“The other day, Willie Mays hit his five-hundred-and-twenty-second home run. He has gone past me, and he’s pushing, and I say to him, “Go get ’em, Willie.” Baseball gives every American boy a chance to excel. Not just to be as good as someone else, but to be better. This is the nature of man and the name of the game. I hope that one day Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson will be voted into the Hall of Fame as symbols of the great Negro players who are not here only because they weren’t given the chance.”
Ted Williams’ Basesball Hall of Fame Induction speech
July 25, 1966
Ted Williams urged Negro Leaguers join him in the Hall of Fame.
It was 47 years ago today that Ted Williams surprised the audience at his Baseball Hall of Fame induction by urging the inclusion of Negro League players in the Hall of Fame. His sincere, vocal, publicly voiced vote of support is credited with providing an important first foot in the (HOF) door for Negro League stars. The impact of Williams’ groundbreaking comments is held in such esteem that the speech is among the exhibits at the Negro League Baseball Museum.
Five years later (1971,), the Hall of Fame created a special committee to consider players who had been at least 10-year veterans of the Negro Leagues and were ineligible for regular Hall election. The special committee was dissolved in 1977 and action on Negro Leaguers was transferred to the Hall of Fame’s’ Veterans Committee.
It is likely no coincidence that Satchel Paige, specifically mentioned in Williams’ induction speech and often referred to by Williams as “the greatest pitcher in baseball,” was inducted in the first year Negro Leaguers were considered – nor that, in 1972, Josh Gibson (also mentioned in Williams’ speech) joined Paige in the Hall (along with Buck Leonard).
Note: In addition to Williams’ support, the 1970 publication of Robert Peterson’s “Only the Ball was White” is credited with keeping the pressure on the Hall of Fame.
Satchel Paige was the first Negro Leaguer to make the trip to Cooperstown.
Victory for Negro Leaguers (and baseball in BBRT’s estimation) did not come easy. The initial plan was for a “separate-but-equal” display, along the lines of the Ford C. Frick Award for baseball broadcasters. This approach, however, came under considerable criticism, with Satchel Paige himself saying he would accept no less than induction into the mainstream Hall of Fame. As a result of the firestorm, Negro League players were admitted on the same basis as their Major League peers.
Here are a few additional Negro League/Baseball Hall of Fame/Ted Williams factoids:
– Ted Williams’ Boston Red Sox were the last team to integrate, with infielder Pumpsie Green joining the Sox on July 21, 1959.
– Former Negro Leaguers – who also played in MLB – elected on the traditional HOF ballots include: Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Roy Campanella, Larry Doby, Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson.
– Effa Manley, co-owner and business manager of the Newark Eagles in the Negro National League, was the first woman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
– Hank Aaron was the last Negro league player to play as a regular in Major League Baseball.
– Minnie Miñoso was the last Negro league player to play in a Major League game, appearing in two games for the 1980 Chicago White Sox.
– Buck O’Neil was the last former Negro league player to appear in a professional game at any level when he made two appearances (drawing two intentional walks one for each team) in the Northern League All-Star Game in 2006. O’Neil, 94-years-old at the time, started the game as a member of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and led off the top of the first for the league’s West All Stars. He drew an intentional walk, was removed for a pinch runner and was quickly “traded” to the Kansas City T-Bones, which enabled O’Neil to lead off the bottom of the first for the East (drawing a second intentional pass). O’Neil was the second oldest player to appear in a professional baseball game. On June 19, 1999, another former Negro League star – 96-year-old Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe – started on the mound for the Northern League’s Schaumburg Flyers (against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) and threw one pitch (a ball).
– In 1993,Ted Williams (with his son John Henry Williams) launched the Ted Williams (baseball) Card Company.’ Publicity surrounding the launch pointed out that Williams had a hand in selecting the players and compiling the back-of-the-card comments. The set consisted primarily of retired All Stars, great hitters and Negro League stars). At the time, Williams commented, “I am especially proud that through our Barrier Breakers subset we can pay tribute to the greats of the Negro Leagues.”
Here’s your list of Negro Leaguers selected to the Hall of Fame (not including former Negro Leaguers elected on the regular ballot).
Satchel Paige (1971)
Josh Gibson (1972)
Buck Leonard (1972)
Monte Irvin (1973)
Cool Papa Bell (1974)
Judy Johnson (1975)
Oscar Charleston (1976)
Martin Dihigo (1977)
Pop Lloyd (1977)
Rube Foster (1981)
Ray Dandridge (1987)
Leon Day (1995)
Bill Foster (1996)
Willie Wells (1997)
Bullet Rogan (1998)
Joe Williams (1999)
Turkey Stearnes (2000)
Hilton Smith, Hilton (2001)
Ray Brown (2006)
Willard Brown (2006)
Andy Cooper (2006)
Frank Grant (2006)
Pete Hill (2006)
Biz Mackey (2006)
Effa Manley (2006)
Jose Mendez (2006)
Alex Pompez (2006)
Cum Posey (2006)
Luis Santop (2006)
Mule Suttles (2006)
Ben Taylor (2006)
Cristobal Torriente (2006)
Sol White (2006)
J.L. Wilkinson (2006)
Jud Wilson (2006)
Note: The significant induction of the Negro Leaguers in 2006 followed up an extensive study and special election (by a 12-person Special Committee on Negro Leagues chaired by former Commissioner Faye Vincent).
