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Posted By: Julie

He had spent a year or so trying to pass for white in the baseball world, but couldn't--because he was about half black. One July 4th weekend in 1916, a minor league team (which?) was just about forced to call him up to pitch half a double header (apparently baseball players aren't too keen about working holidays, either), and it just so happened that the Zeenut photographer was there that day, and took his photo, along with the rest of the team. (This is of course minor league). The day would have come off all right, except that someone noticed his mother and father in the stands, rooting for him--and his mother and father were of widely different colors (Jeter's folks come to mind), and, I believe, were thrown out of the park, as well as being identified as Claxton's parents. He was very young, 19 or 20 I think, at the time. very nice looking chap--looks like..mm.. the young Ernie Banks, as a matter of fact. No, the young Cool Papa Bell.

I've always thought of it as a freak sneak rather than a breakthrough, but his card does fetch a lot of dough.