Here lies Hilton Smith, one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the Negro Leagues. And the reason he isn’t celebrated more today is because he was frequently teammates with the greatest pitcher in the history of the Negro Leagues – and who wouldn’t be overshadowed by Satchel Paige? Smith played for the Monroe … Continue reading Grave Story: Hilton Smith (1907-1983)
On June 29, 1947, a bomb went off at the residence at 361 Ashby St., in Atlanta, Ga. One report said that the bomb caused "enormous" damage, while another stated that it blew out a stairway at the residence. There were no reports that an arrest was ever made, but the motive was pretty clear. … Continue reading The Atlanta house bombing with the Miracle Mets connection
RIP to Hank Aaron, simply one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game. His family announced that he died on January 22 at the age of 86. Aaron's death sent shockwaves through the entire baseball community and beyond. There aren't many people whose passing can elicit strong, heartfelt statements from the … Continue reading Obituary: Hank Aaron (1934-2021)
RIP to George Spriggs, who came into professional baseball in the waning days of the Negro Leagues and broke into Major League Baseball as a 28-year-old rookie. He died on December 22 at the age of 83. At the time of his death, Spriggs was living in Prince Frederick, Md. He played for the Pittsburgh … Continue reading Obituary: George Spriggs (1937-2020)
The death of Charley Pride left a giant hole in the heart of country music. He was the genre’s first African-American star, and decades later, still one of a handful of people of color to have any kind of lasting success as a country singer. Despite enduring a stream of racist behavior from country music … Continue reading Charley Pride and Nashville’s lethal ignorance
RIP to Bob Scott, a Negro Leagues pitcher/first baseman and an invaluable resource for Negro Leagues history. He died on October 11 in Macon, Ga. He was 90 years old -- though there is some inconsistency with his birth date. Scott played for the New York Black Yankees (1946-50). James Robert Scott was born on … Continue reading Obituary: Bob Scott (1931-2020)
RIP to former pitcher Henry "Pistol" Mason, whose journey took him from the Negro Leagues to the major leagues to the pulpit. Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, announced that Mason died on May 29 at the age of 88. Mason started his career with the Kansas City Monarchs before spending parts … Continue reading Obituary: Henry Mason (1931-2020)
There are a million stories on Satchel Paige, more than can ever fit into one short bio on the man. I told a few of them in Paige’s Grave Story, but there’s one great one here that I had to leave out for the sake of brevity. So I’ll present it here, in Paige’s own … Continue reading Satchel Paige pitches for his life
Here lies Satchel Paige, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. Even though he was prevented from playing Major League Baseball until late in his career, his legend was large enough that he was one of the most famous (and well-paid) pitchers in baseball for decades. After more than 20 years of pitching in … Continue reading Grave Story: Satchel Paige (1906?-1982)
Here lies Bobby Marshall, a pioneer in professional football. He, along with Fritz Pollard, were the first African-American players in the National Football League. However, Marshall was an accomplished baseball player as well, playing for several teams in the years before the Negro Leagues were established. He was active in sports well into his late … Continue reading Grave Story: Bobby Marshall (1880-1958)
RIP Baseball 