Willie James Wells, who gained the baseball nickname “The Devil,” was a baseball player who played shortstop during his baseball career playing for a record eleven Negro Baseball League teams in the United States as well as in Mexico and Cuba. Wells was born on … Read MoreWillie James Wells (1906-1989)
John Preston “Pete” Hill was a baseball outfielder and manager for the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1925. Hill was born on October 12, 1882 in Culpeper County, Virginia to Ruben W. Hill and Elizabeth “Lizzle” Seale Hill. He also had two older brothers, Jerome … Read MoreJohn Preston “Pete” Hill (1882-1951)
Monford Merrill Monte Irvin was a baseball player who played the left fielder and right fielder in the Negro Leagues and was one of the few who transitioned to Major League Baseball after the integration of the sport in 1947. Irvin played for the Newark … Read MoreMonford Merrill Monte Irvin (1919-2016)
George “Mule” Suttles was a power-hitting first baseman in the Negro Baseball League (NBL). Born on March 31, 1901 to James Suttles, a laborer in the coal mines and Early Griffin Suttles, occupation unknown, in Blocton, Alabama. Suttles worked in the coal mines during his … Read MoreGeorge “Mule” Suttles (1901-1966)
William Julius “Judy” Johnson was a professional baseball player in the Negro Baseball Leagues. He played third base and was a team manager from 1921 to 1937. Johnson was born on October 26, 1899 to William Henry Johnson and Annie Lee Jackson in Snow Hill, … Read MoreWilliam Julius “Judy” Johnson (1899-1989)
Walter Fenner “Buck” Leonard was a professional baseball player who played first base in the Negro League and the Mexican League. Leonard was born on September 8, 1907 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to John and Emma Leonard. He had three sisters, Fanny, Willa, and … Read MoreWalter Fenner “Buck” Leonard (1907-1997)
Reece “Goose” Tatum was a professional baseball and basketball player. Tatum was born on May 31, 1921 in El Dorado, Arkansas to Ben Tatum, a farmer and part-time preacher, and Alice Tatum, a domestic cook. Tatum was the fifth of seven children in the family. … Read MoreReece “Goose” Tatum (1921-1967)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ efforts at integration began in 1953, when brewing company Anheuser-Busch bought the franchise. Company chairman August A. Busch Jr. soon realized that no black players on the field, meant very few black faces in the crowd. To remedy the situation, he … Read MoreTom Alston (1926-1993)
Constance “Connie” Enola Morgan was one of the first three African American women to play in the Negro Leagues. Morgan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 17, 1935. Her mother, Vivian Beverly, stayed at home with her five children while her father, Howard Morgan, … Read MoreConstance Enola Morgan (1935-1993)
Famous Major League baseball pitcher Robert “Bob” Gibson was Pack and Victoria Gibson’s seventh child born November 9, 1935 in Omaha, Nebraska. Pack died three months before Bob Gibson was born. Young Gibson suffered with asthma, pneumonia, rickets, hay fever, and a rheumatic heart. He … Read MoreRobert “Bob” Gibson (1935-2020)
