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Monday, February 21, 2005 |
A Full House Of Black Aces
Don Newcombe was one. So, too, Al Downing, Jim "Mudcat" Grant, and Bob Gibson. They were the Black Aces, black men who won twenty games in the show, men who won games for major league teams that were suspicious of putting African-Americans on the mound for spurious reasons. Pitching, more than any other position on the field, requires intelligence and psychology -- and many managers and executives within baseball thought that blacks couldn't hack it.
Nearly 70, Mudcat Grant is trying to get some immortality for men like himself; working with authors Pat O'Brien and Tom Sabellico, they're compiling a book entitled, The Twelve Black Aces, to be published around the World Series this year. Twelve: that's all who've won 20 games in a single year. Grant, who lives in Los Angeles, also hopes to make a museum in Florida commemorating African-American pitchers, to be completed in 2007. Good luck to him.
Update 2/22: Jim "Mudcat" Grant has his own web page, with a discussion of the Twelve.
Comments:
The lack of African American starting pitchers in the Majors is still, to this very day, stunning. (I can only name two off the top of my head.) It's a shame that these guys broke through barriers nearly on the same level as Jackie Robinson, yet have been all but forgotten by many. The changes they effected seem to have gone for naught, as the generations that followed failed to live up to their example. They deserve far more recognition than they get.
I was talking about this about a year ago with a friend of mine. We could only come up with three names--Dontrelle Willis, C.C. Sabathia, and Jerome Williams. Throw in Edwin Jackson if you want. Our conclusion was this: Black youths are either more interested or directed to basketball or football. If you are 6'1" and black as a high schooler, you are a RB or CB for the football team or guard on the basketball team. 6'6" and black in high schoo, you are playing WR or playing forward on the court. If you are 6'6" and white, by gosh, you're a pitcher! I hate to say it, but I think this holds some truth.
# posted by 
: 2/21/2005 02:23:00 PM
: 2/21/2005 02:23:00 PM
I did a small piece last year on Mudcat Grant and Vic Power. (Vic) Power for the People. Mudcat Grant on Racism in Baseball.
Both Mudcat Grant and Vic Power were very popular players in the Twin Cities in the early 1960's. The Senators/Twins were also one of the late integrating - though the Senators were among the teams most active in Latin America, particularly pre-revolution Cuba.
Both Mudcat Grant and Vic Power were very popular players in the Twin Cities in the early 1960's. The Senators/Twins were also one of the late integrating - though the Senators were among the teams most active in Latin America, particularly pre-revolution Cuba.
Not exactly fair since I read the article, but -- starters only --
* Dontrelle Willis
* Doc Gooden
* Don Newcombe
I wouldn't have gotten to Sabathia (I thought he was Venezuelan, but not), and Jerome Williams I hadn't heard of.
I'm not entirely sure that racism is as to blame as it was; a good part of the problem is the expense of the equipment, and the lower probability of success.
* Dontrelle Willis
* Doc Gooden
* Don Newcombe
I wouldn't have gotten to Sabathia (I thought he was Venezuelan, but not), and Jerome Williams I hadn't heard of.
I'm not entirely sure that racism is as to blame as it was; a good part of the problem is the expense of the equipment, and the lower probability of success.
I don't know that the number of black starting pitchers was disproportionate to the overall numbers of black players. Before we assume that the numbers are low, it would be good to have some data.
Right now, the overall numbers of black ballplayers seems to be declining, probably because other sports seem to command the attention of talented balck athletes.
Right now, the overall numbers of black ballplayers seems to be declining, probably because other sports seem to command the attention of talented balck athletes.
Between 1947 (the year Jackie Robinson entered the majors) and 2004, 186 pitchers have won 20 games or more. That only twelve were black is a strange thing.
At this point, given how talent-starved the majors are for pitching help, I can't imagine they'd be dumb enough to go through the "black men can't pitch" nonsense. But you never know.
At this point, given how talent-starved the majors are for pitching help, I can't imagine they'd be dumb enough to go through the "black men can't pitch" nonsense. But you never know.
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