Negro League Legends
About the author: David Hummel is an avid Phillies fan and loves baseball history. He is a baseball purist. This is David’s first Top Fan Rivalry submission from his personal research. Watch for more articles to come, both here and in the Locker Room.
Here we are. Baseball season is back. Now that everyone has had a chance to take in the fresh new air and get the gloves out of the attic, let’s play ball. Let’s take a look at the All-Time Negro League team. Please note that all statistics are from Baseball Reference and may be incomplete. Negro League statistics can be inaccurate and a lot of facts may be myth. Take this as lightly as possible and with all the salt.
C: Josh Gibson. No competition. Gibson had all the tools of a great ballplayer and would always hit for the literal fence. Many argued that it should have been him to break the color line instead of Jackie. A 2x Triple Crown winner and 12x All-Star, Gibson drank himself to death after the death of his wife. One famous story of Gibson is of him hitting the only ball out of Yankee Stadium to dead-center and leaving the yard. Career Stats: .374 AVG, .458 OBP, .719 SLG. Inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
Honorable Mention: Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe.
1B: Buck Leonard. Oftentimes batting behind Gibson, Leonard made the Homestead Grays a ferocious 1-2 punch in the lineup. Buck would’ve been comparable to greats like Johnny Mize and Dick Allen had he been playing in the Majors. A 3x Negro League World Series winner and 13x All-Star, Leonard was often called “The Black Lou Gehrig” for his competitiveness and durability. Played a record 17 seasons in the Negro Leagues. Part of the Grays club that won a record nine consecutive Negro National League championships from 1937-1945. Career Stats: .345 AVG, .450 OBP, .589 SLG. Inducted via Negro Leagues Committee in 1972.
Honorable Mention: Buck O’Neil.
2B: Newt Allen. One of the biggest snubs of the Hall of Fame in terms of overall effectiveness and productivity, Allen made his name playing some shortstop and second base. Newt was always the player you could rely on for productivity and overall creative genius, sacrificing hits left and right. Playing for the legendary Kansas City Monarchs, Newt was able to help them win two Negro League World Series. Career Stats: .289 AVG, .348 OBP, .376 SLG.
Honorable Mentions: Jackie Robinson, Vic Harris.
3B: Judy Johnson: Like Josh Gibson, no real contest here. Judy was a mainstay on the Hilldale Daisies who helped them appear in a couple World Series. Judy was a defensive anchor and was also not afraid to just get dirty in playing the game and helping out the young players when need be. Career Stats: .304 AVG, .350 OBP, .419 SLG. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975. Honorable Mentions: Ray Dandrige, Jud Wilson.
SS: This was a very tough decision, as both Willie Wells and Pop Lloyd are great players. I am voting for Pop Lloyd as he was there to establish the position and, in the early days of the sport, was THE guy. Playing in a reported 25 seasons, Lloyd was regarded as the fastest player the Negro League had ever seen. He once caught a game wearing a wire waste-paper basket to protect his face. He was called “the Black Wagner” for his comparison to Honus. Career Stats: .349 AVG, .400 OBP, .465 SLG. Inducted posthumously into Hall of Fame in 1977 by Negro League Committee. Honorable Mention: Willie Wells.
OF: Oscar Charleston. The outfielders will have the honorable mentions when the list is done. These outfielders can be in any of the roles. Charleston was a beast when he was at the plate. Legend has it that he punched the hood off a Ku Klux Klan member during a game and had a cannon of an arm. He also hit .433 in 1921 with the games we have on file. Winning the triple crown three times in his career, he also won three batting titles and was a three-time all-star. Buck O’Neil said that Charleston was “Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Tris Speaker rolled into one.” He was also on one of the best teams of all-time: 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords, with Charleston, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, and Cool Papa Bell. Career Stats: .364 AVG, .449 OBP, .615 SLG. Inducted into Hall of Fame posthumously in 1976.
Cool Papa Bell: You can’t really make an argument about his impact on the game of baseball. Bell’s speed was absolutely absurd; stories arise of him getting to second on a bunt and going to bed as soon as he hit the light switch. Bell stole, on record, 285 bases, but many argue that the total could be four or five times higher than that. He was one of seven future Hall of Famers to play on the 1933 Crawfords, including Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, Biz Mackey, Satchel Paige, and Jud Wilson. He used to be a pitcher who earned his nickname after striking out fellow Hall of Famer Oscar Charleston. Bell also played, like many of the Negro League players, in winter-league ball in Mexico and Cuba where they were able to play without fear of segregation. Career Stats: .325 AVG, .394 OBP, .446 SLG. Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1974.
Spotswood Poles: Yes, you are reading that. His name is legendary enough. Spot Poles earned his stripes both on the diamond and in the trenches. Part of the famed 369th division, better known as “The Harlem Hellfighters”, Poles played before the organization of most of the Negro Leagues that we know of. He played with Pop Lloyd, Smokey Joe Williams, and Cannonball Dick Redding. Many historians have him hitting in the .300-.400 range. John Holway, a great researcher for SABR, Poles hit .440 in 1911, .364 in 1912 in Cuba, and .487(!) in 1914. He hit really well against Pete Alexander, getting three straight hits off him. He is also buried in Arlington National Cemetery for his sacrifice. Career Stats: .284 AVG, .371 OBP, .330 SLG.
Honorable Mention: Martin Dihigo, Minnie Minoso, Bullet Joe Rogan, Monte Irvin, Willard Brown, Sam Jethroe, Chino Smith.
Starting Pitcher: Satchel Paige. No real competition here like with Josh and Judy. Satchel was the main reason many got involved in Negro League research and just following them in general (myself included). There are so many legends about him that I can’t possibly cover here. He became a legend in both the Negro League and Major League, being the oldest “rookie” in baseball history at the ripe age of 42 debuting in 1948 with Larry Doby and the Indians. Paige has so many records and stories it could fill out an article here. Satchel was also the first Negro League player to be inducted into the Hall at the time. Career Stats: 121-81 record, 2.70 ERA. Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1971 via Negro League Committee.
Honorable Mentions: Dick Redding, Smokey Joe Williams, Martin Dihigo, Jose Mendez, Rube Foster.