The guardian., 1941-07-26
COLOR BAR IN THE
MAJOR LEAGUES

By the GUARDIAN associate Sports
Editor l0hich loqs turned dolCn by white
magazine editors. 1t IS another proof
that coIored triters Witb race facts are
not preferred as much as Amos nd
andy, or Roy OctaUious Cohen
By MABE KOUNTZE
Before bringing this feature to a
close | am going to repeat the opening
charges against the major leagues, list
ed in my first article
l. There are no CoIored .4mericams
IN the Major League.
2. COtored americans are the only
americans barred from the Major
Leagues.
3. Judge KeneSa1O Mountain Lands
IS fully at0are that Col0red Am-
ericdns are being barred under
has administration.
4. Judge KenesaC Mountain lands
0ds appointed to protect Major
League Baseball from all euils-
and racial discrimination is one
of the aoOrst eUils of Democracy
In today's final article we disclose
the following facts which have been ig-
nored by many writers on the subject.
First, we've had, and still have Col
ored Leagues.
Second, we've developed hundreds of
colored players qualified to play in the
major leagues.
Third, white sportswriters know the
true class of colored players and we
present today an all-star team picked
by Jimmy Powers.
Fourth, plan to subsidize Colored
league baseball submitted by the writer
to Judge Lands was approved by the
Commissioner of rase league baseball
as far back as 1894.
SEPIA STARS
Rube Fosters National League; the
Colored American League, and such
classy circuits as the Colored Texas
League, the Colored Southern League,
the Eastern League, the Berkeley In
ternational League, California; the
American Association of the East, and
dozens of other colored leagues have
fOurished bravely in America in spite
of little capital, much opposition and
against terrific handicaps. 1 have
nothing but praise for the men who
kept these leagues going. Many such
as Gus Greenlee, who managed worlds
light heavyweight champion John
Henry Lewis, had to withdraw with
losses. Greenlee owned the famed
Pittsburgh Crawfords and league
ball park in the bargain. His story is |
history itself.
Indeed the same tribute might be
paid Cumberland "Cum" Posey of !
Homestead PENN Grays; C. I. Tay-
lor of Indianapolis A.B.C.'s; J. L. vii |
kerson of Kansas City Monarchs; Tom
Wilson of Nashville; the Manleys of
Newark, W. R. Wilson, Fay Young.
and host of other colored champions
who worked to keep the game going in !
spite of all difficulties.
And as for developing major leagxA
players!
More major league players have
blossomed and faded in colored league
baseball than / or any one else can
name. That is the tragedy Of this
presentation. 1t is the tragedy of Am
erican professional sports. 1t refutes
the silly sayings that only one or two
COlOred players ever were big league
material. Whoever says such Just
doesn't know the facts. I've got the
facts. l got 'em from W. R. Wilson,
Commissioner of Colored Baseball in
1884 in special story on Colored men
qualified for the big leagues. At that
time l was head of the race National
Newspaper All-American Association
OF sportswriters. Here is what Mr..
Wilson wrote, in part:
I'm their day and time this writer
believes that Oscar Charleston, John
Lloyd, Bill Munroe, Sol White, Pete
Hill, Ben and Jim Taylor, Petway,
Danny Mcclellan, Whitworth, Busta-
menti, Rogan, Mackey and others could
have climbed the heights.
Color alone kept such Cuban stars
as Chacon, Joe Mendez, To11ienti, Di-
higo, Ohms, Mesa, Baro, Oscar, Mon
talvo, Fernandez, Fabre, and Padrone
out of the parade.
Getting down to present day lumin-
aries, some of whom are in the scar and
yellow, | would name as men who would
strengthen major league or class AA
teams the following: Dick Lundy, Rab-
bit Wells, Josh Gibson, Bill Creacy,
Jud Wilson, Vic Harris, Cool Papa
Bell, Hunter, Buck Leonard, Bill Hol-
land, Jim Willis, Willie Foster, Web
ster Submarine" Mcdonald.
"And only a step or two behind,
would be Mule Suttles, Turkey Stearns,
Johnny Strong, Larry Brown, Crutch
field, Trent, Streeter, Daltie, Stone,
Cooper, Evans, Burbage, Arnald, Byas,
Stevens, Britt, Dunn, Seay, Jones,
Holmes, C. Thomas, Rector, Showboat
Thomas, Cannady, Jenkins, Beckwith,
Dula, Brown, and Salmon"
. Other veterans of the game list such