Pete Hill - Show and Tell
 

John Preston "Pete" Hill was featured in an article on today's Yahoo cover page. Let's see how much we can learn about him here. I'll start with saying that he is said to have over 4000 career hits. Please show pictures or share information.

*picture not mine

Along with Rube Foster. That's Pete - middle row, far left.

Thanks for bringing my attention to that story, I'll have to try to see the documentary. Pete Hill best years were played in the years before any organized league and it was quite an undertaking for baseball historians to piece together his career, but thanks to dogged researchers his career has been brought to the surface again.

A few years ago I collaborated with Pete's nephew Major Ron Hill and Negro League historian Gary Ashwill to make a 15 card set on the career of Pete Hill. A fun project and a great challange as there are not many photo references of Hill from his playing days. Pete's nephew uses the cards and gives presentations to schoolkids about the Negro Leagues. I'm sure this documentary will given even more perspective on this little-known Hall of Famer.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...ards_real2.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...gary/PH_08.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...gary/PH_02.jpg

From the Philadelphia Inquirer, 1905, Pete Hill is on the left; the font used for the players' names makes his surname appear as "Mill":

The Yahoo piece got me excited for the documentary. We don't often think of these guys in a pre war sense but they were definately the true pioneers paving a tough road that took a half century to become far from an equal opportunity in the majors.

As Shadow Ball portrays so well, the post-1920 Negro Leagues along with all of the pioneers that came before them beginning in the 1880's paved the way for Jackie to break the color barrier in 1947. As a result, within two years, the quality of play and ballplayers began to decline dramatically and a decade later the Negro Leagues were gone completely. The economical effect that this had on the African American community throughout the 1950's and into the civil rights movement of the 1960's was devastating.

While the Negro Leagues successfully accomplished their ultimate goal of integrating professional baseball, they paid the ultimate price of watching their own success disappear into fond memories.

1909
 

Cabanas

Always great seeing that incredible card, Matt!!

Here's a rare image of Hill as a coach at the end of his career with the 1925 Baltimore Black Sox (seated in middle row, third from right)........

pete
 

(1) Cabinet photo: Pete Hill arguing a call on the field during a California Winter League game against the San Diego Bears, probably on November 16, 1912.

(2) Postcard: 1915 Chicago American Giants in Portland, Oregon on April 1, 1915. Left to right: Bill Gatewood; Hurley McNair; Dick Whitworth; Pete Hill; Bruce Petway; Harry Bauchman; Walter Ball; Fred Hutchinson; Pete Duncan; Louis Santop (behind Duncan); Rube Foster; Horace Jenkins; Frank Wickware; Bill Francis; Jesse Barber.

Matt, I had forgotten that your Pete Hill is only a 2. When are you going to upgrade?

Punch
 

Sorry that I was so late to the party on this thread: