Joseph Williams,nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" and "Smokey Joe",was an American right-handed pitcher in Negro league baseball. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all-time and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.
James Allen "Candy Jim" Taylor was an American third baseman and manager in Negro league baseball. In a career that spanned forty years,he played as an infielder in the early years of the 20th century for over a dozen black baseball teams;by the mid-1920s,he would play less regularly,with his final game came at 58. In 1920,the same year of the start of the golden era of Negro league baseball,he would take on the responsibilities of manager,where he would manage 1,967 games for twelve teams. Described as one of the great strategists of his era,Taylor is the all-time winningest manager in the Negro league era,having 955 wins along with two Negro World Series titles and one additional pennant in 27 seasons as manager. He has the most seasons managed by an African American manager along with having the seventh most for a manager in the history of baseball.
The St. Paul Colored Gophers was a small club of black baseball players formed in St. Paul,Minnesota,in 1907. They were not a formal Negro league team,as the commonly referred-to "Negro leagues" were not created until 1920. However,like other barnstorming teams of the time,they put considerable pressure on the desegregation of baseball. Historians rarely mention the Colored Gophers in Negro baseball history,and statistics are hard to find.
Richard Redding,nicknamed "Cannonball",was an American pitcher,outfielder,and manager in baseball's Negro leagues,regarded as perhaps the fastest pitcher in the history of black baseball. In his career,he played for the Philadelphia Giants,New York Lincoln Giants,Lincoln Stars,Indianapolis ABC's,Chicago American Giants,Brooklyn Royal Giants,and Bacharach Giants.
Cristóbal Torriente was a Cuban professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Negro league baseball with multiple teams. He played from 1912 to 1932 and was primarily a pull hitter,though he could hit with power to all fields. He had a stocky and slightly bowlegged build,but was known for deceptive power and a strong,accurate arm from center field. Indianapolis ABC's manager C. I. Taylor stated,"If I see Torriente walking up the other side of the street,I would say,'There walks a ballclub.'" Torriente was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Benjamin Harrison Taylor was an American first baseman and manager in baseball's Negro leagues. Taylor played for the Birmingham Giants,Chicago American Giants,Indianapolis ABC's,St. Louis Giants,Bacharach Giants,Washington Potomacs,Harrisburg Giants,and Baltimore Black Sox. His playing career lasted from 1908 to 1929. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
The Indianapolis ABCs were a Negro league baseball team that played both as an independent club and as a charter member of the first Negro National League (NNL). They claimed the western championship of black baseball in 1915 and 1916,and finished second in the 1922 NNL. Among their best players were Baseball Hall of Fame members Oscar Charleston,Biz Mackey,and Ben Taylor.
William Miller "Big Bill" Gatewood was an American Negro league baseball pitcher and manager for several years before the founding of the first Negro National League,and in its first few seasons. He pitched for the Leland Giants,Chicago Giants,St. Paul Colored Gophers,Chicago American Giants,New York Lincoln Giants,Cuban X-Giants,Philadelphia Giants,Brooklyn Royal Giants,St. Louis Giants,Indianapolis ABCs,Detroit Stars,St. Louis Stars,Toledo Tigers,Milwaukee Bears,Memphis Red Sox,Atlantic City Bacharach Giants,and Birmingham Black Barons.
Phillip "Fish" Cockrell,born Philip Cockrell Williams,was a baseball player in the Negro leagues.
Elvis William Holland was a baseball player in the Negro leagues. He was a pitcher and played from 1919 to 1941. In newspaper reports,he is often referred to as "Bill" Holland,and had the nicknames of "Speed" and "Devil."
James Henry Lyons was a baseball player in the Negro leagues. He pitched and played outfield between 1910 and 1925. He played for the Brooklyn Royal Giants,Chicago Giants,Lincoln Giants,St. Louis Giants,and Detroit Stars. He is the brother of Bennie Lyons,another baseball player who played for the West Baden Sprudels and Indianapolis ABCs.
Frank Wickware,nicknamed "Rawhide" and "The Red Ant",was a baseball pitcher in the Negro leagues from 1909 to 1925.
John Boyce Taylor was the second-oldest of four baseball-playing brothers,the others being Charles,Benjamin,and James. Taylor was an American pitcher and played in professional pre-league and Negro league baseball from 1903 to 1925.
George "Chappie" Johnson Jr. was an American baseball catcher and field manager in the Negro leagues. He played for many successful teams from 1895 to 1920 and he crossed racial boundaries as a teacher and coach.
William "Dizzy" Dismukes was an American pitcher and manager in Negro league baseball and during the pre-Negro league years. He was born in Birmingham,Alabama,where his father Isaac Lee Dismukes was a deacon in a Baptist church,and his mother Sallie taught Sunday School. He knew from the time he was a youth that baseball was his first love,and he dropped out of school to follow his dream of becoming a baseball player.
William Thomas Pettus was an American baseball first baseman in the Cuban League and Negro leagues. He played from 1902 to 1923 with several teams.
Harry Edward"Green River" Buckner,also nicknamed "Buck" and "Goat Head",was an American Negro league pitcher and outfielder in the between 1896 and 1918.
Clarence Lester "Dude" Lytle was an American baseball pitcher in the pre-Negro leagues. He played from 1901 to 1911 with various teams. He played mostly with the Chicago Union Giants.
George Isaac "Mule" Armstrong was a Negro leagues catcher for several years before the founding of the first Negro National League.
Calvin "Buck" Alexander was a Negro leagues pitcher before the founding of the first Negro National League,and in its first few seasons. He pitched for the San Antonio Black Bronchos,Detroit Stars,Indianapolis ABCs and Cleveland Elites. He died on April 27,1931,in Austin,Texas.
