and not pictured are James Jenkins and Percy Reed.
About four thousand men played in the Negro Leagues
between 1920 and 1959, the year the last of the white major league
teams was integrated. They played on teams from Kansas City to
New York, Birmingham to Chicago, and points in between, including
Cincinnati.
At least seven former Negro Leaguers and one former umpire
live in Greater Cincinnati:
Chuck Harmon,
75, a fine basketball player on the integrated
University of Toledo team, played briefly for the Indianapolis Clowns
in 1947 before the St. Louis Browns of the white major leagues
signed him. The Browns ultimately sold his contract to the Cincinnati
Reds, for whom he became the first African-American player in
1954.
Tom Turner,
84, a first baseman who had lived the good life
playing ball in the integrated Mexican League in 1945 and 1946 for
white manager Bob Lemon (who would ultimately make the Hall of
Fame) played with the Chicago American Giants in 1947, the year
Jackie Robinson broke the major-league color line.
Charlie Davis,
70, a pitcher for the Memphis Red Sox from
1953-55, appeared in the famous East-West All-Star game in
Chicago as the second pitcher for the West team, right after Satchel
Paige.
Don Johnson,
72, was plucked from the stands as a young
pickup player at an Indianapolis Clowns game at Crosley Field in
1949, a stint that launched his four-year Negro League playing
career as a second baseman for the Chicago American Giants from
1949-51 and Philadelphia All-Stars in 1952.
Bunny Warren,
67, filled in for the Birmingham Black Barons
while he was still in high school, before being signed to a minor
league contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers and playing shortstop
with Sheboygan in the Wisconsin State League in 1951, then
barnstorming with the Detroit Stars in 1954.
Sonny Webb,
64, who grew up in Walnut Hills idolizing his
next-door neighbor, the great Lou Dula, a pitcher with the
Homestead Grays, barnstormed his way through West Virginia in
1958 with the Detroit Stars.
James Jenkins,
72, who had many memorable moments in
three seasons with the Indianapolis Clowns, the greatest of which
was the night he hit three home runs to beat the Baltimore Elite
Giants.
Percy Reed,
89, an umpire who traveled with the Cincinnati
Tigers of 1935-37 and also umpired extensively throughout the
Negro Leagues into the 1950s, was always greeted by the great
catcher Josh Gibson with the words: “Thank God we have an umpire
who'll call the corners tonight!”
The original book for many of the players (most of them still alive and well) are quoted in the;
Voices from the Negro League Conversations with 52 Baseball Standouts by Brent Kelly
