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.