The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1954-10-02
Ike SPURS SEGREGATION DECLINE
BOSTON
BAKED
BY MABE KOUNTZE
II think the centerfelders
will decide this Series"
Jim PiersalI

will decide this Series"
Jim PiersaII
WORLD SERIES data for
1854 is pretty well known by
most TV fans at this time.
This is the Seventh World
Series since Jackie broke into
(mOdern) Big League baseball
in l947. COlOred players have
performed in six of the seven
classics. The first sepia stars
were infielderS, catcherS, and
pitchers. The spOt-lite in 1854
is directed toward the out
fielders. Timely comment by
Jim Piersall reflects this new
trend.
LUCKY SEVEN Series since
1947 is quite symbolic. Both
teams total a record eight Sc
pia stars. Both contestants
have colored players. Both
have star outf1elders. When 1
began Sportswriting in 1880,
some critics claimed that no
colored man would ever be
able to run beyond 100 yds or
play a Major League outfeld.
How wrong can you getP
JIM PIERSALL Certainly
one of the greatest OutfieIders
in the game) has written high
praise of both sepia World
Series Centerfielders. Jim has
a fine Boston Globe column.
But the Outfield calibre of
cOlOred players is written in
the 1854 Big League roster of
Tan regulars. Thirteen out of
twenty-three have played the
Outfield! They are Mays, If
win, BrutOn, PendletOn, Aar-
on, MinOsO, AL Smith, Dolby,
Pope, Powers, Thompson,
Jackie.
OUTFIELD STARS of color
suffered a brief setback when
SecondbaSeman Sam Jethro
was too quickly converted into
an outfielder and became the
BUTT of many jokes. Sam tried
hard. He won many friends.
But he could not judge fly
balls. The critics of colored
ball-hawks had a field day.
Jackie Robinson, another Sc
cond baseman played much
better outf1eld than Sammy.
Even Irwin and Dolby are
former inf1elders. So is Minoso.
BILL BRUTON, the Braves
ace ball-hawks, is probably
as brilliant a natural Outfield-
er as Willie Mays, but not so
good batter. The Braves of
1854 we're able to field an all
cOlOred Outfield of BrutOn,
fianked by PendIetOn and Aar-
on. The Giants had Mays,
flanked by Thompson and Ir-
win. The Indians had Dolby,
thanked by Pope and Smith.
So Lucky Seventh" year
proved for all time, the real
Major League caIibre of col
Ored Outf1elderS.
ERNIE BANKS, Chicago Cub
shortStop, is rated one of the
top 1854 rockies of the year
Keystoners, Banks and Gene
Baker strengthened the re-
cord 1854 crop of colored Ma
Jor League lnf1elders. They in
cluded Curt Roberts (Pirates)
and Chuck Harmon (Reds).
MinoSo and Powers also play
ed the inf1eld. So did AL Smith.
Gillian, Robinson, and Thomp.
son. And there were two
catchers, Campanella. and
Charlie White of the Braves.
We missed Ray Noble.
ST. LOUIS CARDS had the
Tan new pitching prospect of
1854 in big Brooks Lawrence
0S-6) who was sepia Sc
cOnd TO N. Y. Giants Rube
Gomez, (16-9). Don New
COmbe had a 9-S season. Two
complete all cOlOred teams
could have been made up from
1854 players. Pick your infields
from Robinson, Harmon,
Powers, Baker, berts,
Thompson, MinOsO, Gillian
and Banks. The outfielders
are Dolby, Irwin, Mays, Bru-
ton, PendeltOn, Pope, Aaron,
Smith. Plenty powerful!
THE RED SOX, in view of
all these sepia stars, have no
argument and 1 uphold no
opinion that excuse the fail
ure of Boston to field Tan
Yank during the 1854 season.
Even at seasons close, both
Washington and Baltimore
came up with colored outfleld-
erS Paula and Durham. But
even with Boston's failure,
1854 was a great season. And
1 wonder why 1t came in the
Seventh Season, and if Lucky
Seventh is more fact than