Greenfield Pin Info

[cincicards]

I just recieved this Greenfield team pin today and noticed that one of the players pictured is black. After doing a little research on the Greenfield team to determine if it was a minor league, college or town team I came across this bit of info:



" A racially-charged incident took place on August 28, 1913. The Bellows Falls team hired Frank Wickware, a great African-American pitcher of his day, to face Northampton. Manager Burns refused to let the Meadowlarks take the field against Wickware, citing the "color line" in the major leagues, a move which provoked much criticism regionally, and some uneasiness among many in the city as well. The ill will already existing between Bellows Falls and Northampton intensified.

In 1914 the Larks fell to last place. During the winter of 1914-15 the directors of the Twin State League, acting upon the complaints of Bellows Falls, issued an ultimatum to Northampton to pay a $1000 guarantee. Northampton dropped out. Greenfield, faced with the same ultimatum, followed suit."

Probably just a coincidence but I thought it was interesting.

http://www.historic-northampton.org/...baseball5.html

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