Baseball History: The top ten Negro Leagues players of all time
The Negro Leagues played an important part in baseball history before integration. Who were the best players to set foot on the diamond during that era?
The pre integration era is a dark spot in baseball history. After the efforts of Cap Anson following the 1884 season, making certain that Fleet Walker and Welday Walker were no longer allowed to play in the majors, an unofficial color line came into being. It took another 63 years before Jackie Robinson broke through, ending segregation in baseball once and for all.
However, during that time, black players were able to find their way to the diamond, playing in their own games. The Negro Leagues came into being, with some of the best players that the game had ever seen taking the field in these contests. Players were noted for their skill and ability on the diamond, with major leaguers lamenting that these players were unable to be a part of their league.
Although record keeping was shoddy during that time, the legacy of those players endured. From their exhibition contests to the word of mouth from those who saw the games, those players are still the stuff of legend. Some of the greatest players ever to set foot on the diamond took part in these games, their accomplishments equal to, or greater than, their major league counterparts.
Those exploits have been recognized in baseball history as well. There are currently 35 former Negro Leaguers in the MLB Hall of Fame, a number that may still increase over time. The majority of these players were never able to play in the majors due to that unofficial ban, but their greatness was still evident.
Let us take a stroll back through baseball history and look at the ten greatest players from the Negro Leagues.
10. Rube Foster
Not only was Rube Foster an incredible player, but he was considered the father of the modern Negro Leagues.
During his playing days, he had established himself as the star pitcher for the Cuban X-Giants, the dominant team in black baseball at the time. He won four of the team’s five games in taking the 1903 eastern black championship, and later defeated Rube Waddell in an exhibition, earning his nickname in the process.
He was a brilliant pitcher, winning 44 games in a row while racking up incredible strikeout numbers. Foster was also a brilliant baseball mind, serving as a player/manager, guiding the Chicago Leland Giants to a 110-10 record in 1907. He is credited with developing the daringly aggressive, yet disciplined, style that the Negro Leagues would become known for.
Foster was not done making important contributions to the game with his managerial style. In 1920, he founded the Negro National League, considered to be the first viable black major league. While the league proved to be a success, the good times did not last for long. Foster began growing increasingly paranoid, carrying a revolver with him at all times. Eventually, he was committed to an asylum in 1926, where he passed away in 1930. Decades later, in 1981, Foster was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.
A giant in the Negro Leagues, Rube Foster helps turn black major league baseball into a viable entity. Those players who came later owed him quite a large debt of thanks.
Tales of Cool Papa Bell’s speed are so incredible, it is hard to separate fact from legend.
Interestingly, the legendary Negro Leagues speedster began his career as a knuckleball pitcher, earning the nickname ‘Cool’ when he struck out the great Oscar Charleston. He added Papa to the sobriquet because he thought it sounded better. Bell would occasionally play in the outfield when he was not on the mound, but only really began his transition to a position player in the middle of the 1920s.
Bell quickly became known for his daring on the basepaths and his speed. It was said that he could turn off the lights, and be in bed before the room was dark. As he was known to go from first to third on a bunt, and stole two bases on a single pitch at least three times, it is easy to see where these tales came from. After all, the great baseball wit Satchel Paige once said that Bell whistled a line drive past his ear, and was hit by his own shot as he slid into second.
A line drive hitter who was capable of sending the ball to all fields, Bell was a threat for an inside the park homer any time up. He was not a power hitter in the traditional sense, but his ability to take the extra base or two earned him some solid power numbers throughout his career. His greatness was recognized in 1974, when Bell was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Cool Papa Bell may have been the greatest speedster in baseball history, let alone the Negro Leagues. Unfortunately, due to segregation in the game, we never had the chance to know.
There were few players that really compared to Ray Dandridge as a player.
A brilliant defensive player, Dandridge was the type of player that teams would have loved to have at short. However, the presence of the great Willie Wells meant that, in order for Dandridge to be in the lineup, he had to move to third. He handled the position with aplomb, becoming the greatest defensive third baseman in the history of the Negro Leagues.
However, Dandridge was far more than a defensive stalwart. He was a great hitter as well, combining excellent bat control and speed. At a time when third base was considered a defensive position, Dandridge proved that excellent offensive players could man the hot corner without issue.
Unlike many of the players on this list, Dandridge did have a look once integration came about. Although he was 35 years old, he signed with the New York Giants, but did not find his way to the majors. Considering that he produced a .312/.351/.412 batting line in his four years in the International League, one could say that he was a strong enough player to have deserved a look.
Ray Dandridge was true star, his combination of offensive and defensive skills at third may be unmatched to this day. Although he did get signed by a major league team, it happened too late for him to see how he would have fared in the majors.
The major leagues had Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson. The Negro Leagues had a pitcher who may have been even better in Smokey Joe Williams.
From the moment he entered professional baseball, he was a star. Pitching for the San Antonio Black Bronchos, Williams posted a 115-31 record in his first five seasons, before heading over to the Lincoln Giants. There, on one of the top Negro League teams of the day, Williams continued his dominant ways, emerging as one of the best pitchers in baseball, regardless of league.
Williams was at his best against major league competition as well. He shut out the New York Giants in 1912, earning a 6-0 victory. Williams outdueled Pete Alexander in 1915, winning 1-0 as he fired a three hitter. Then, in what may have been his greatest outing, he was reported to have struck out 20 Giants and threw a no hitter, but lost 1-0 due to an error.
Unfortunately, records from the Negro Leagues are questionable at best. He is considered to have won either 107 or 125 games in the top divisions, with another nine wins against major league teams. However, that does not count his time in foreign leagues or other independent ball. Nor does it include the countless exhibitions those teams played.
Another member of the Hall of Fame, Smokey Joe Williams was one of the top pitchers the game had seen. Unfortunately, he did not get as much of a chance to face the best players as he deserved.
6. Buck Leonard
Fans of the Negro Leagues liked to compare Buck Leonard to Lou Gehrig. As left handed power hitters, that comparison was easy to see.
With a swing that would later be considered to be the left handed equivalent of Hank Aaron, Leonard was a tremendous power hitter. Although he did not begin playing professional baseball until he was 26 years old, he made up for lost time quickly. He typically finished in the top two in homers, either leading the league or trailing teammate Josh Gibson, who he hit behind in the lineup.
Leonard also had a great hitting stroke, batting .395 in 1948 to lead the Negro Leagues. A slick defensive player with a great deal of speed, the closest major league comparison to Leonard may actually be Jeff Bagwell. He had that same all around game, and a quick, compact swing that led to far more power than his smaller frame would have been expected to carry.
He also changed the way first was played in the Negro Leagues. At the time, first base was a bit of a clown position, with the person at first performing different antics to engage the crowd. Leonard, in contract, was all business on the diamond, treating the game as a serious matter.
The fourth black player inducted into the Hall of Fame, Leonard was considered the black Lou Gehrig. Had baseball not been segregated, it is possible Gehrig would have been known as the white Buck Leonard.
5. Turkey Stearns
Turkey Stearns was known for his eccentricities, such as his tendency to talk to his bats. Considering he was one of the best hitters in the history of the Negro Leagues, whatever worked, right?
Stearns had quite a relationship with the tools of his trade. He would have bats of different sizes that he would use depending on the situation. He would praise bats that performed well, while yelling at those that failed him. There are stories of Stearns threatening to take an axe to one bat that particularly displeased him with its performance.
No one could question the results. Stearns was known for his all around ability on offense, a great contact hitter with power, and excellent speed on the basepaths. It is thought that he may have had the most homers in the history of the Negro Leagues, a testament to his consistency and longevity in the game.
He was also a great defensive player. Considered the fastest player in Negro Leagues history, excluding Cool Papa Bell, he was capable of running down virtually anything hit to center. Stearns was a true five tool player, someone who was one of the greatest power hitters of his time, and a brilliant defensive outfielder as well.
It took far too long for Turkey Stearns to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, as he was enshrined in 2000. Sadly, his bats were unavailable to give the speech.
4. Oscar Charleston
Ty Cobb became infamous for his incredible drive and refusal to back down. Oscar Charleston was almost the same player in the Negro Leagues.
Charleston was one of the more renowned players of his time, a player whose incredible contact skills and impressive power made him one of the best to ever play the game. He hit at a .348 clip over his career, and was routinely amongst the league leaders in homers, steals, and batting average.
His aggressiveness and combative nature became the stuff of legends. Charleston got into several fights both on and off the field, once punching out a white umpire when coming to the defense of a teammate, and almost inciting a race riot. He was said to have ripped the hood off of a Klansman that had accosted him, and got into a fight with a group of Cuban soldiers during his time playing in the Winter Leagues.
Charleston was known for playing an extremely shallow center field, using his incredible speed and ability to get a jump on the ball to go back and snag even the deepest drives. He was often compared to Tris Speaker for that positioning on defense, as well as his impressive batting skills.It is easy to understand why he is not only considered one of the greatest Negro Leagues players, but rated fourth overall in baseball history by Bill James.
Oscar Charleston was a true star, a player whose refusal to back down won him legions of fans. His exploits on the diamond live on to this day.
3. Josh Gibson
In terms of pure power, there have been few players in baseball history that compared to Josh Gibson.
He may well be the American home run champion, as his Hall of Fame plaque reads that he hit nearly 800 homers over his career. The Black Babe Ruth, Gibson’s power was the stuff of legends. He was the only player to ever hit a ball completely out of the old Yankee Stadium, doing so in 1934. Gibson had 12 home run titles during his career, and also led his various leagues in doubles, triples, batting average, RBI, and slugging.
He was also an impressive defensive catcher, known for his tremendous throwing arm. Fellow Negro Leagues legend Monte Irvin called Gibson the best player he ever saw. Star pitchers Walter Johnson and Carl Hubbell both though he could start for any team in the majors during his prime, as Gibson was a fearsome slugger who could do everything behind the plate.
Sadly, Gibson had a lot of problems in his personal life. His wife died young, passing away when giving birth to their twins. Gibson himself was in a coma due to a brain tumor he had. He also battled drug and alcohol problems, made worse by his depression. Gibson passed away at just 35 years old, passing away from a stroke three months before Jackie Robinson would break the color barrier.
Arguably the greatest power hitter in baseball history, Josh Gibson was a force of nature the likes of which the Negro Leagues had not seen. In fact, we may not have seen another player like him in the history of the game.
2. Satchel Paige
It is difficult to separate myth and reality when it comes to Satchel Paige. An incredible self promoter, he spun tales and legends to generate an aura of mystery and wonder about him. His performance backed up all of his boasts.
Joe DiMaggio called Paige the best pitcher he ever faced, and it is understandable to see why. A hard thrower in his prime, he threw virtually every pitch from every possible arm angle. He was considered to have one of the best fastballs in baseball history, equaled only by Smokey Joe Williams in the Negro Leagues.
Yet, for his incredible velocity, Paige’s greatest asset may have been his command. He could throw any pitch he had at any moment, from any angle, and spot it anywhere he wanted. Even as he aged, his impressive pitching knowledge and varied arsenal made him a formidable foe on the mound.
Paige even found his way to the majors, signing as a 41 year old with the Cleveland Indians. Considered a promotional stunt at the time, Paige proved to be a useful swingman, switching between the rotation and the bullpen. He would later become a two time All Star with the St. Louis Browns as a reliever, the oldest player to make his first All Star Game. His final major league appearance came at 58 years old, when he started against the Boston Red Sox in 1965. In that outing for the Kansas City Athletics, he allowed just one hit in three innings, striking out a batter.
Reality and legend collided when it came to Satchel Paige. Considering how he is thought to have won nearly 600 games in his career, his reality was legendary in its own right.
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1. Martin Dihigo
Babe Ruth is considered the gold standard for two way players. He was not close to the player that Martin Dihigo was from a pure baseball standpoint.
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Dihigo was one of the greatest players in the negro Leagues with the bat. He was known to have won two batting titles, and led the league in homers twice. He led his various leagues in doubles and slugging as well, while playing every position on the field, excluding catcher.
As brilliant as he was at the plate and in the field, Dihigo stood out on the mound. He was one of the more dominant pitchers of his time, credited with over 250 victories in his storied career. His dominance was such that he posted a 0.19 ERA in the Mexican League one season, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and winning percentage. Bob Gibson‘s 1968 campaign had nothing on Dihigo.
Johnny Mize once said that Dihigo was the best player he ever saw. Given his prowess in every facet of the game, it would be hard to argue that assessment. He certainly made an impact in every league he played in, as Dihigo was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
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Martin Dihigo was one of the best pure baseball players of all time. He was truly the greatest all around player to come out of the Negro Leagues.