smokey'' Joe Williams, Josh Gibson, ``Judy'' Johnson, Leon Day, 
        Martin Dihigo, Oscar Charleston, ``Pop'' Lloyd, Ray Dandridge, ``Rube'' 
        Foster, ``Turkey'' Stearnes, and Willie Wells, as members of the 
        National Baseball Hall of Fame; and
Whereas we congratulate the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, 
        Missouri, the only public museum in the Nation that exists for the 
        exclusive purpose of interpreting the experiences of the players in the 
        Negro Leagues, founded in 1990 by Negro Leagues legend Buck O'Neil, 
        Horace Peterson, former Kansas City Monarchs outfielder Al ``Slick'' 
        Surratt, and other former Negro Leagues players, for the tireless 
        efforts of the museum to preserve the evidence of honor, courage, 
        sacrifice, and triumph in the face of segregation of those African 
        Americans who played in the Negro Leagues through its comprehensive 
        collection of historical materials, important artifacts, and oral 
        histories of the participants in the Negro Leagues and the impact that 
        segregation had in the lives of the players and their fans: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) congratulates Ray Brown, Willard Brown, Andy Cooper, 
        Frank Grant, Pete Hill, Biz Mackey, Effa Manley, Joe Mendez, 
        Alex Pompez, Cum Posey, Louis Santop, Mule Suttles, Ben Taylor, 
        Cristobal Torriente, Sol White, J.L. Wilkinson, and Jud Wilson 
        on being elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 
        2006;
            (2) commends the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the 
        Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for their efforts to ensure that 
        these legends of baseball receive the recognition due to 
        players of their caliber; and
            (3) respectfully requests the Enrolling Clerk of the Senate 
        to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to--
                    (A) the National Baseball Hall of Fame; and
                    (B) the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
                                 <all>
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