Author: Ken Clawson
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The Integration of Major League Baseball: The Off-the-Field Story
Part 2: Wendell Smith – Events leading to the 1939 National League Survey Part 2: Wendell Smith – Events leading to the 1939 National League Survey In attempting to tell the off-the-field story, the getting negroes on-the-field must be touched upon. The same mechanism the press used to help these players integrate “white” baseball would…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 13: 1971 – 75 Boston Red Sox Winter Haven Chain O’ Lakes Park Chicago White Sox Sarasota Payne Park Cincinnati Reds Tampa Al Lopez Field Detroit Tigers Lakeland Joker Marchant Stadium New York Mets St. Petersburg Huggins-Stengel Field/ Al Lang Field Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater Jack Russell Stadium Pittsburgh Pirates Bradenton McKechnie Field St. Louis…
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The Integration of Major League Baseball: The Off-the-Field Story
Part 2: Wendell Smith – Back Story It is hard to determine when it came into Branch Rickey’s or Bill Veeck’s minds to integrate baseball. The record shows that Rickey began his quest in 1945 and by October of that year signed Jackie Robinson to start play ostensibly in the minor leagues in 1946. Bill…
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The Integration of Major League Baseball: The Off-the-Field Story
Introduction Note: In keeping with the news reporting and other naming conventions of the era, the terms “negro”, “colored” and perhaps even “black” will be used instead of African American when applicable to the reporting of the day. African American media will often use “sepia” or “tan” in their headlines and stories. This next series…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 12: 1966 – 70 Boston Red Sox Winter Haven Chain O’ Lakes Park Chicago White Sox Sarasota Payne Park Cincinnati Reds Tampa Al Lopez Field Detroit Tigers Lakeland Joker Marchant Stadium New York Mets St. Petersburg Huggins-Stengel Field/ Al Lang Field Kansa City ’66/Oakland ’67, 68 A’s Bradenton McKechnie Field Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater Jack…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 11: 1961 – 65 Chicago White Sox Sarasota Payne Park Cincinnati Reds Tampa AL Lopez Field Detroit Tigers Lakeland Henley Field Kansas City A’s Bradenton ’63 – 65 McKechnie Field Milwaukee Braves Bradenton ’61, 62 Braves Field ’61 McKechnie Field ’62 New York Yankees St. Petersburg ’61 Huggins Field, Al Lang Field New York…
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Dr. J. L. Moorefield and Moorefield Ballpark, 1920
Doc Moorefield became St. Pete’s Mr. Baseball for 1920 Epilogue Moorefield is done with baseball in St. Pete but not yet done with baseball. In 1921 he tries promoting a barnstorming team of Cubans he had brought over in 1920. He writes to a Fort Scott, Kan., franchise looking to schedule games for his “Cuban…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 10: 1956 – 1960 Boston Red Sox 1956 – 58 Sarasota Payne Park Chicago White Sox ’56 – 59 Tampa Al Lopez Field ’60 Sarasota Payne Park Cincinnati Reds 1956 – 60 Tampa AL Lopez Field Detroit Tigers 1956 – 60 Lakeland Henley Field Milwaukee Braves 1956 – 60 Bradenton Braves Field New York…
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Dr. J. L. Moorefield and Moorefield Ballpark, 1920
Doc Moorefield became St. Pete’s Mr. Baseball for 1920 Part 5 When speaking about the winter league team for the coming season, Moorefield drops a bombshell. He says he recently received a letter on behalf of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Jackson wishes to become manager of the St. Pete winter league club and he will bring…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 9: 1951 – 1955 Boston ‘51,52, Milwaukee Braves ’53 – 55 Bradenton Braves Field Boston Red Sox Sarasota Payne Park Chicago White Sox ’54, 55 Tampa Plant Field Cincinnati Reds Tampa Plant Field Detroit Tigers Lakeland Joker Marchant New York Giants ’51 St. Petersburg Huggins Fled/Al Lang Field New York Yankees ’50, 52 –…