Birmingham Black Barons: Difference between revisions

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The '''Birmingham Black Barons''' played professional baseball for [[Birmingham]] in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1960 when the Major Leagues successfully integrated. They alternated home stands with the [[Birmingham Barons]] in [[West End]]'s [[Rickwood Field]], usually drawing larger crowds and equal press.
The '''Birmingham Black Barons''' (originally the '''Birmingham Stars''' or '''All-Stars''') played professional baseball for [[Birmingham]] in the Negro Leagues from 1919 to 1960 when the Major Leagues successfully integrated. They alternated home stands with the [[Birmingham Barons]] in [[West End]]'s [[Rickwood Field]], usually drawing larger crowds and equal press.


Drawing largely from a successful [[ACIPCO]] Industrial League team, the Black Barons were organized in 1920 for the inaugural season of Rube Foster's Negro Southern League. They played in that league for three years before making the leap to the larger Negro National League. They were unable to keep their position due to irregularities with the team finances and returned to the Southern League for three more years.
Drawing largely from a successful [[ACIPCO]] [[Industrial League]] team, [[Frank Perdue]]'s Stars defeated the Atlanta Cubs to claim a Colored Southern Championship in [[1919]]. Perdue led efforts to organize a Negro Southern League for the 1920 season and renamed his team as a nod to the popular white Barons.


For the next decade or so they alternated leagues before being bought by Memphis funeral home director [[Tom Hays]]. They returned to the National League for good in 1940. Early in the decade the team was sold again to [[Abraham Saperstein]] who also owned the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. In 1943 they won their first of three pennants. Starting in 1945, they became full members of the Negro National League and enjoyed great success, winning their third pennant in [[1948 Birmingham Black Barons|1948]] and losing three world series to the Homestead Grays, with whom they developed a notable rivalry. As the Major Leagues started signing talented African Americans, the Black Barons helped form a new Negro American League which played four seasons from 1956 to 1960 before folding. The Black Barons played their last game in 1960.
In [[1923]] hotel owner [[Joe Rush]] purchased the team from Perdue. Led by a strong pitching rotation, the Black Barons won the league title that year. For the next season, Rush secured a membership for the club in Rube Foster's larger Negro National League. The Black Barons were unable to maintain their membership due to irregularities with the team finances and returned, along with the Memphis Red Sox, to a re-organized Negro Southern League in [[1926]] and ended up beating Memphis for the [[1927]] league title.
 
For the next several years, the Black Barons alternated between leagues, and played only intermittently during the worst years of the [[Great Depression]]. The club joined the newly-formed Negro American League in [[1937]]. League President Robert R. Jackson stripped [[Henry L. Moore]] of his ownership of the Black Barons in a dispute over his involvement in an unauthorized East-West All Star Game.
 
The Black Barons were bought by Memphis funeral home director [[Tom Hayes]] in [[1939]] and hired [[Jim Taylor|"Candy Jim" Taylor]] as manager. They returned to the National League for good in 1940. Early in the decade the team was sold again to [[Abraham Saperstein]] who also owned the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. In 1943 they won their first of three pennants. Starting in 1945, they became full members of the Negro National League and enjoyed great success, winning their third pennant in [[1948 Birmingham Black Barons|1948]] and losing three world series to the Homestead Grays, with whom they developed a notable rivalry. As the Major Leagues started signing talented African Americans, the Black Barons helped form a new Negro American League which played four seasons from 1956 to 1960 before folding. The Black Barons played their last game in 1960.


On February 26, 2006 ESPN Classic broadcast a [[2006 Vintage Baseball game|throwback game]] from Rickwood Field featuring amateur players in the uniforms of the Birmingham Black Barons and Bristol Barnstormers. The style of play, the equipment, and the umpires all reflected the 1940s game. Willie Mays attended along with former Negro League player and country music singer Charley Pride. The Black Barons rallied to break an eighth inning tie and win the game 9-8.
On February 26, 2006 ESPN Classic broadcast a [[2006 Vintage Baseball game|throwback game]] from Rickwood Field featuring amateur players in the uniforms of the Birmingham Black Barons and Bristol Barnstormers. The style of play, the equipment, and the umpires all reflected the 1940s game. Willie Mays attended along with former Negro League player and country music singer Charley Pride. The Black Barons rallied to break an eighth inning tie and win the game 9-8.


A group of Negro Leagues alumni in the Birmingham area are working on a project to create a museum and outreach center in Birmingham's [[Civil Rights District]]. In December [[2007]] Mayor [[Larry Langford]] said that he wanted to discuss creating a museum to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field.
Two groups of Negro Leagues alumni in the area worked with the city and collector [[Layton Revel]] to develop a [[Negro Southern League Museum]] next to [[Regions Field]] in Birmingham.


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
===Hall of Famers===
* [[Satchel Paige]], 1971
* [[Willie Mays]], 1979
* [[Mule Suttles]], 1996
* [[Willie Foster]], 1996
* [[Willie Wells]], 1997
===Other notable players===
:''This is a partial listing of notable players by when they debuted for the Black Barons. See [[Birmingham Black Barons rosters]] for more complete listings:''
:''This is a partial listing of notable players by when they debuted for the Black Barons. See [[Birmingham Black Barons rosters]] for more complete listings:''
===1920s===
====1920s-1930s====
* [[Satchel Paige]] (pitcher 1927–1929)
* [[Edgar Cason]]
* [[Jessie Edwards|Jessie "Bumpie" Edwards]]
* [[Henry Kimbroe]]
* [[John Kemp (Black Barons)|John Kemp]]
* [[Lester Lockett]]
* [[Buford Meredith|Buford "Geech" Meredith]]
* [[Harry Salmon]]
* [[Harry Salmon]]
* [[Sam Streeter]]
* [[Sam Streeter]]
* [[Mule Suttles]] (left fielder, first baseman 1923–1925)
* [[Sunshine Taylor|John "Sunshine" Taylor]]
* [[Gordon Ziegler]]


===1930s===
====1940s====
* [[Henry Kimbroe]]
* [[Lester Lockett]]
 
===1940s===
* [[Pepper Bassett]], catcher
* [[Pepper Bassett]], catcher
* [[Lyman Bostock, Sr]], first baseman
* [[Lyman Bostock Sr]], first baseman
* [[Piper Davis]], player 1942-, manager 1948-
* [[Piper Davis]], player 1942-, manager 1948-
* [[Willie Greason]], pitcher 1948-51
* [[Willie Greason]], pitcher 1948-1951
* [[Sam Hairston]], catcher, infielder 1944
* [[Sam Hairston]], catcher, infielder 1944
* [[Jehosia Heard]]
* [[Jehosia Heard]]
* [[John Markham]], pitcher
* [[John Markham]], pitcher
* [[Gread McKinnis]], pitcher
* [[Gread McKinnis]], pitcher
* [[Willie Mays]], outfielder 1948
* [[Willie Patterson]], catcher/infielder 1946-1947
* [[Bill Powell]]
* [[Bill Powell]]
* [[Ted Radcliffe]]
* [[Ted Radcliffe]]
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* [[Alfred Saylor]], pitcher
* [[Alfred Saylor]], pitcher
* [[Goose Tatum]]
* [[Goose Tatum]]
* [[Winfield Welch]], manager 1943-44
* [[Winfield Welch]], manager 1943-1944
* [[Sam Williams]], pitcher
* [[Sam Williams]], pitcher
* [[Artie Wilson]], short stop
* [[Artie Wilson]], short stop
* [[Jim Zapp]], right field
* [[Jim Zapp]], right field


===1950s===
====1950s-1960s====
* [[Vic Harris]], manager
* [[Vic Harris]], manager
* [[Henry Kimbro]], left field
* [[Henry Kimbro]], left field
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* [[Ed Steele]]
* [[Ed Steele]]
* [[Rosel Williams]], shortstop 1954
* [[Rosel Williams]], shortstop 1954
 
* [[Willie Patterson]], catcher/infielder 1951, 1955
===1960s===
(no information)


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Black Barons|*]]
[[Category:Black Barons|*]]
[[Category:1919 establishments]]
[[Category:1960 disestablishments]]

Latest revision as of 15:15, 17 September 2022

Birmingham Black Barons
Birmingham black barons.png
Sport Baseball
League Negro Southern League and Negro National League
Active 1920–1960
Home field Rickwood Field
Record Uncertain
Coaches Undetermined
General manager N/A
Website N/A

The Birmingham Black Barons (originally the Birmingham Stars or All-Stars) played professional baseball for Birmingham in the Negro Leagues from 1919 to 1960 when the Major Leagues successfully integrated. They alternated home stands with the Birmingham Barons in West End's Rickwood Field, usually drawing larger crowds and equal press.

Drawing largely from a successful ACIPCO Industrial League team, Frank Perdue's Stars defeated the Atlanta Cubs to claim a Colored Southern Championship in 1919. Perdue led efforts to organize a Negro Southern League for the 1920 season and renamed his team as a nod to the popular white Barons.

In 1923 hotel owner Joe Rush purchased the team from Perdue. Led by a strong pitching rotation, the Black Barons won the league title that year. For the next season, Rush secured a membership for the club in Rube Foster's larger Negro National League. The Black Barons were unable to maintain their membership due to irregularities with the team finances and returned, along with the Memphis Red Sox, to a re-organized Negro Southern League in 1926 and ended up beating Memphis for the 1927 league title.

For the next several years, the Black Barons alternated between leagues, and played only intermittently during the worst years of the Great Depression. The club joined the newly-formed Negro American League in 1937. League President Robert R. Jackson stripped Henry L. Moore of his ownership of the Black Barons in a dispute over his involvement in an unauthorized East-West All Star Game.

The Black Barons were bought by Memphis funeral home director Tom Hayes in 1939 and hired "Candy Jim" Taylor as manager. They returned to the National League for good in 1940. Early in the decade the team was sold again to Abraham Saperstein who also owned the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. In 1943 they won their first of three pennants. Starting in 1945, they became full members of the Negro National League and enjoyed great success, winning their third pennant in 1948 and losing three world series to the Homestead Grays, with whom they developed a notable rivalry. As the Major Leagues started signing talented African Americans, the Black Barons helped form a new Negro American League which played four seasons from 1956 to 1960 before folding. The Black Barons played their last game in 1960.

On February 26, 2006 ESPN Classic broadcast a throwback game from Rickwood Field featuring amateur players in the uniforms of the Birmingham Black Barons and Bristol Barnstormers. The style of play, the equipment, and the umpires all reflected the 1940s game. Willie Mays attended along with former Negro League player and country music singer Charley Pride. The Black Barons rallied to break an eighth inning tie and win the game 9-8.

Two groups of Negro Leagues alumni in the area worked with the city and collector Layton Revel to develop a Negro Southern League Museum next to Regions Field in Birmingham.

Personnel

Hall of Famers

Other notable players

This is a partial listing of notable players by when they debuted for the Black Barons. See Birmingham Black Barons rosters for more complete listings:

1920s-1930s

1940s

1950s-1960s

References

  • Fullerton, Christopher D. (1999) Every Other Sunday: The Story of the Birmingham Black Barons. Birmingham: R. Boozer Press. ISBN 0963612824.
  • Dixon, Phil & Patrick J. Hannigan. (1992) The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History. Ameron House. ISBN 08848804252
  • Birmingham Black Barons at the Birmingham-Pittsburgh Traveler page - accessed April 3, 2006
  • "Still in the Game" (April 2006) Southern Living.
  • Jordan, Phillip. (February 23, 2006) "Nine Innings in Rickwood" Birmingham Weekly
  • Powell, Larry (2009) Black Barons of Birmingham: The South’s Greatest Negro League Team and Its Players. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland ISBN 0786438061
  • Kilma, John (2009) Willie's Boys: The 1948 Birmingham Black Barons, The Last Negro League World Series, and the Making of a Baseball Legend. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley ISBN 0470400137

External links

Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Black Barons * Managers * Records * Rickwood Classic * Teams
Venues: Slag Pile Field, Rickwood Field, Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Regions Field
Managers: Harry Vaughn, Carlton Molesworth, Rick Woodward, Phil Cavaretta, Terry Francona
Barons: Jeff Abbott, Wilson Alvarez, Sal Bando, Jason Bere, Vida Blue, Mark Buehrle, Mike Cameron, Joe Crede, Rob Dibble, Ray Durham, Scott Eyre, Rollie Fingers, John Garland, Burleigh Grimes, Roberto Hernandez, Catfish Hunter, Bo Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Howard Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tony LaRussa, Carlos Lee, Rube Marquard, Jack McDowell, Miguel Olivo, Magglio Ordonez, Aaron Rowand, Pie Traynor, Bob Wickman, Bobby Thigpen, Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura
Black Barons: Lorenzo "Piper" Davis, Willie Foster, Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Willie Wells
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