Dear Shadow Ball: I am 63 years old and Black. I have only heard snippets about the Negro Leagues during my lifetime. I now have an interest in educating myself about the leagues. How do you suggest that I start — I imagine reading your column is one place and I will read your column and engage, but I want to really dig in deep. 

Secondly, are any of the players still alive? Ready to Dig in Deep – Ansonville, NC

Dear Ready to Dig in Deep: Thanks very much for that question and your imagination is in keeping with my expectations and intent for this column. I hope that questions like yours and future inquiries submitted  by others allow me to “really dig in deep” and permit me to educate readers about the rich history of the Negro Leagues. I expect from time to time I may recommend books, articles or websites that further serve to provide that education about the other half of Major League baseball.

With regard to your second question, some background is necessary. On December 16, 2020, Major League Baseball declared seven specific Negro Leagues and time spans as Major Leagues. I will limit my answer to  those leagues. They are as follows:

Negro National League I    1920-1931

Eastern Colored League    1923-1928

American Negro League    1929

East-West League               1932

Negro Southern League    1932

Negro National League II   1933-1948

Negro American League    1937-1948

Sadly, at the time of that 2020 announcement, only three players survived. Since then, Willie Mays has passed on leaving only Reverend William Greason, 101, who pitched for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948 and Ronald Teasley, 98, who played outfield for the 1948 New York Cubans still alive. So only two – Greason & Teasley remain from those Negro Leagues designated as a Major League. Just to be clear, the Negro American League continued on, no longer recognized as major, until 1961. A couple dozen or more of those players are still with us and continue to share rich stories with us.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week

“Who was the first 20^th century player to break the color barrier and get into the major leagues, two bonus questions, what year, what team? A third bonus question, how long did he play in the majors?

Ted Knorr is a Negro Leagues history expert and longtime SABR member, known for his trivia wins and founding the Jerry Malloy Conference and Commemorative Nights. You can send questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

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