Most Influential African American Baseball Figure Besides Jackie Robinson

[bcbgcbrcb]

Besides Jackie Robinson, who would you vote for from the list above as the most influential African American Baseball subject of All-Time?

[vthobby]

Willie Mays

[Econteachert205]

Satchel Paige

[deucetwins]

Curt Flood. Free agency.

[Sean]

Curt Flood lost his case over free agency. It was Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith who won their appeal to an arbiter (Peter Seitz) and became free agents.

[MVSNYC]

Originally Posted by deucetwins

Curt Flood. Free agency.

+1

When you watch Ken Burns' Baseball documentary, you really understand how Flood changed the game.

PS- I'm embarrassed to admit, I did not know that Shirley Povich was Maury's dad. You learn something every day.

[BearBailey]

Barry Bonds, by far the best player of his Era and one of the greatest players of all time only to ruin his legacy in the end with the whole PED debacle, his influence will last for decades if not centuries from now.

[71buc]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

Satchel Paige

Absolutely agree with you on this one.

[Runscott]

Surprised at the responses. To me it's Rube Foster - no-brainer. Based on his involvement with bringing semi-pro baseball to the Midwest, and then building on that, popularizing black baseball through his tours and Chicago city league involvement, and then using all of that to create the Negro National League, which gave black players the exposure and experience to push for being allowed in the Major Leagues. No Rube Foster - no Jackie Robinson.

[scooter729]

Wouldn't be my first choice, but another option could be Frank Robinson, as first black manager and his positions in the front office.

[sbfinley]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Surprised at the responses. To me it's Rube Foster - no-brainer. Based on his involvement with bringing semi-pro baseball to the Midwest, and then building on that, popularizing black baseball through his tours and Chicago city league involvement, and then using all of that to create the Negro National League, which gave black players the exposure and experience to push for being allowed in the Major Leagues. No Rube Foster - no Jackie Robinson.

This.

Every name listed is historically important for one reason it another, but without someone (Foster) creating a viable and competitive league for African-Americans, many of the names listed would be lost to history. You can sweeten up Branch Rickey's intentions all you want, but the fact of the matter is that first and foremost he turned to African American ball players to make his team better. No Foster and no Negro Leagues means no Paige, Aaron, Mays, Gibson, etc.

[chipperhank44]

I chose other and would go with Hank Aaron. The impact of him breaking Babe Ruth's HR record, the Jackie Robinson like abuse he received as he neared the record, and his continued work as a champion of civil rights. He not only had a "moment" or a "first" but has continued to be an influential figure throughout his life.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Aaron. Let's not forget that for a decade he was a black man playing on the first Deep South major league team in an era not far removed, if at all, from deep racial divisions. Yet he carried himself with grace and dignity at all times, not to mention performing at an extraordinary level.

[ATP]

I also chose other and because of Aaron. He had a really tough barrier to break through when approaching the record.

[cardinalcollector]

Buck O'Neill

[bobbyw8469]

Hank Aaron. I don't know anybody on your list.

[bobbvc]

Curt Flood- Free Agency. Yes ,I did see Sean's post.

[bcbgcbrcb]

I guess I should have specified Pre-Integration (Pre-Jackie Robinson) but it's fine, let's keep the responses coming, very interesting..........

[autocentral]

I choose Foster but I think Buck O'Neil is up there.

Nick

[campyfan39]

Aaron and Frank Robby

[kmac32]

Hank Aaron

[Mountaineer1999]

Hank Aaron

[clydepepper]

Larry Doby - his efforts and struggles are overlooked in the wake of Jackie Robinson.

It should be remembered that he came up the same year in the other league before there was inter-league play...so, his treatment and 'reception' was most likely the same, though I have never read anything on it.

Before coast-to-coast TV coverage, you would only see players live at games and, in American League only cities, the only black player was Larry Doby.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

Larry Doby - his efforts and struggles are overlooked in the wake of Jackie Robinson.

...

...so, his treatment and 'reception' was most likely the same, though I have never read anything on it.

Given that he was the most influential figure in black baseball other than Jackie, that seems impossible.

[tedzan]

I agree with Adam W (Post #55).

I was a young avid BB fan in 1947 when Jackie Robinson was a rookie. And, Satchell Paige followed him.

I remember those years very clearly. You had to experience the excitement back in 1947 and 1948, respectively, to really
appreciate Jackie and Satchell. Those were very exciting times. And....in my opinion, the 1947 World Series (Yankees vs
Dodgers) was the greatest.






......


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TED Z
.

[cubsfan-budman]

Aaron, imho.

[jasoneggert]

Aaron

[triwak]

(Shameless card posting)! But I did vote for Rube.

[Bigdaddy]

Voted 'other' with a tip o' the cap to Hammerin' Hank Aaron

[SteveMitchell]

Willie Mays with Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente close behind.

[sago]

Originally Posted by SteveMitchell

Willie Mays with Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente close behind.

Roberto Clemente was Puerto Rican.

How about Frank Robinson? First African-American manager in both leagues, and active in civil rights.

[glynparson]

Would be my choice.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by sago

Roberto Clemente was Puerto Rican.

How about Frank Robinson? First African-American manager in both leagues, and active in civil rights.

Puerto Rico is part of the United States of America.

[sago]

Originally Posted by rats60

Puerto Rico is part of the United States of America.

Even if so, he is not African. Same as some Dominicans, Cubans, etc., may have some ancestors that were from Africa, but they are not African either.

[Bobmc]

Curt Flood -
as a player, he represented all players when he led the charge against the owners and the reserve clause. In essence, he sacrificed himself for all current and future players' livelihood, not only in baseball, but, all other sports fell in line with what Curt Flood started. At the end of the day when the reserve clause was overturned, the players and the owners began to reap larger payouts. Popularity in sports exploded to the upside. Expansion teams were added in baseball, football and basketball began to expand like no other time. IMO, Curt Flood's impact and influence on all sports is impossible to measure.

[Bocabirdman]

Originally Posted by SteveMitchell

Willie Mays with Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente close behind.

According to the Black Aces, the group of 20 game winners, darker complexioned folks from the islands do not count as "black". This caused a pissed-off Luis Tiant to quip, "I cannot help it if the slave ship stopped in Cuba first."

[Rich Klein]

Frank Robinson

[earlywynnfan]

Effa Manley was probably white, at minimum bi-racial.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

Effa Manley was probably white, at minimum bi-racial.

Am I the only one who finds it more than a little odd that the first woman in the Hall is named Manley?

[BaseballYakker]

Definitely Rube Foster if we're talking pre-war baseball. Also, Dave Wyatt, a Negro baseball player/manager/journalist/supporter deserves mention.

[sycks22]

I'd go with Paige

[nickedson]

Hank Aaron for accomplishments and Buck O'Neill for creating more awareness.

[Tao_Moko]

Hank Aaron was the last Negro League player to play in the MLB. It's hard for players to overcome even slight media scrutiny and Aaron surpassed one of the two greatest feets in baseball history amongst death threats. His career stats are absolutely unbelievable and he has stayed relevant in baseball from the day he retired.

[jimivintage]

Pre-Jackie = Rube Foster
Post-Jackie = Hank Aaron

[Donscards]

Hank Aaron

[Runscott]

If you were a black baseball fan in 1920? Seriously understood everything that was going on in ALL baseball at that time, and in the past, and could see the future , including the impact of all the future players mentioned here, I seriously doubt the word "esoteric" would cross your mind when Foster's name was brought up.

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[gracecollector]

I chose "other," and my vote goes to a little-known player, who never played in the minors, let alone the bigs.

Charles Thomas was an African-American student athlete at Ohio Wesleyan Univerisity. He was the starting catcher on the school's 1904 squad. On a road trip to play against the University of Notre Dame, the team went to check into the Oliver Hotel. Although arrangements have been made well in advance, the room clerk will not allow Thomas to check in. He suggests that Thomas should seek shelter at the town's YMCA. Ohio Wesleyan's team manager checks the YMCA to see if there are enough rooms for the entire team. There aren't. Humiliated, Charles Thomas is in tears and tells teammates he will return to school.

A teammate steps up and convinces the room clerk to allow Thomas to stay in his room until a colored family in town can be found to let Thomas spend the night with him. Once allowed up to the room, the teammate locks the door and refuses to let anyone come for Thomas. Thomas's plight weighs heavily on his teammate, and will stay with him the rest of his life. He remembers Thomas sitting on the room's bed repeating "Black skin, black skin. If I only could rub it off and make it white."

The teammate? Branch Rickey. Clarence Thomas was Rickey's impetus to his efforts to break the color barrier. And therefore I believe his influence on the game of baseball is second only to Jackie Robinson.

[bbcard1]

I think Maury Wills deserves serious consideration. He was the Babe Ruth of his time so far as changing the game.

[WhenItWasAHobby]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Derek Jeter.

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_e...baseballs-best

[Jcfowler6]

Clemente and Walker


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