San Diego Padres - Negro League honors

2007 & 2009 SD Padres stadium give away commemorative pins

2013 the Padres honored Minnie Minoso

2003 SD Padres honored the Negro Leagues with their first annual event, including honoring Minnie Minoso in 2013 and Johnny Ritchie in 2023

Part of the celebration had the San Diego Padres wearing 1948 Pacific Coast League SD Padres uniforms

Buck O'Neill - Cooperstown : 2022

At Cooperstown, one little red button that reads "Here for Buck" has been selling big as KC legend Buck O’Neil is finally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. "It’s just a long time coming," said William Peeples, founder and maker at Huntington Baseball Co., who has been making the buttons.

KMBC 9 News – Jackson Kurtz 2022-July-22

 

1938 League Stars pinbacks

Gus Greenlee started his career in baseball, by financially backing the Crawford Giants. He would continue to invest and bring in the best ballplayers available, building the team as the Pittsburgh Crawfords. In 1933 he organized the first East-West Classic, at Comiskey Park, Chicago.

In an effort to generate funds for the financially faltering league, Greenlee organized another All-Star game in 1938 to be played at Yankee Stadium on September 18. The game was rained out and Greenlee. The game was rescheduled for September 15 and moved to the Polo Grounds. These pinback buttons were created to commemorate the event

baseball pinbacks

Hinchliffe Stadium

Hinchliffe Stadium, Patterson, New Jersey

One of the few remaining stadiums associated with the Negro Leagues. The concrete Art Deco styled stadium was built in 1932, the stadium was owned by the Paterson Public Schools since 1963 and was closed in 1996. The facility fell victim to neglect and vandalism. At its peak the stadium was home to Negro League baseball, high school events, boxing, auto racing, rock concerts....

Larry Doby, star athlete at Patterson Eastside High School was discovered by the Newark Eagles on this field. Dob would become the first black baseball player in the American League and the second in Major League Baseball

The Colored Championship of the Nation, was the first baseball event held at Hincliffe in 1933.

The New York Black Yankees played their home games at Hinchliffe for 12 seasons, starting in 1934. The New York Cubans called the stadium home for the 1935 and 1936 seasons

http://www.hinchliffestadium.org

Larry Doby

July 3, 1994 Cleveland, Oh

The Cleveland Indians retired Larry Doby's jersey #14

The Cleveland Indians retired Larry Doby's jersey #14.Doby was the second back baseball player to cross the color barrier, when he entered the game on July 5, 1947, as a pinch-hitter for relief pitcher Bryan Stephens. Doby struck out in his first at-bat. He would get his first hit the following day in the second game of a double-header against the Chicago White Sox.

Doby would go on to play for the Indians (1947-1955, 1958) Chicago White Sox (1956-1957, 1959) Detroit Tigers (1959) Chunuchu Dragons (Japan 1962)

Doby's career batting average was .283, 253 home runs, 970 RBI

• 7x All-Star (1949-1955)
• 2- AL home run leader (1952, 1954)
• AL RBI Leader (1954)
• Cleveland Hall of Fame (1966)
• Cleveland Indians retired #14 (1994)
• National Baseball Hall of Fame (1998)

Larry Doby would also manage the White Sox in 1978

Prior to breaking into the Major Leagues, Larry Doby played for the Newark Eagles (Negro Leagues 1944, 1946-1947) and San Juan Senators (Puerto Rico 1946)

pinback button 1950s (1.75 inch)

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson is probably the most honored player from the Negro Leagues, due to his being the first black player to enter Major League Baseball (1947-1957 Brooklyn Dodgers). Memorabilia ranges from his rookie baseball cards (1948 Bowman and 1948-49 Leaf), programs, comic books, magazines and books, photos, buttons (the yellow border button from my collection) and many other items still being produced.Major League Baseball honored Robinson by retiring his number from all major league teams on April 15, 1997...On the 60th anniversary of Robinson entering the MLB, Ken Griffey Jr requested of Robinson's widow Rachel if he could wear the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day in his honor. The request was granted and extended to all players, which continues to this day.

I am in favor of honoring Jackie Robinson, I don't necessarily agree with every player wearing the number 42. My reasoning is there were many others in baseball who are not getting recognition. Larry Doby gets little mention as the first black to play in the American League, second to Robinson overall. MLB does not honor Native Americans, the first being Louis Socalexis playing in 1897 along with Chief Bender, Jim Thorpe, Zack Wheat and many others. The first Japanese player Masanori Murakami 1964, not followed until Hideo Nomo came in 1995. Esteban Bellan 1871 joined by a long list of players...

Citi Field honored Jackie Robinson by erected his number 42 in the Jackie Robinson Rotunda dedicated 2009. I have been to Citi Field twice (for a baseball game and a soccer game) and I think it is a great park, but I have to wonder why the number 42? Why not a statue or plaque?

I have to question why honor Robinson, when he did not play for the Mets, he played for the Dodgers. Why not honor other members of the Brooklyn Dodgers or the NY Giants, why are we selective in honoring one person? You may disagree, and I am not saying Robinson does not deserve the attention he receives, but let's honor all who are just as deserving. After a while honoring one individual can lose it's appeal and meaning...

In 2006 the US Congress designated May 20, 2006 as Negro League Baseball Day...

2006 the Brewers honored both the Negro Leagues and Hispanic players with Negro Leagues Tribute day and Cerveceros Day...

May 30, 2009 Negro League Day at Kauffman Stadium (KC Royals v Chicago White Sox)

May 2010 Maryland initiates Negro League Day

June 12, 2011 the Frederick Keys celebrated Negro League Baseball by wearing the uniform of the Homestead Grays...

May 14, 2011, the Atlanta Braves giveaway an Atlanta Black Crackers baseball hat...

June 10, 2011 San Diego Padres Salute to the Negro Leagues...

July 9, 2011 Milwaukee Brewers Negro League night, players were Negro League uniforms...

July 15, 2011 Detroit Tigers Negro League weekend and 17th annual Negro League Tribute Game...

July 19, 2011 Buck O'Neill Centennial Celebration - KC Royals...

Excellent site for Jackie Robinson pin-back buttons (baseballpinbackbuttons)

Satchel Paige

1984.08.06 TCMA, Ltd producer of minor league baseball cards jumped on the first day cover collecting bandwagon. The release of the Babe Ruth stamp in 1983 found baseball card collectors building collection of first day covers. Additional issues for Jackie Robinson, Lou Gehrig and Roberto Clemente kept the hobby alive. To reach out further to collectors of first day covers, TCMA produced a set called "This Day In Baseball History" in which a baseball historical events that happened on the date of the stamp issuance would be commemorated, even though the event being honored would have no bearing on the stamp subject.

August 6, 1952 - 46-year-old Satchel paige of the St. Louis Browns beat Virgil "Fire" Trucks and the Detroit Tigers in 12 innings to become the oldest hurler to pitch a complete game or a shut out

variety of Satchel Paige pinback buttons

Judy Johnson - page 61

Judy Johnson Night, A Tribute to Negro League Baseball
August 16, 1997 Wilmington, De

1975 elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

1976 Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame

The home field, on the site of Daniel S. Frawley Stadium, of the Carolina League Wilmington Blue Rocks is named in his honor.

Each year since 1997 Wilmington has honored a different member of the Negro Leagues in conjunction with a Blue Rocks game...

1940s Homestead Grays pinback button

Jim Zapp - page 53

Jim Zapp

1945-46, 50-51, 54 Baltimore Elite Giants

1946 Nashville Cubs

1947 Atlanta Black Crackers

1948, 1954 Birmingham Black Barons

1949-50 semi-pro teams

1952 Paris, Miss - Ohio Valley League (.330 Ba 20 HRs)

1953 Danville, Miss - Ohio Valley League

1953 Lincoln, Western League

1954-55 Big Springs, Longhorn League

1955 Port Arthur, Big State League

Biggest thrill:

"Hit a home run off Jim LaMarque of the K.C. Monarchs in the ninth inning to win a game 3-2, 1948..."

1.25"pinback button

Robert Scott - page 42

Robert Scott

Pitcher - First base

1946-50 New York Black Yankees

1951 Pittsburgh Pirates spring training

1952-54 Macon Cardinals

"As a teenager, Bob Scott in the early 1940's, in Macon, Ga, had to walk several miles to play baseball with the Macon Braves, a sandlot team"..Somebody to Cheer for - exhibit at the Cornelius House, Piscataway, NJ May-July 2000...

"In the 1950's when the Negro Leagues were breaking up, I barnstormed with Jackie Robinson..."

1.25" pinback button

Ira McKnight - page 41

Ira McKnight

1956-60 Kansas City Monarchs

Biggest thrill:

"Catching Satchel Paige and getting 8 straight hits in 2 games..."

Career batting ave .300+

1.25" pinback button

Pancho Gray - Jim Robinson- page 38

Pancho Gray "The Legend"

1929-1945

"I hit more home runs than Hank Aaron and Willie Mays combined, but I played more years than them combined.

I remember hitting the ball just past 2nd base into the outfield where the grass was so high they couldn't find the ball, I would just keep running.."

"Outfielders today don't have the same ability we had to reach home, we had no cut off man.."

Jim Robinson

1952 Philadelphia Stars

1953-55 Indianapolis Clowns

1956-58 Kansas City Monarchs

1955, 1956, 1957 All-Star Team

Stars finback button (probably 1.25")

Joe Black - page 7

Joe Black - Baltimore Elite Giants
Brooklyn Dodgers 1952-55
Cincinnati Reds 1955-56
Washington Senators 1957

1952 World Series- Brooklyn Dodgers v NY Yankee...Black becomes the first black pitcher to win a World Series Game, 4-2 at
Ebbetts Field, Brooklyn
1952 Rookie of the Year

finback button - 1.75 inches - Brooklyn Dodgers