Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-03-15
Negro Played
In Organized
Ball In 1884
by DIR. EDWIN u. HENDERSON

Historians are usually skeptical
Of "Rrsts." When Branch Hickey
Of the Brooklyn Dodgers signed
John Roosevelt Robinson for his
Montreal Club, Jackie was heralded
as being the first colored player TO
break into organized baseball
Immediately the chroniclers began
10 search the records.
From Oberlin College came a
lengthy discourse showing that a
number Of Negroes played in or
Ranizod baseball as early as 1880.
One Of the famous Negro pitchers
Of that day was George StOvey,
who won 50 games in one season
for Newark in the old International
League and set up a record that
has never been equalled.
At Oberlin College, Moses Fleet
wood Walker Is acclaimed az the
first Negro TO play professional
baseball In the major leagues.
Fleet" Walker prepared for col
lege In 1877 and was admitted to
Oberlin In 1878. He attended ODER
lin for three years and spent two
additional years at the University
Of Michigan although graduated
from neither He won his letter
from Ann Arbor in baseball in
1882 and 1888.
Oberlin began playing baseball
In 1868, but not until 1881 was in
ter-collegiato baseball played. In
the first game played in the new
field dedicated in October, 1880,
Fleet" Walker and Weldy Walker,
brothers, were regulars. Fleet"
was catcher for the varsity nine.
In 1883, Fleet" Walker Joined
the Toledo Ball Club, then n mem
Der Of the Northwestern League,
minor league operating west Of
the Alleghenies and including To-
ledo, Saginaw, Bay City. Grand
Rapids, Peoria. Quincy, Springfield
and Fort Wayne. Toledo opened
It's season on the home grounds on
May b, 1888, with Thomas J. Poor
man pitching and Walker receiv-
ing. In that game, which con.
stitutes Walkers debut as a pro-
fessional, he hit one two-bagger
scored one run, was credited with
\ put-outs, two assists and no err
fors. During the season, he caught
90 games and had u batting aver
age Of .25l. During this season,
Walker caught the pitching Of
Henry Hank" O'Day Of later UNI
pire fame.
In 1884, Toledo secured fran.
chtse in the old American Associa.
ton, which operated rs u major
league from 1882 to 1891 and con.
sisted. at the outset. Of clubs from
New York. Columbus, Louisville,
st Louis. Cincinnati, Baltimore.
Toledo. Brooklyn. Pittsburgh. In
dtanapolis and Washington-.theo r.
der In which the teams finished the
season Of 1884 Walker. then a
big Lacquer" played in 10 games
and again hatted ,26I.
Walker played one Of his wors,
games at Louisville with the st
Louis club on May s, 1884. n,
mad" five errors. The Blade" re-.
ported that the spectators missed
and "insulted" Walker because h,
was colorcd," The BLADE" ais,
said. Walker is one Of the most
reliable men in the club but hi,
poor playing in a city whore IN,
color line is closely drawn As Il /,
IN Louisville should not h,
counted against him" When IN,
Louisville club played in Tolcd,
later, the team was 40 roundl,
boocd that the BLADE" found i
necessary to remind its reader,
that the Kentucky club was com
posed Of gentlemen and was no
responsible FOR the conduct Of tn,
Louisville people.
From Cleveland. Walker went I,
Waterbury and played there 10 IN,
end Of 1856. The next year. h,
played with Newark and caugh
George Stovry during that season
In 1888 he played with Syracus,
and in 1890 with Terre Haute o
the Western Association. His las
professional season was with tn,
/ n.npNA wt.,,n.,. 49,.