The racist incident that shook baseball nine years before integration

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

For what a lowlife Powell was, he was an obliging autograph signer. He's been gone 75 years, yet his autograph is relatively common.

[The Detroit Collector]

very interesting, thank you for sharing.

[judsonhamlin]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

For what a lowlife Powell was, he was an obliging autograph signer. He's been gone 75 years, yet his autograph is relatively common.

Plus all the checks he signed that bounced. Racist a$$

[lumberjack]

Marv Owen, who played with Greenberg in Detroit, talked about Jake Powell in an interview with Richard Bak for "Cobb Would Have Caught It."
OWEN: I played against the guy [Powell] years later in the PCL. He got in a rundown with me and tried to run me over. I said, "Hey, Jake, cut out that goddamn base running. You're not in the goddamn big leagues anymore. We're just trying to survive now."

This would have been in 1941.

The fact the nobody (even Joe McCarthy) was much concerned about who Powell was, says as much about MLB at the time as it does about Jake Powell.

[Brian]

It's too bad the racist P.O.S did not leave the scene sooner than he did. What a lowlife. And yes, it does say a lot about those times. Have they changed much? Yes and no. I have some of my own stories......

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Brian

And yes, it does say a lot about those times. Have they changed much? Yes and no. I have some of my own stories......

Several NFL teams currently have, or have had in the not-too-distant past, thugs, domestic abusers, and various other criminals on their rosters.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Mark17

Several NFL teams currently have, or have had in the not-too-distant past, thugs, domestic abusers, and various other criminals on their rosters.

No need to look elsewhere: Julio Urias, Aroldis Chapman, Wander Franco.

Personally, I hope Urias and Franco get year long bans similar to PED use. I'd be okay if Franco doesn't come back. It'd say a lot to younger players to keep their private lives in order.

As for the history lesson, great reading. Thanks for sharing.

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

[pclpads]

Blowing his brains out seems a fitting end to this racist AH. Careful . . . karma can jump up and bite you on the ass.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Mark17

Several NFL teams currently have, or have had in the not-too-distant past, thugs, domestic abusers, and various other criminals on their rosters.

That's society as we know it.
And, of course, The Big Train was on the side of decency.

[ThomasL]

I dont think Frommer should have edited Powell's actual quote, he sanitized it and the that takes away from gravity of it and historical context of this by doing so

For those that have never heard this story before...Powell did not say "Black people" (as you can imagine). Here is a 1938 article about Landis suspension of Powell for saying it with what he actually said: