The guardian., 1956-07-21
SPORTS WITH STODY
BY RALPH WARD

The Boston daily papers
Joined our Guardian crusade
for colored players last week.
Red Sox Public relations
director, Joe McKenney, is
really working hard to make
amends for the absence Of
coiored Americans on the Sox
payroll, and the club seems
certain to come up with a
colored player, or players, in
the not too distant future.
This is the giSt of what Joe
told our Red Sox-Guardian
honored guests at Fenway
Park over the past few weeks.
Joe spoke directly to DR., ST.
las "Shag" Taylor and Dr..
Albert "Al" Saunders and
heard them deliver their nil
litant views on the subject
last week. DR.. Taylor, a dean
of Democratic State chairmen
and acknowledged political
leader in the Bay State, even
mentioned a possible boycott
tie. DR.. Saunders, a vice pre-
sident of the NAACP; Auxi-
liary Police captain in Cam
bridge, and famous TUFTS
athlete, expressed the hope
the Sox would find proven
good players that would stick
and make the grade and not
merely make brief appear
ance. Previous to these two
gentlemen, was my guest and
good friend, Bob Russell, who
met with his old friend, the
Red Sox chief scout Neil Ma
honey and they had a real
ball, chewing the fat Ger old
times. Bob, famous pitcher
and manager of the Boston
Tigers had his team in the
powerful old Boston Twi L2=
que where Mahoney was a
catcher for the Newton club
after having been a star cat
cher at Newton HIS. Mahoney
also caught for the Frazer
club and had a good know
ledge of colored stars and
some happy memories of the
bygone days of Boston Twi
league ball the Frazer games
under lights. Mahoney and
Bob really had an enjoyable
gabfest, since some of his
high school day rivals included
AL Munroe, Jit Taylor, and
Zing Rice of Everett and
yours truly at Eindge. Joe
McKenney missed out on this
meeting but has eagerly re-
quested Bob to return again.
SO this is the kind of posi-
tive progress we are making
at Fenway PARK. 1t is the first
time such program has been
launched and sustained here
in Boston and all of our Red
Sox- Guardian guest speak
highly of the progress being
made to date. The guest pro-
gram will end sometime in
August but we again want to
publicly thank not only joe
McKenney but also our local
leaders who have cooperated
with such enthusiasm and
unity. Even this alone is a
milestone of progress,
Nose Sisco was fine ath-
lete; a good basketball play
er, excelled in swimming, was
very good at track and, of
course, was an outstanding
baseball player. am constant
ly stopped in the street by
old time players and fans
who inquire about Nose Sis
co who was, as you know, an
athletic trainer at Boston Un-
iversity and who played like
a keen college student of the
game. He played hard, hated
to lose and never quit under
fire. Although Sisco was funny
and knew how to clown with
the best of them, nobody sold
him short because of his tre-
mendously true ability. His
base running was sensational
and he more than satisfied
those fans who wanted to see
him steal the sacks. Of the
field Sisco was the same hu-
morous sort of fellow and he
talked baseball the year
around, always reminescing
some bygone incidents on the
playing field. 1t was a plea
sure to hear Nose sisco laugh
which he did with a contagi- |
GUS enjoyment which afflicted ,
all those near him. He would
laugh until tears rolled down
t...I-- - ~ vnoited Soy,ae ,