Ted Knorr, Author at The Truth Seekers Journal

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | October 13, 2026

Before beginning today’s essay, I want to take a little time to thank readers of this twice-monthly column. I’ve been told it is one of the most read features in The Truth Seekers Journal. For your time and loyalty, I thank you and let you know that I very much appreciate your readership. Further, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the time to remind you that this column exists for only one purpose and that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next. So, your participation is important. Send questions, comments, or Significa answers to Shadowball@truthseekersjournal.comor to Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033. As much as I appreciate your taking the time to read the column, I’d like it even more if you exchanged your thoughts, questions, areas of interest.

Now, not being a writer I have few original thoughts … this is why I need reader questions so I have something to write about … on occasion, thankfully, serendipity steps in … such was the case on October 9^th when Kevin Jognson did what he does every day … marking the birth or death anniversary of a Negro Leaguer in a Facebook post. October 9, 2026, turned out to be the 131^st birthday of Saint Louis Star outfielder Branch Russell. I knew he was a member of one of the best outfields in Negro League history The Stars outfield, 1925-29, included left fielder Frog Redus, Hall of Fame centerfielder Cool Papa Bell and Branch Russell in right.

No right fielder played more games in rightfield than Branch Russell (under the Seamheads Data Base Negro Leagues filter). Russell hit .308 over his career with an OPS+ of 117 (meaning he was 17% better hitter than average). He was an average fielder with a better than average arm.

After retiring from baseball, Russell worked as a supervisor in the Saint Louis Parks and Recreation for 17 years with a focus on youth baseball. The late James A. Riley provides that nugget in his Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. For Russell’s life before baseball, we get some clues in the Seamheads statistical database where it reveals Russell’s burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery and from the fact that he doesn’t break into the Major Leagues until age 26.

Neither proves anything but they do direct a search to military experience. To fill in those blanks I turned to the writing of Ellen Knight writing in Daily Times Chronicle, Winchester, MA, 2018; Paul D. White in his Lost in Left Field, Substack, 2025; and Connie Nisinger who published a short bio with a gravesite picture in Find A Grave website. Based on those three sources Branch Russell had an 8-year career in the U.S. Army during which he ran track and played baseball for the famous 25^th Infantry Wreckers. He also served during World War I along the Mexican border.

Branch Russell is a fitting example of what makes all of us among the last victims of the segregation of baseball prior to the integration of the game in April 1947.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

In 1937, Monte Irvin joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name. What was it? In 1942, Larry Doby joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it? Will Clark, Shadow Ball’s top trivia, provided Jimmy Nelson as Monte Irvin’s assumed name. No one provided Larry Doby’s assumed name which was Larry Walker.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Questions of the Week

“What yet to be inducted Hall of Fame caliber Negro League shortstop was nicknamed “King Richard”?

Ted Knorr is a Negro League baseball historian, longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and several local Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania.

Beyond his research and organizing work, Ted is frequently invited to speak at sporting events, community programs, family gatherings, and educational forums, where he brings Negro League history to life. His deep knowledge of the players, teams, and cultural impact of Black baseball has made him a trusted voice for audiences who want to understand the legacy and significance of the Negro Leagues.

Send questions or Significa answers to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033.

Support open, independent journalism, your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | September 22, 2026

… this column exists for only one purpose and that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you don’t already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next.

Nobody asked me but …here is a list of all Major League players that his four triples in one game:

George Strief, Philadelphia Athletics, American Association, on June 25, 1885,against the Brooklyn Grays at Washington Park, Brooklyn, NY
Bill Joyce, New York Giants,National League, on May 18, 1897,against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Exposition Park, Pittsburgh, PA.
Rap Dixon, Baltimore Black Sox, Negro National League I, on Augus6, 1930,against the Birmingham black Barons at Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL

Strief and Joyce had long been the only two Major League players to achieve this feat of four triples in one Major League game. However, on December 16, 2020,Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that “Major League Baseball was correcting a longtime oversight in the game’s history by officially designating seven specific Negro Leagues as ‘Major League’.”One of those seven leagues was the Negro National League I (1920-1931). Making that August 6^th game officially a Major League game. Overnight two four triple games became three. The August 7^th edition of the Montgomery Advertiser covered the four triple game and noted that feat. No box score has been found so the statistics will not enter into the record book, but the event cannot be excluded.

Major League baseball is just completing its 151^st season and only those three players have hit four triples in one game.

There have only been about sixty instances of Major League players striking three triples in one game only three of them resulting in a 4^th three bagger.
Of those sixty, 12 were by Hall of Famers: Sam Crawford, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Goose Goslin, Heinie Manush, Jim Bottomley, Earle Combs, Charlie Gehringer, Joe DiMaggio, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Ernie Banks.
Only one four triple event – the one in Montgomery – occurred in the 20^th century. Only one in the past 129 years.
Rap Dixon, the only Major League player with four triples in one game since 1897 has an inordinate amount of “unicornian legends.”In addition to the four triples game, he achieved a potential Major League record with 14 consecutive hits in 1929, those hits were part of another potential “modern” Major League record 16 consecutive reaches, in 1930 he hit the first homerun by an African-American in Yankee Stadium, in 1933 hestole the first base in the first Negro League All Star game, in 1934 he was the first professional manager for future Hall of Famer Leon Day, that same year he was offered straight up for Cool Papa Bell, in 1942.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Q: In 1937, Monte Irvin joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name. What was it? In 1942, Larry Doby joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it? No one submitted either answer. Since no one has yet submitted the correct answers, I am going to let this question ride for another couple of weeks.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Questions of the Week

In 1937, Monte Irvin joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it? In 1942, Larry Doby joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it?

Send questions or Significa answers to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033.

Support open, independent journalism, your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | September 8, 2026

How Fast Was Cool Papa Bell?

Faster than the speed of light
Faster than Jimmie Lyons, prime v prime
He could cover 100 yards in about 10 seconds
He was, and remains, the fastest baseball player ever

Phil Durnitz of Albuquerque, New Mexico, submitted the question, and I will do my best to answer it. Only one of the multiple‑choice options can be definitively shown to be correct — but each deserves examination.

A. Faster than the speed of light

Satchel Paige was fond of telling this story about his longtime roommate, Cool Papa Bell. In John Holway’s Voices from the Great Black Baseball Leagues (1975), Paige is quoted as saying:

“That man was so fast he could turn out the light and jump in bed before the room got dark.”

Taken literally, Paige is suggesting Bell outran light itself. We’ll file that away for now — in the category of tall tales, but glorious ones.

B. Faster than Jimmie Lyons

In the same Holway interview, Bell recounts one of the stories that helped build his reputation:

“(In 1922 or ’23) Jimmie Lyons was supposed to be the fastest man in the (Negro) League(s)… Rube Foster wanted us to race… So we went out and raced, and I beat Jimmie Lyons… I just ran off from Jimmie Lyons. That’s when I got my reputation.”

Lyons was extremely fast, and beating him was no small feat. But context matters: in 1922–23 Bell was 19 or 20 years old, while Lyons was 32 or 33. It shows Bell was faster than an older Lyons — not necessarily faster than Lyons in his prime.

Bell’s interview continues with stories of scoring from first on bunts, scoring from second on fly balls, and even being “faster than Jesse Owens,” based on the oft‑repeated claim that Bell circled the bases (120 yards) in 12 seconds flat. Holway adds the famous but misleading line that Bell “scored from second on a ground ball to win the 1934 All‑Star Game, 1–0.” The ball, in fact, was hit past the infield and into the outfield for a single. Bell’s recollections are wonderful, but they are unabashed braggadocio.

C. He could run 100 yards in about 10 seconds

We can estimate Bell’s straight‑line speed using his recorded “round‑the‑bases” times. Four such times appear in the historical record:

Even allowing for exaggeration, all four numbers are spectacularly fast. Paige’s story is entertaining; the 12‑second legend would still be a world record in 2026. But even the slowest verified number — 13.6 seconds, on a wet track, in December 1933, at age 30 — is extraordinary.

For comparison, the fastest Statcast‑measured modern time is Byron Buxton’s 13.85 seconds. A hand‑timed 13.6 and a fully automated 13.85 are essentially identical.

Thus, the record shows Bell was capable of roughly a 10‑second 100‑yard dash at a time when the world record stood at 9.5.

D. He was, and remains, the fastest baseball player ever

Here we enter the realm of opinion — but informed opinion. Using rate statistics from Seamheads (runs scored minus home runs, triples, and stolen bases, prorated per plate appearance), I rank the greatest Negro League speedsters as follows:

Oscar Charleston
Willard Brown
Cool Papa Bell
Bullet Rogan
Jimmie Lyons
Rap Dixon
Hurley McNair
George Shively
Turkey Stearnes
Cristóbal Torriente

Henry Milton, Sam Jethroe, and Doc Dudley would appear here as well but lack sufficient plate appearances to qualify.

Charleston and Bell stand out for combining elite speed with long careers. Bell finishing in the top three of this methodology confirms he was one of the fastest runners in Negro League history. Whether he was the fastest is debatable — Milton, Jethroe, Lyons, Shively, and several Hall of Famers could all stake a claim.

Conclusion

The correct answer is C.

Cool Papa Bell would have been a consistent 10‑flat or better 100‑yard runner at a time when the fastest sprinters in the world were posting 9.6, 9.5, and 9.4. Bell was exactly as fast as legend suggests — and unquestionably one of the fastest players ever to play the game.

Thanks to authors John Holway and Scott Simkus for their excellent work, to Satch and Cool for their stories, and to Mr. Durnitz for his question.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Q: What was Atlanta’s most prolific Negro League franchise (in terms of years in the league)? A: The Atlanta Black Crackers — provided by Will Clark of Hackensack, NJ.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Questions of the Week

In 1937, Monte Irvin joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it? In 1942, Larry Doby joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it?

Ted Knorr is a respected Negro League baseball historian, a longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and the founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference as well as several Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania.

Send questions or Significa answers to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033.

Truth Seekers Journal thrives because of readers like you. Join us in sustaining independent voices.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | August 25, 2026

This column exists for one reason: to answer your questions about Negro League baseball history. To fulfill that mission, we need your help.

If you read and enjoy this column, want it to continue, and haven’t already mastered every corner of Negro League history, we invite you to send us your questions. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they determine where we go next—from players and teams to memorable games, historic events, and everything in between.

By submitting a question, you help shape the future direction of this column. Your participation is both important and greatly appreciated. In many ways, the continued existence of Shadow Ball depends on readers like you.

Send your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

Joe Pomrenke, Harrisburg, PA posted: “I’d like to learn more about the famous 1933 East-West Classic.” Accordingly, today’s Shadowball column will endeavor to satisfy Joe’s curiosity/interest. Much of my knowledge on this subject comes from the research/writings of Lyle Spatz, Larry Lester, and Bob Lemoine. Lastly, I need to thank former APBA Game Company President Fritz Light, current President John Herson, and the late Negro League historian James A. Riley.

Major League Baseball hosted its initial all-star game on July 6, 1933, in Chicago’s Comiskey Park very much in conjunction with the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. It was that international fair’s desire to incorporate some sort of athletic event into international exposition that sparked the imagination of Chicago Tribune Sports Editor Arch Ward. Due to his flamboyant promotional style Ward was known as ‘the Cecil B. DeMille of Sports”. In addition to the Major League Baseball All-Star game, Mr. Ward was instrumental in the creation of Golden Glove boxing (1928), the annual College All Star Football Game (1934), the initial professional World Basketball Tournament (1939), the All-American Football Conference (1946), as well as lesser events such as speed skating competitions, bowling tournaments and charity horse racing events.

That initial Major-League All-Star game took place on July 6, 1933, and is described better than I could in this Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Game Story by Lyle Spatz: July 6, 1933: A Dream Realized: Comiskey Park hosts first All-Star Game; Babe Ruth homers – Society for American Baseball Research

123 456 789 R H E

NL 000 002 000 2 8 0 LP – Wild Bill Hallahan

AL 012 001 00 4 9 1 WP – Lefty Gomez

HR –Babe Ruth, AL; Frankie Frisch, NL

Attendance: 47,595

The initial Negro League East West Classic occurred just two months later on September 10, 1933, and it is described nicely by Bob Lemoine in this link: September 10, 1933: The Game of Games: Negro Leagues stage first all-star game at Comiskey Park – Society for American Baseball Research

123 456 789 R H E

East 000 320 002 7 7 2 LP – Bert Hunter

West 001 303 31 11 15 3 WP – Willie Foster

HR – Mule Suttles, W

Attendance: 20,000 estimated

The MLB game attracted a bigger crowd than the Negro League game but that was not always the case as Negro League attendance topped 40,000 on 8 separate occasions and outdrawing the Majors on several instances.
Willie Foster is the only pitcher to hurl a complete game in any all-star game on either side of the color line
Hall of Famers Babe Ruth and Mule Suttles hit the first HR in each of these inaugural events
Finally, 21 Hall of Fame players, two Hall of Fame managers, and two Hall of Fame umpires appeared in the July 6^th NL/AL matchup. In contrast, only 12 Hall of Fame players (including East Manager Pop Lloyd appeared in the Negro League game underscoring my recurring theme of all Shadow ball articles – in order to properly represent the history of the National Pastime prior to 1947 the National Baseball Hall of Fame must induct more Negro League players. A good starting point would be the five Negro Leaguers that appeared in the September 10 game that have been on one or more Hall of Fame ballots and appeared in this first game: Rap Dixon, Dick Lundy, Fats Jenkins, Alex Radclif, and Vic Harris.

To finish this topic, utilizing the computer version – Baseball for Windows – of the APBA Major League Baseball Game I simulated several hundred All Star games between Major League Hall of Fame teams circa 1933 versus a team of Negro League Hall of Famers from that same era. The below line score provides some detail of a representative game that, in my imagination, took place in the afterglow of the July 6 and September 10^th game. Of the 600 games that I simulated — the traditional Major League team won 301 times (50.2%) but was outscored by 72 runs over the 600-game schedule. In other words, the level of talent was identical on both sides of the color line just as I believe it actually was during baseball’s segregated era (1876-1946).

October 8, 1933

123 456 789 RHE

NeL 300 011 020 713 0 LP –William Bell

MLB 000 322 02 9 12 0 WP –Carl Hubbell

HR Gibson, NeL, Gehrig, Foxx, Klein

Attendance: 32, 634, 734 imagined

The Negro League out hit the traditional Majors 13 to 12 but left 7 baserunners on base whereas the trads left only 3
Rap Dixon threw out the Fordham Flash – Frankie Frisch – at home for the last out in the 8^th.
The two squads hit for combined .262 batting average over the 600 simulated games … Babe Ruth out homered Josh Gibson 132 (34 per 154g) to 104 (27 per 154g)
Cool Papa Bell led the way with 28 steals beating out Oscar Charleston, 18, and Rap Dixon, 15.
Satchel Paige won the most games 73 and posted the highest winning percentage 55% while leading the way in shutouts 8 and strike outs 903

Readers can expect to see more use of the APBA/BBW simulator in upcoming articles.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Who was Jackie Robinson’s Manager on April 15, 1947? No one offered at this query … it was Burt Shotton who led the Dodgers to pennants in ’47 and ’49.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

What was the name of Atlanta’s most prolific franchise (in terms of years in the league) in the Negro Leagues?

Ted Knorr is a Negro League baseball historian, longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and several local Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania. You can send questions for Knorr on Negro League topics as well as your answers to the week’s Significa question to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | August 11, 2026

This column exists for one reason: to answer your questions about Negro League baseball history. To fulfill that mission, we need your help.

Send your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

This week’s query is submitted by reader George Schuyler, Topeka, KS, which “Major” Negro League lasted the longest?

Let me begin with, thank you George … I very much appreciate this question, I don’t think – even I – can get this one wrong. Here are the seven leagues (and spans) designated as “major” by Major League Baseball on December 16, 2020:

LEAGUE SPAN YEARS

Negro National League 1 1920-1931 12

Eastern Colored League 1923-1928 6

American Negro League 1929 1

Negro Southern League 1932 1

East-West League 1932 1

Negro National League 2 1933-1948 16

Negro American League 1937-1948 12

The list answers the question – the 2^nd Negro National League, founded by Gus Greenlee, January 1933, lasted longer than any other Major Negro League and stands behind only the National and American League (now in its 151^st season) and the American League (in its 126^th season) among all thirteen leagues designated as Major.

Shadow Ball Significa Questions for the past two issues

July 21 Significa “What former Memphis Red Sox player worked at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis after his retirement from baseball?” was incorrectly reported last issue as not having been answered by anyone … turns out that Kevin Johnson, Broken Arrow, OK, submitted the correct answer, Nat Rogers, just minutes after the issue dropped. Sorry about that KJOK.

July 28 Significa “What pitcher won the last Negro League World Series game?” also provided some controversy. A reader offered Wilmer Fields, as the winner, which is confirmed as such at Retrosheet Negro League game files. However, there is no box score but there as a line score showing that R.T. Walker pitched 9 innings before being relieved in the bottom of the 10^thwith his team – after a four spot in the top of the 10^th– up by four. Further, in Irv Goldfarb’s SABR biography of R.T. Walker he states that Walker “was awarded the victory.” My current reading of MLB rule 10.19 a, b indicates to me that Walker is the winner having pitched 9 innings and being relieved with the lead. In addition, I asked a local Minor League official scorer and he told me that he would credit the win to Walker. Finally, it turns out that the 10.19 rule that is currently in effect was not in effect in 1948 Major League Baseball let alone the Negro National or American Leagues. Prior to 1950 victories were awarded by the official scorer and usually in accordance with today’s current rules.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Who was Jackie Robinson’s Manager on April 15, 1947?Send your answer, along with your comments/questions about the Negro Leagues, to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com

or mail them to:

Shadow Ball
3904 N. Druid Hills Road

Suite 179
Decatur, GA 30033

Support open, independent journalism. Your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | July 28, 2026

This column exists for only one purpose: that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, we need your help … if you are reading this column, enjoy it, want it to continue, and do not already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next … players, teams, events, and more – and, in so doing, you will direct where this column goes moving forward. Your participation is important and appreciated. The very existence of this column depends on you. Submit your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

Given the level of talent in the Negro Leagues and so few slots opened in the major leagues, why and when did the Negro League collapse? Elston Hoskins, Saint Charles, Missouri

Before getting to the “why and when” I want to recognize the astute preamble to your query which correctly notes that the available, unfettered by recognized contracts, talent of Negro League represented the greatest source of talent in the history of the game. Simultaneously, with 15 franchises in opposition to the thought of integration in this moment of time due to racism, ignorance, poor judgement or whatever rationale one wants to invent the process of bringing talent of color to the Majors was painfully slow despite a demonstrated high reward as the below illustration shows:

One would think such slow movement from the Negro Leagues would postpone, as Mr. Hoskins’ question implies, the inevitable collapse, sic, of the Negro Leagues. The reality was that Negro League baseball fans for several reasons – racial pride, quality of play, media attention (and lack thereof) – almost immediately began an exodus from a viable entertainment source and major African American business to the American and National Leagues

I think the “Why” has been covered. For me, the “When” is simultaneous with Jackie Robinson’s final exit from the Kansas City Monarch locker room in August 1945. However, with no players of color on Major League rosters in 1946 I count that year as the last where the Negro Leagues should be considered major.’. Major League itself is a little more forgiving in its definition, by edict on December 16, 2020, of Major Leagues includes the Negro National and Negro American League through 1948. The Society for American Baseball Research extends its Major league imprimatur through the 1950 season. All three of us (MLB, SABR and myself) recognize that the Negro Leagues specifically the Negro American League sputter on, descending in quality and quantity until 1960 or ’61.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Which former Memphis Red Sox player worked in various roles at the Peabody Hotel after his baseball career ended? Nat Rogers, himself a veteran of over twenty years at the highest level of baseball permitted, hit .305 with an OPS+ of 111 and better than average fielding percentage and range factor in all three outfield positions, who must be considered a solid Major League outfielder. After his playing days were over, he worked in various capacities at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and was as much a favorite with that clientele as with baseball fans. No reader submitted a guess so this week’s question, hopefully, will be a bit more inviting.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Which pitcher won the last “Major League” Negro League World Series game? Send your answer, along with your comments/questions about the Negro Leagues, to

shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or mail them to:

Shadow Ball
3904 N. Druid Hills Road, Suite 179
Decatur, GA 30033

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Memphis, TN | July 21, 2026

Last week, I discussed the recent 25^th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Research Conference that I attended last month. This week I want to introduce readers to the ten Negro League players/managers identified by conference attendees at the conference as the worthiest of induction in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. . It is my strongly held opinion that all ten and more need immediate induction in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown if that organization is to truly fulfill its mission as a 501 c 3 educational non-profit . Here are the top ten candidates according to attendees at this year’s Negro League Research Conference:

10^th Candy Jim Taylor, Manager … Connie Mack (each candidate will feature an existing Hall of Fame comparable): Taylor is number one in Negro League history with 27 years. 2169 games, and 1042 wins (the only Negro League manager with more than 1000 Major League victories); only Vic Harris & Rube Foster won more pennants, and no Negro League manager won more World Series. He also was an all-star caliber player: hitting .295 with 11 HRs and 14 SBs for every 162 games played while achieving batter than average fielding percentage and range as a third baseman. He is listed in the Courier poll as the 7^th best third baseman in Negro League history. “(each candidate will feature a quote from James A. Riley’s Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues) He was with sixteen different teams during a forty-five-year career as player and manager that spanned ~~virtually~~ the entire existence of the Negro Leagues as a Major League.”

8^th tie John Beckwith, 3B …Dick Allen … named to the 1952 Courier 2^nd team as a utility player who played all positions during his career – including catcher and shortstop, while being a top ten masher with the bat … no Negro Leaguer, batting as often as he did. achieved a higher batting average, slugging. OPS, or OPS+ … “The right-handed pull hitter was a powerful and consistent batter whose slugging prowess was extraordinary.” In my opinion, he is the most deserving Negro League player outside of Cooperstown’ plaque room.

8^th tie George Scales, 2B … Rogers Hornsby … Scales slashed .322/.427/.522 with a 149 OPS+ while exhibiting better than average metrics in both fielding percentage and range factor as a second baseman over a 20-year Major League career. “Scales was a versatile fielder who could play third base, first base, shortstop or the outfield, but was at his best at second base.”

7^th Grant Johnson, SS … Luke Appling … “(In 1894) he is credited with 60 home runs and earned his nickname of “Home Rin” at that time.” He was the best “Negro League” shortstop prior to John Henry Lloyd … Baseball historian Gary Ashwill argues, “(Grant Johnson) was the best everyday player in Black baseball from 1895 to 1909.” This opinion is backed up by Seamheads database which shows Johnson’s career WAR (Seamheads.com) at the time of his retirement was exceeded among Negro Leaguers only by Hall of Famer Pete Hill.

5^th tie John Donaldson, Pioneer/P … Rube Foster … (John Donaldson) won his greatest fame in the ‘10s as a star for J.L. Wilkinson’s multiracial All Nations ball club with whom he averaged almost 20 strikeouts per game.” Personally, I consider his overall career when I consider him as a Hall of Famer – entrepreneur, owner, manager, outfielder, pitcher, and Major League scout over a forty year plus career.

5^th tie Newt Allen, 2b … Nellie Fox … “Considered the best second baseman during the 1920s and early 1930s, the wide-ranging, slick-fielding middle infielder had quick hands and was superb on the pivot in turning a double play.” Currently, there is no second baseman from the Negro Leagues in the Hall of Fame … Newt Allen is one of the strongest candidates to represent that position. His playing in two Negro League World Series 18 years apart is one of his more remarkable feats. Although he hit .285 over his twenty-year big-league career, it is his glove that is most worthy of the Hall. Among second baseman only Bingo DeMoss saved more runs with his glove than Allen and no one – not even DeMoss – had better a better range factor than Allen among secondbaseman playing as many games as Allen did.

4^th Dick Lundy, ss … Arky Vaughan, Derek Jeter … “The best shortstop during the 1920s, Lundy bridged the time gap between John Henry Lloyd and Willie Wells.” Lundy’s WAR/162 of 5.85 is the highest among all Negro Leaguers yet to be inducted that played as many games as he did.

3^rd Vic Harris, mgr … Joe McCarthy, Miller Huggins, John McGraw … quite simply there is no Major League manager, appearing in more than 500 games, with a higher winning percentage than 7-time pennant winner Vic Harris.

2^nd Rap Dixon, rf … Roberto Clemente … both Dixon & Clemente wore “21” and had the best arms in their respective era … “A five-point ballplayer who did everything with style, the power-hitting outfielder was one of the better hitters during the 1920s and 1930s.” Dixon cracked 14 consecutive hits in July 1929, stroke four triple in one game in August 1930 – the only Major Leaguer to do so in the 20^th century.

1^st Dick Redding, p … Smokey Joe Williams … Dick Redding is in the top 5 amongst all Negro League pitchers in games, innings (#1), wins, complete games (#2 behind Joe Williams), shutouts, strikeouts, and years pitched. “One of the great pitchers of Black baseball, Dick Redding’s overpowering speed earned the big, tall right hander the nickname “Cannonball Dick …Redding was credited with 30 no-hitters against all levels of opposition.”

One note regarding John Donaldson (tied for 5^th) and the top two finishers – Donaldson & Redding as pitchers and Dixon as an outfielder are the only players named to the Negro League Centennial team at the Negro League Baseball Museum in December 2018 that are not inducted in Cooperstown.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

When was the last year that any Negro League players were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Please identify at least one player inducted that year. No one submitted the correct answer which follows: In 2006, 17 Negro League personages were inducted … of them 12 were players, including Frank Grant who currently is listed by the Hall as an executive. Other players inducted that year were Ray Brown, Willard Brown, Andy Cooper, Pete Hill, Biz Mackey, Jose Mendez, Louis Santop, Mule Suttles, Ben Taylor Cristobal Torriente, and Jud Wison.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Which former Memphis Red Sox player worked in various roles at the Peabody Hotel after his baseball career ended.?

Send your answer, along with your comments about the Negro Leagues, to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or mail them to:

Shadow Ball
3904 N. Druid Hills Road, Suite 179
Decatur, GA 30033

About the Author

Ted Knorr is a respected Negro League baseball historian, a longtime member of SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee, and the founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. He has also organized numerous Negro League Commemorative Nights throughout central Pennsylvania.

Beyond his research and organizational work, Ted is a sought-after speaker at sporting events, community programs, family gatherings, and educational forums, where he brings Negro League history to life. His deep knowledge of the players, teams, and the cultural significance of Black baseball has made him a trusted voice for audiences seeking to better understand the enduring legacy of the Negro Leagues.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Memphis, TN | July 8, 2026

This week’s Shadow Ball focuses on my June 18-20 trip to Memphis for the 26th Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. Since its founding in 1998, this conference has remained the highlight of my baseball year. This year was no exception. In fact, it was one of the very best.

My Memphis experience began moments after stepping off the Amtrak train on June 18. I chose to walk the mile and a quarter to the conference hotel rather than call a cab or Uber. As anyone who has traveled to Memphis by train knows, one of the first historic landmarks encountered is the National Civil Rights Museum, housed at the former Lorraine Motel, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

Lorraine Motel Room 306 Where Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated – Photo by Milton Kirby

Dr. King had traveled to Memphis to support 1,300 Black sanitation workers who were striking after years of dangerous working conditions, poverty-level wages, and the city’s refusal to recognize their union. It was for such a noble cause that he met his death on April 4, 1968, while standing on the Lorraine Motel balcony.

As the familiar façade emerged through the Memphis morning mist, I stopped my walk and sat quietly in prayer for several minutes, reflecting on the events of that tragic day. It was a powerful reminder that history often feels much closer when standing where it happened.

By the time I arrived at the hotel, the conference’s opening session was already underway. The Educational Forum traditionally begins each Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference by bringing together visiting researchers and local educators to discuss ways of integrating the study of the Negro Leagues into K-12 and higher education history curricula. Anyone who teaches or lectures on Negro League history, regardless of the audience, can always find valuable ideas and techniques during these sessions.

After lunch, attendees boarded an inspiring bus tour of several civil rights and baseball sites that echoed the emotions of my morning walk through downtown Memphis. Stops included the Lorraine Motel, Mason Temple, where Dr. King delivered his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” Martin Stadium, business locations associated with Memphis baseball entrepreneurs, and finally Clayborn Temple, headquarters of the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike and the birthplace of the “I AM A MAN” movement.

The greatest surprise came at Clayborn Temple, where attendees learned that the church’s damaged condition was not simply the result of age. Much of the destruction was caused by a devastating arson fire in March 2025. It served as a sobering reminder that preserving history remains an ongoing responsibility. As Robert Frost wrote, “Miles to go before we sleep.”

Later that afternoon, we watched the outstanding 1996 documentary Black Diamonds Blues City, which beautifully captured the intersection of community, race relations, politics, music, and Negro League baseball in Memphis. Following dinner, conference attendees gathered for a meet-and-greet at the Ernest Withers Photography Museum in the heart of Beale Street. My morning walk, the documentary, and the evening stroll through Beale Street together created a fitting foundation for the next two days of the conference.

Friday featured the centerpiece of every Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. Nine Negro League researchers presented their latest work during a series of thirty-minute presentations covering subjects that ranged from player biographies and race relations to home run research, ballpark histories, and even poetry.

One of the highlights was a moving panel discussion featuring family members of Negro League greats Frank Duncan Jr., Frank Duncan III, Johnny Wright, and Larry Brown. Their personal stories reminded us that Negro League history is more than statistics and championships. It is also about families preserving the memories of remarkable men whose contributions deserve continued recognition.

After a full day of intellectual stimulation, attendees enjoyed an evening picnic before heading to AutoZone Park to watch the Memphis Redbirds, providing the perfect close to another memorable conference day.

My own contribution this year was a presentation examining Rap Dixon’s season in Japan, along with announcing the results of our annual attendee poll identifying the next ten Negro League players, managers, and pioneers who deserve induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The top ten vote-getters, all of whom have deserved induction for many years, were Cannonball Dick Redding, Rap Dixon, Vic Harris, Dick Lundy, Newt Allen, John Donaldson, Grant Johnson, George Scales, John Beckwith, and Candy Jim Taylor. An additional 36 candidates also received votes.

Inspired by everything we experienced in Memphis, SABR’s Negro League Committee should continue advocating for justice in Cooperstown. Why not begin by inducting these ten deserving players, managers, and pioneers when Negro League candidates become eligible again in December 2027?

The conference concluded Saturday with nine additional research presentations, the always-entertaining baseball Significa contest, and the annual awards banquet.

As I reflect on this year’s conference, I keep returning to the lessons Memphis teaches.

From slavery to the Civil Rights Movement, America’s racial history is on full display throughout the city. Yet Memphis also reminds visitors that the work of preserving history is never complete.

The same can be said of Cooperstown.

Throughout the National Baseball Hall of Fame, visitors find Negro League history woven into exhibits on nearly every floor, in countless displays, and throughout the museum. Yet the Hall of Fame plaque gallery tells a different story. There, 137 players whose Major League careers began during baseball’s segregation era have plaques, while only 28 Negro League players and executives have been inducted over the past two decades.

Just as there remains important work to be done in our society, there is also important work to be done in Cooperstown.

The Hall of Fame has an opportunity to continue correcting baseball’s historical record. It should begin by seriously considering the recommendation that emerged from this year’s conference and electing Redding, Dixon, Harris, Lundy, Allen, Donaldson, Johnson, Scales, Beckwith, and Taylor when Negro League candidates are next considered in December 2027.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

What Negro League pennant-winning team played its home games at Dick Kent’s Ballyard?

The answer is the St. Louis Stars, who won the Negro National League pennants in 1928, 1930, and 1931 while playing their home games at Stars Park, also known as Dick Kent’s Ballyard.

No one submitted the correct answer.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

When was the last year that any Negro League players were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Please identify at least one player inducted that year.

Send your answer, along with your comments about the Negro Leagues, to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or mail them to:

Shadow Ball
3904 N. Druid Hills Road, Suite 179
Decatur, GA 30033

About the Author

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SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | June 9, 2026

Curious George Atkins, Aurora, IL, posed the following question to Shadow Ball: “Why is the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City?”

It’s a deceptively simple question. Negro League history sprawls across dozens of cities, each with legitimate claims to significance. So why Kansas City? To answer that, we must first consider the alternatives — and then the extraordinary convergence of people, place, and timing that made Kansas City the only choice:

Chicago had the strongest historical case, as it was the home of Rube Foster, the chief organizer of the Negro National League, its first league President, and the face of Negro League baseball as a player, manager, administrator, and entrepreneur for the preceding two decades in Black baseball. Chicago also had two teams in that first season, and, with the 4th-largest urban Black population in the country in 1920, was a major destination in the early stages of the Great (African American) Migration, which brought millions of Black families from the South to eastern, Midwestern, and far-western urban centers. Lastly, the Chicago American Giants won the initial pennant in that first season.

Other cities with teams in that first season of Negro National League baseball included Saint Louis, Detroit, and Indianapolis,, all of whom, like Chicago, had strong Black baseball histories prior to the formation of the league. Indianapolis had another historical point – the first game in Negro National League history took place there on May 2nd, 1920.

Another possible site could have been Ashland, KY, where several Negro League reunions took place in the decade prior to the opening of the Negro League Baseball Museum. In addition to the reunions, a substantial number of artifacts were collected and ended up in Cooperstown. But Ashland was a sentimental center, not a historical or demographic one.

My preference for my birthplace, Pittsburgh, is shaped by the presence of two of the greatest franchises in Negro League history and by the fact that more Negro League baseball games were played in Pennsylvania than in any other state in the union. Two other eastern megalopolises – New York and Philadelphia (which, along with Chicago, represented the three largest Black populations in the country) – had solid pedigrees in the history of the Negro Leagues and can be seen to have defensible cases, but …

In the end, the correct decision was made to place the NLBM in Kansas City due to a confluence of inarguable facts, talent, and civic leadership:

• The Negro National League was founded on February 13, 1920, in the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City

• A fortuitous gathering of local leadership came together, including Buck O’Neil, Alfred Surratt, Larry Lester, Phil Dixon, and Horace Peterson, all of whom lived and worked in Kansas City

• The 18th & Vine redevelopment project, which included the Paseo YMCA, provided a ready civic partner, with several prominent KC mayors seeing value.

• Kansas City’s Black civic and business community backed the project early.

• There is no evidence that Chicago, Pittsburgh, or any other historically significant Negro League city ever submitted a proposal or was approached.

• Eventually, such serendipity in the Paseo neighborhood continued when, almost four years after the Negro Baseball League Museum had opened its doors in one room in the neighborhood, Ken Burns’ nine-part documentary – Baseball – debuted on PBS. It made Buck O’Neil a star and opened interest and access to capital. Burns’ documentary did for the Negro League Baseball Museum what Eyes on the Prize did for civil rights memory — it created a national audience hungry for the stories the museum was uniquely positioned to tell.

• The NLBM is currently poised for another expansion project. While still in fundraising for the $30 million project that includes tripling exhibition space in a newly rehabilitated Paseo YMCA Building; creating the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center; building a new majority Black-owned hotel and new residential construction. According to the February 16, 2026, press release, the project could be completed by late 2028.

Last week’s Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What Negro League pitcher, who participated in the Negro National League playoff in 1935, had a son who won two World Series games several decades later? Name this father/son pair. With no correct answer submitted, I am going to provide this answer and move on. Luis Tiant Sr, was a participant in the 1935 Negro League playoff, and his son starred in the 1967 World Series.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What Negro League pennant-winning team played their home games at Dick Kent’s Ballyard? Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Ted Knorr

Beyond his research and organizing work, Ted is frequently invited to speak at sporting events, community programs, family gatherings, and educational forums, where he brings Negro League history to life. His deep knowledge of the players, teams, and the cultural impact of Black baseball has made him a trusted voice for audiences seeking to understand the legacy and significance of the Negro Leagues.

Please consider supporting open, independent journalism – no contribution is too small!

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

May 26, 2026

This column exists for only one purpose; that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you do not already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next … players, teams, events, and more – and, in so doing, you will direct where this column goes moving forward. Your participation is important and appreciated. The very existence of this column depends on you. Submit your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

Last week’s Shadow ball Significa Question of the Week: What Negro League pitcher, who participated in the Negro National League playoff in 1935, had a son who won two World Series games several decades later. Name this father/son pair. With no correct answer submitted; I am going to let this question ride for another week. Who is this father/son duo? Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Support open, independent journalism. Your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

It’s Time for Cooperstown to Catch Up

Data and history confirm Negro League teams matched Major League talent. Ted Knorr urges Cooperstown to honor their rightful place in baseball’s Hall of Fame legacy.

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | May 26, 2026

“In small cities and small towns across the country, there were other teams and other stars that may have been the greatest of the century, but whose deeds would live only in the memory of those who saw them play. Over the years, Black baseball stars played against White Major League stars at least 438 times in off-season exhibition games. The Whites won 129 of those postseason games. The Blacks won 309 (70.5%).” – Baseball, 5th Inning, Shadow Ball, Ken Burns, 1994

Appendix II of “The Negro Leagues were Major Leagues,” edited by Todd Peterson, pp. 214-226, lists 503 games, dates, and opponents, depicting games between Negro League teams and Major League teams. Negro League teams won 268 (54.6%), while losing 222, with 13 ties.

In addition to Burns and Peterson, I have seen compilations by historians William McNeil (69.8% in the California Winter League) and John Holway (57.1%), and researchers Scott Simkus (52.7%) and bench5 (54.5%). Every one of them finds the “so-called” Negro League teams holding their own (winning as often as losing) against “so-called” Major League teams. Comparable results are reported from both my interpretation of Seamheads Negro League Database (where 67 Negro League pitchers won 54.1% of their decisions against teams made up of Major League players) and Retrosheet’s Database (58.0%), with both showing an edge to the Negro League teams.

I have never seen a compilation showing the Negro League teams losing more than they win. While each of these compilations have their own circumstances (such as, the California Winter League usually featuring one Black team and three or four White teams meaning the White talent was diluted; and Ken Burns compilation is admittedly culled from oral history with few if any box scores.), my claim is unquestionably supported by these compilations and that is the record shows “so called” Negro League teams held their own against “so called” Major League teams.

Further factual evidence supporting my claim is provided with the following data:

Major League and Negro League Regular Season Slash Lines 1920-1948

AVG OBP SLG OPS

Major League .275 .340 .388 .728

Negro League .270 .331 .372 .703

The 29-season slash lines on both sides of the color line are virtually identical.

Source: “The Negro Leagues were Major Leagues,” p. 19, edited by Todd Peterson, McFarland & Company, 2020. Major League data is from baseball-reference.com. Negro League data is from Seamheads.com, NL/RAG, and the Center for Negro League Baseball Research.

In concert with the compilations of games between Negro League and Major League and the regular season data over 29 years being identical, the argument – accepted by Major League Baseball on December 16, 2020 – that the Negro Leagues were (indeed) Major Leagues has now been accepted by those who matter and by a growing number of informed baseball writers, researchers, and fans.

This editorial celebrates that December 2020 decision and advocates for a positive, logical, and similar decision by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, a 501 (c) (3) educational institution with the responsibility of educating the populace on the history of the National Pastime. In the next issue of Shadow Ball, I hope to be more specific in my “advice” for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Here are some points for your pondering over the next couple of weeks:

The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum has done spectacular work in telling the history (and quality) of the Negro Leagues in a compelling fashion (as noticed, in my view, by most everyone but themselves).

— In 2021, they reinstalled a procedure, flawed but at least it is an improvement, once again providing the possibility by which Negro League players, executives, managers, and umpires could be elected and, in 2022, for the first time since 2006, successfully inducted two “executives,” Buck O’Neill and Bud Fowler

— In 2022, the Museum launched a Black Baseball Initiative, which involved partnering with Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Players Association, Negro League Baseball Museum, Jackie Robinson Foundation, and others. This new initiative bore fruit in 2024 with

— in 2024, the Hall erected a new Hank Aaron statue entitled “Keep Swinging”, the new exhibit “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball”, the integration of Black baseball accomplishments into existing exhibits throughout the museum was instituted, established an interactive youth activity “We Play” involving K-4 students in baseball history, celebrated the Negro Leagues East-West Classic, in collaboration with Dr. Gerald Early the Hall jointly published a book on, and inviting the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee to convene its annual research conference in the Hall.

— This litany tells us that the Hall’s heart is in the right place.

In the right place in every corner of the museum except for its “namesake” Hall of Fame plaque gallery which honored 29 Negro League players twenty years ago and now includes only 28 – Frank Grant’s role having been inexplicably reassigned from player to executive … with no new Negro League players even eligible until the December 2027 election … only 17% of all Hall of Fame players debuting under segregation in that gallery are Negro Leaguers … this contrasts starkly with the parallel fact that just over 45% are players of color (i.e. Negro Leaguers) among players debuting since April 15, 1947. It is time for the Hall of Fame to match achievements with the rest of the museum.
My recommendation to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is to induct additional Negro League players to the Hall of Fame. I recommend that we once again be focused on the 20 remaining Negro League players, executives, and managers on the 2006 ballot, plus Vic Harris. There is no need to wait until December 2027 … an election should be held in December 2026 with a qualified expert panel – as was done in 2006, a segregated Negro Leaguers only ballot (as in 1971-1977, 1995-2001 and in 2006), with a 75% affirmative vote requirement, but like in 2006 with an up/down vote on all 21 personages and no limit on the number of affirmative votes case by each voter.

If enacted, I can guarantee a great step will have been taken by the Hall and its mission will have been furthered immensely in keeping with the Black Baseball initiative begun in 2022.

Dear Readers, if you agree with my recommendation, please let the Hall of Fame know. It has been long demonstrated that they will not advance without a gentle nudge every now and then. Let them know 28 Negro League players is not enough. They can be reached at:

National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum * 25 Main Street * Cooperstown, New York 13326

Truth Seekers Journal thrives because of readers like you. Join us in sustaining independent voices.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

May 12, 2026

Maria Rayburn of Salisbury, NC, posed the following question for me this week: who were the best catchers of the Negro Leagues?

Well, Maria – three are in the Hall of Fame – Josh Gibson, inducted 1972; Biz Mackey, 2006 and Lou Santop, 2006. They are the three best in that order. Roy Campanella, himself with nine years in the Negro Leagues before beginning a Hall of Fame career in the National League also needs to be named as he is arguably the second-best Negro League catcher. The interesting aspect of this answer is the next group. For me (as found in the 42 for ’21 poll) I think Quincey Trouppe, Double Duty Radcliffe, Bruce Petway, Larry Brown and Frank Duncen, Jr., deserve further consideration from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. With Campanella already in for National League play I would like to see at least three of that quintet in and all five given strong consideration.

Last week’s Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Seven players have appeared in both a Negro League East-West Classic and a National League/American League All Star game, six of them have been inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Name the 7th who is not inducted? … Kevin D. Johnson, of Broken Arrow, OK, was the first to correctly name Jim Gilliam, who appeared in the 1948 East-West Classic representing the Baltimore Elite Giants and the AL/NL All Star game in both 1956, as a Brooklyn Dodger, and 1959, as a Los Angeles Dodger. The other six appearing in both All-Star games include: Ernie Banks, Roy Campanella, Larry Doby, Minnie Minoso, Jackie Robinson, and Satchel Paige.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What Negro League pitcher, who participated in the Negro National League playoff in 1935, had a son who won two World Series games several decades later. Name this father/son pair. Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Support open, independent journalism—your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

April 28, 2026

Freddie Oliver of McKeesport, PA, posed the following question for me this week: who were the best umpires in the Negro Leagues?

Not sure I am qualified to rank ‘em but after Rube Foster’s decision to hire Black umpires in 1923 they enjoyed just over three decades of excellent arbitrating with just as many complaints as umpires come to expect. I will briefly mention three of the Men in Blue that serve to bookend both the history of the Negro Leagues and the legacy of African American umpires in Black Baseball.

W.W. “Billy” Donaldson

Billy Donaldson was the quiet architect of Negro League umpiring professionalism. When Rube Foster decided in 1923 that Black umpires should call Black baseball, Donaldson was one of the first men he trusted. He worked with a calm, deliberate style — never rushed, never rattled — and players respected him because he respected the game. Donaldson helped establish the standards that would guide the leagues for decades: crisp signals, firm control, and a sense that the umpire was part of the game’s dignity. His name does not ring out like the stars he officiated, but the league’s stability in its early years owes much to him. Donaldson officiated in two East-West Classics in 1936 and 1937.

Bert Gholston

Bert Gholston was the steady hand beside Donaldson, a man whose reputation rested on consistency. He was not flashy, and he did not need to be. Gholston worked some of the most heated games of the 1920s and ’30s, and he did it with a temperament that players trusted. He was the umpire who kept arguments from becoming brawls, who could defuse a dugout with a look, who understood that the best umpires are remembered not for their calls but for their control. Gholston helped give the Negro National League its backbone during years when the league’s survival depended on professionalism. Gholston worked well into the 40s. In 1923 he debuted with Donaldson as part of the Negro National League’s first all‑Black umpiring crew.

Bob Motley

Bob Motley brought a sense of theater to the Negro Leagues, but it was never empty showmanship — it was authority earned the hard way. A Marine who survived the Battle of Okinawa returned home with a presence that players felt the moment he stepped on the field. Motley called games in the Negro American League’s final years, working All‑Star contests and barnstorming tours with the same crisp mechanics and booming voice. He understood that the umpire’s job was to keep the game honest, and he did it with flair, humor, and absolute command. When the leagues faded, he became their great storyteller, carrying the memory of Monarchs, Grays, and Crawfords into the 21st century. Motley worked at least three East-West Classics. Often called the “last surviving Negro League umpire.” Mr. Motley passed away in 2017.

All three of these umpires – the Alpha’s Donaldson & Gholston and the Omega Motley – do indeed bookend Negro League history. All three received votes in an ongoing poll – the 42 for ’21 poll – of Negro League fans, researchers, writers, artists, collectors, historians, and students. Donaldson and Gholston finished tied for 115^th among 154 players and personages considered in the poll. Bob Motley, more current, finished tied for 42^nd.

Other noteworthy umpires include former players such as Oscar Charleston, Bullet Rogan, Mule Stuttle, Phil Cockrell, and Hurley McNair. Veteran arbiters like Fred McGreary and Virgil Bluett, each of whom worked a dozen East-West Classics or fabled legends like Jacob Francis, who performed in the 1885 New York State League, and is considered the earliest Black umpire in an otherwise White professional league. The National Baseball Hall of Fame is very much behind in terms of inducting Negro League players and managers; I wonder if they could find room for one of these competent umpires?

Last week’s Shadowball Significa Question of the Week went unanswered: What feared slugger was the first to hit a home run in a Negro League East-West Classic? The Classic was the official name of the Negro League All Star game. None of my readers produced George “Mule” Suttles who took Sam Streeter to the upper deck in the 4^th inning of the initial Negro League All Star game in 1934.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Seven players have appeared in both a Negro League East-West Classic and a National League/American League All Star game, six of them have been inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Name the 7^th who is not inducted? Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Support open, independent journalism—your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

April 14, 2026

– players, teams, events, and more – and, in so doing, you will direct where this column goes moving forward. Your participation is important and appreciated. The very existence of this column depends on you. Submit your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

Last week’s The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Who was the first African American pitcher to toss a no-hitter in Major League baseball? Sounds like a straightforward question but due to the peculiar history of Negro League baseball it is not so straight. Turns out there are three answers that I find acceptable: very acceptable. Let’s take a look at them in order.

On May 12, 1955, New York Giant right hander Sam Jones became the first African American to toss a Major League no hitter when he held the Pittsburgh Pirates hitless in a 4-0 victory. Shadowball favorite Will Clark nailed this one just half a day after it was posted.

Sam Jones had a solid big-league career. In addition to the no hitter, Jones had several other distinctions. Him & Quincey Trouppe formed the first African American battery in the American League. Jones was the runner-up to Early Wynn for the 1959 Cy Young award and tops in the NL. Sam Jones career strikeouts per 9 innings (7.5) was higher than all Major League pitchers with as many or more innings pitched than he had when he pitched his last game on October 3, 1964 (i.e. more than the Big Train, Rapid Robert Feller, Rube Waddell, Dazzy Vance and everyone else in MLB history).

Shadowball reader Matt Garvey offered some info that led me to an answer I had not considered but should have. He mentioned that Bill Gatewood had several no hitters. That got me to take a look at Gatewood. Negro League historian Phil S. Dixon offers that Gatewood may have authored as many as twenty no hitters at various levels of competition throughout his career. Phil has found documentation on six of them. One of them occurred on June 6, 1921, and, since December 16, 2020,when MLB designated 7 specific Negro Leagues (including the Negro National League in 1921) as Major. So, the first Major League no hitter by an African American was thrown by big Bill Gatewood in 1921, the second season of “Major” Negro League baseball.

I have one more possibly correct answer in mind – Charles Leander “Bumpus” Jones who, in his major league debut, took the ball for the Cincinnati Reds against the Pittsburgh Pirates 0n October 15, 1892. Ol’ Bumpus went on to be the only pitcher to toss a big league no hitter in first game in the majors. It also was the last game pitched from a pitcher’s box, instead of a mound, 50 feet way from home. It also, if local newspaper sources (as well as early family census records) are accurate he was the first Major League pitcher of African descent. He was referred to as mulatto in the census and colored in local newspaper articles.

If you are keeping score here is a list of select Major League baseball no hitters pitched by African Americans:

#1 10/15/1892 Bumpus Jones National League

#2 O6/06/1921 Bill Gatewood Negro National League

#3-21 numerous pitchers, including Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Leon Day, and a combined no no by Jose Mendez and Bullet Joe Rogan.

#22 05/12/1955 Sam Jones National League

Ol’ Sam Jones went to his grave thinking he was the first.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What feared slugger was the first to hit a home run in a Negro League East-West Classic? The Classic was the official name of the Negro League All Star game. Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Support open, independent journalism—your contribution helps us tell the stories that matter most.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

A few weeks ago, I asked readers: What manager has been named to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Negro League performance? Nobody offered a guess, so I gave everybody credit because just like umpires, second baseman, right fielders, and true left fielders — there are no managers in the Hall for Negro League play. To be clear, 24 of the 37 Negro League Hall of Famers did manage but none of them are in for that role.

This begs the question – which Negro League managers do deserve – like John McGraw, Connie Mack, or Ned Hanlon – induction in Cooperstown.

My favorite Negro League Hall of Fame Managerial Candidates:

#5 Frank Duncan, jr – true baseball lifer … guided the Kansas City Monarchs to a World Series win as a rookie manager in 1942 … 86 games over .500 … captured another pennant after the war in ’46. Managed five Hall of Famers. Ranked 59^th most eligible candidate in the 42 for ’21 poll.

#4 Frank Warfield – a favorite of mine but not a first ballot candidate … among his strengths: his career record is 84 games over .500, with three pennants (with two different franchises) and a 1925 World Series title with the Hilldale Club. Manage 8 Hall of Famers. Ranked 56^th in the 42 for ’21.

SLAM DUNKS:

#3 Dave Malarcher – perhaps a stronger candidate as a third baseman … succeeded Rube Foster as American Giant manager during the ’26 season; stabilized the team capturing 2^nd half flag, defeating the Monarchs in the playoff before winning the World Series over Atlantic City. Repeated in ’27 over those same Atlantic City Bacharach Giants. Won a 3^rd pennant in ’32. Managed 4 Hall of Famers. 22^nd in the 42 for ’21 poll.

#2 Candy Jim Taylor – 13^th in the 42 for ’21 poll (although 3^rd in his family behind Hall of Famer Ben Taylor and 11^th place C.I. Taylor) … managed more games in Negro League play than all other managers … like Connie Mack, Candy Jim had a losing record but did capture two World Series and three pennants … managed 14 Hall of Famers

#1 Vic Harris has the best winning percentage of any Major League manager with more than 370 games in the dugout … Only three managers (McGraw, Mack, McCarthy) during the Segregated Era have won more than his seven pennants. He is ranked 6^th in the 42 for ’21 poll and has managed 15 Hall of Fame players.

All three of those Harris, Taylor and Malarcher should have been in the National Baseball Hall of Fame years ago.

Others deserving consideration: Quincey Trouppe, Felton Snow, Grant Johnson, C.I. Taylor, John Reese, Jose Maria Fernandez, Dizzy Dimukes, Piper Davis, and Winfield Welch. Many of these also should be considered as executives (Taylor) and/or players (Johnson, Trouppe, Davis). I guess my main point would be the Hall of Fame has some work to do in honoring Negro League players in general and Managers specifically.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Who was the first African American pitcher to toss a no hitter in Major League baseball? I will accept two answers for this question for reasons that will be obvious next column – dateline April 14^th, 2^nd Tuesday of the month. Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Last week’s The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Who was Major League slugger Barry Bonds Godfather? No one offered a guess, but it was another five tool outfielder Willie Mays. I hope some more folks offer a guess to this week’s Significa question above.

SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

This column exists for only one purpose and that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you don’t already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next.

Last week’s Shadow Ball Significa question: Last week’s Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What manager has been named to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Negro League performance?

Since no one submitted the correct answer, everyone gets credit for being correct since there, in the 55 years since the Baseball Hall of Fame began inducting Negro Leaguers no Negro Leaguer has been inducted as a manager. Hence, this week’s topic. Last week I opined that there should be between 58 (i.e., 30 additional) and 80 (or 52 more than at present) Negro League players in the Hall. This week, as a follow up I thought I should suggest who a few of those players – and others – should be. Below I list two candidates (and their overall rank in the 42 for ’21 poll) for each category:

First Team Second Team

Executive Gus Greenlee (5) C.I. Taylor (11)

Pioneer John Donaldson (3) Fleet Walker (20)

Manager Vic Harris (6) Candy Jim Taylor (13)

Umpire Bob Motley (42) Bert Gholsten (115)

LH Pitcher George Stovey (20) Nip Winters (30)

RH Pitcher Dick Redding (2) Chet Brewer (11)

Catcher Quincy Trouppe (16) Double Duty Radcliffe (23)

1^st Baseman Bill Pettus (44) Edgar Wesley (59)

2^nd Baseman Newt Allen (9) George Scales (14)

3^rd Baseman John Beckwith (4) Oliver Marcelle (18)

Shortstop Dick Lundy (7) Home Run Johnson (8)

Outfielder Rap Dixon (1) Wild Bill Wright (23)

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What Negro League player was Barry Bonds Godfather? Send your answer and any comments on Negro League topics to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Ted Knorr is a Negro League baseball historian, longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and several local Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania. You can send questions for Knorr on Negro League topics as well as your answers to the week’s Significa question to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

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