Columbus' Negro League History
May 22, 2008 - International League (IL1)
Columbus Clippers News Release
On May 23-25, the Columbus Clippers are celebrating the history of Negro League baseball in Columbus.
The first African-American to play professionally in Ohio's capital city was J. Higgins for the 1887 Columbus Buckeyes. Higgins played his first game on July 2, 1887. Primarily a catcher, he also filled in at third base and center field. Higgins' first name never appeared in the newspapers of the day but The Ohio State Journal reported on his "elegant work". Higgins was one of four African-Americans to play in The Ohio State League in 1887.
Columbus has had seven top notch Negro League teams.
1900 Columbus Black Tourists
The first Negro League team to call Columbus home were the 1900 Black Tourists, an independent team. Bud Fowler was the team's player-manager. Fowler was the leading African-American player of the 19th Century. No team records exist for the team of 1900.
1908 Columbus Black Tourist
The 1908 Black Tourists were a member of one of the first Negro Leagues, the Colored Ohio State League. The circuit included teams in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Springfield, Dayton and Xenia.
Prior to 1920, Negro Leagues were regional. That year, Rube Foster of Chicago created the Negro National League. In 1921, the Columbus Buckeyes joined the circuit. Despite finishing in seventh place, with a record of 25-37, the Buckeyes were full of legendary players.
First baseman Bob "Highpockets" Hedspeth and second sacker Clint "Hawk" Thomas were among the best of their generation. But the true star of the team was Hall of Fame shortstop John Henry "Pop" Lloyd.
Fellow Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner was once asked what he thought of Lloyd being referred to by the press as "The Black Wagner". The legendary Pittsburgh Pirate said that he was flattered by the comparison.
Two more Hall of Famers, Connie Mack and Babe Ruth, simply called Lloyd the greatest ball player they ever saw play the game.
The Buckeyes had one other Hall of Famer on the roster. During a road trip that season, Thomas injured his ankle and couldn't play. He was replaced by the team's 60-year-old traveling secretary, Sol White. Luckily for the club, in his youth, White had been one of Negro League's outstanding players. As the oldest man to play professionally in Columbus history, White filled in admirably. He would later write the first book on The Negro Leagues. White was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame last year.
The Columbus Keystones were a strong independent team in 1929-30 and in 1932; the Louisville Black Caps transferred to Central Ohio mid season and became the Columbus Turfs of the Negro Southern League.
The Negro National League folded due to The Great Depression in 1932 but returned the following year. Columbus was once again a member with the Blue Birds in 1933 and the Columbus Elite Giants in 1935.
1933 Columbus Blue Birds
The Blue Birds finished in sixth place in â33 and the team disbanded. But the club had some memorable ball players.
Player-manager "Dizzy" Dismukes (left, with Monarchs' Buck O'Neil) was a college educated, submarine pitcher. After a long managerial career, he became secretary and personnel director of the Kansas City Monarchs until 1952. During this time, he was instrumental in the careers of Jackie Robinson, Cool Papa Bell, Buck O'Neil, Satchel Paige, Ernie Banks and Elston Howard and many more legendary players. His career ended as a scout for the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox.
Ted Radcliffe (right) was nicknamed "Double Duty" by the famous sportswriter Damon Runyon when the scribe saw Ted pitch the first game of a doubleheader and catch the second game. Radcliffe was one of the most outgoing players in Negro League baseball. He lived to the age of 103.
Bill Byrd (left) was one of the last pitchers to throw a legal spitter. He learned the pitch from teammate Roosevelt Davis while hurling for the 1933 Columbus Blue Birds. Recruited to pitch for the Columbus Elite Giants for the 1935 season, he became the Giants' ace for the next 16 seasons. Late in his career, Byrd mentored his young catcher by the name of Roy Campanella.
The Elite Giants moved to Columbus from Nashville and finished with the third best record in the league behind the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the New York Cubans. The Elite Giants were also full of All-Stars. Four members of the team were finalists in the Hall of Fame balloting last season in Cooperstown.
1935 Columbus Elite Giants
Candy Jim Taylor with Cool Papa Bell and Sammy T. Hughes
The club was led by their colorful manager "Candy" Jim Taylor, the winningest manager in Negro League history.
Sammy T. Hughes was a lanky and graceful ball player who was considered the premier second baseman of the Negro National league.
Outfielder Red Parnell was an all-around player who could do everything well.
Center fielder Bill Wright was a five tool star who could circle the bases in an incredible 13.2 seconds. Wright won a number of Negro League batting titles. He led the league in home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases.
The Blue Birds and Elite Giants played their home games at Neil Park. But for big games, the larger Red Bird Stadium would be booked.
The Elite Giants moved to Washington after the 1935 season, but it was not the end of Negro League baseball in Columbus.
The Satchel Paige All-Stars played the Dizzy Dean All-Stars at Red Bird Stadium in 1934. One of the 1946 Negro League World Series games were played at Red Bird Stadium. That same year the Satchel Paige All-Stars played the Bob Feller All-Stars at the park.
Bob Feller and Satchel Paige
Barnstorming teams continued to visit Central Ohio.
Three of the longest home runs in Cooper Stadium history were hit by Negro League stars. Josh Gibson, "the Babe Ruth of the Negro Leagues", is the only man, that we can document, to hit a ball over the famous brick wall beyond the trees in left field.
Fellow Hall of Famer Monte Irvin of the Newark Eagles (right, with teammate Larry Doby) hit a ball over 500 feet, which hit the top of the brick wall, to defeat the Homestead Grays in the ninth inning of a game in 1941.
And former Cleveland Indians first baseman Luke Easter (left) hit a ball over the stately oak trees in center field and into the grave yard.
When Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 and the major league teams started signing the best Negro League players, attendance in the Negro Leagues started to suffer.
The Negro Leagues folded in 1960 but traveling teams continued to make stops in Columbus. The last Negro League team, the Indianapolis Clowns visited Jet Stadium in the mid-60's.
The Clippers are proud to pay tribute to these extraordinary ball players who paved the way for Jackie Robinson and all the players of today.
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