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SABR - NEGRO LEAGUES COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

December 1998

CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS

I trust everyone has recovered from Thanksgiving. Many exciting events are on the horizon, get involved.

NEGRO LEAGUERS AND THE HALL OF FAME

Get the campaigns for players going now for the March Veterans Committee meeting. This is the last year of the 5 year special elections. Stearnes, Mackey, Williams and many many others are still out. Let's get it going.

THE NEGRO LEAGUES BOOK

Thanks to Troy Soos for updates on Bill Gatewood as the manager of 1922 St. Louis Stars.

We would like to add several sections to the book. We seek Negro Leaguers who played other major professional sports and Negro Leaguers who have been elected to any state Hall of Fames. (Missouri has selected Paige in 1979, Bell in 1980 and O'Neil in 1994.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Sixth Annual John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Humanitarian Award and Lecture was another rousing success. Hats off to Max Manning, Michael Everett, and Larry Hogan and all for another outstanding event. Robert Peterson, Bill Cash, and Stanley Glenn were on hand to hear Dr Clement Price, guest lecturer. Recipients of awards were Reverend Floyd Flake, Jean Webster, and Mayor James Whelan.

THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY 10/12/98, "Black historic sites being lost, professor says," "Be a Pop Lloyd Friend". Order form for BEFORE YOU CAN SAY JACKIE ROBINSON.....video

Program from event and booklet on the event

New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame plaques for 1998 inductees Leon Day, John Henry "Pop" Lloyd and the 1946 Newark Eagles baseball team.

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS

In August the 1st Annual SABR Negro Leagues Committee Research Conference was held in Harrisburg, PA. It was an unqualified success. Considering the success of this conference, the John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Committee is proposing to host the 1999 event in connection with the 50th Anniversary Celebration of "Pop" Lloyd Stadium. The TENTATIVE dates are August 26-29th. Among the events tentatively scheduled are Todd Bolton's BEISBOL BEHIND THE VEIL: Latin Americans in the Negro Leagues exhibit. "Turn Back The Clock Night" at Surf Stadium and unveiling of the bronze mural by Jennifer Frudakis. (there is currently a beautiful mural at the stadium which includes many Negro Leaguers). Presentations will be made by historians of Black Baseball. There will be the highly popular and always brilliant Negro Leagues Committee Meeting. As well as a panel discussion with Negro League Legends. Players' children will recollect and reflect at a gala dinner on Saturday. There will also be a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of "Pop" Lloyd Stadium and the 7th Annual John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Humanitarian Award and Lecture. On Sunday we look forward to a family outing at the stadium. Even more surprises are possible. You can contact the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, 2314 Pacific Ave. Atlantic City, NJ 08401 (609) 348-7100, Fax (609) 345-2200. http://www.atlanticcitynj.com to see all the other things Atlantic City and the area have to offer for a vacation the whole family will enjoy. Michael Everett is the chair for this celebration .

The event in AC in 1999 gives Ted Knorr and the Harrisburg Negro League Committee a year for resting up, from the '98 Harrisburg success, before hosting another NL conference.

COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Recent deaths have taken Verdell Mathis 10/30/98 in Memphis at 84. "Mathis dies at 84" , THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL 10/31/98. Bob Thurman died 10/31/98 at 81 in Wichita, KS. AP story .Vincent Lee, 89 in Baltimore 9/19/98. THE SUN 9/25/98, Played for several Negro League teams," BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN - "I owe Mr Lee an apology for dropping the ball."

W.L. Cash Sr (Wayman Treadwell L. Cash) - AKRON BEACON JOURNAL 9/24/98 "W. L. Cash Sr, catcher, 87 dies.

BINGO LONG AND HIS TRAVELING ALLSTARS AND MOTORKINGS play had twelve performances in Rahway, NJ in November.

THE DIAMOND ANGLE, the David Marasco issue, had it's first cyber-issue. Articles included, ManDak Memories, Before Jackie, by Marasco, and The News From Harrisburg by Paul Debono.

Larry Lester is seeking any information on the wedding of Ray Brown to Cum Posey's daughter Anna Posey

Double Duty Radcliffe, Lester Lockett, and Ira McKnight were at a show in Portage, IN. November 13-15th.

Bill Owens turned 97 on November 14th. Drop him a belated card at William Owens, C/O Lawrence Manor Nursing Home, 8935 E. 46th St., Indianapolis, IN 46226.

Buck O'Neil received a 1998 Scout Of The Year Award to be presented at the Winter meetings in Nashville.

Two NLC members gave presentations at the November 15th SABR Chicago Regional. Ray Schmidt reviewed the Harrisburg Negro League Conference. Mike Marsh presented his Wendell Smith talk to the group

Bill Plott spoke at the Alabama State University Library in early October. Bill has been busy working on tracking down more Southern Negro League teams data.

ONLINE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS

TDA at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/1538/TDA59B.html

Very nice piece on Josh Gibson by Jim Riley on MSNBC web site. http://www.msnbc.com/news/194369.asp

Kevin Fitzpatrick is seeking any online data on Negro Leaguers records of their Japan trips. kfitz@newscorp.com

Antoinette Griffin (www.AGdaQueen@aol.com ) is seeking any info on her grandfather, Dick Lundy. Contact her.

Larry Pegram seeks info on the Meyersdale (PA) Grays, circa 1900. Also the initials G.E.A.P.P. contact at. lpegramxma@worldnet.att.net

Anyone with info on Satchel Paige pitching to Joe Medwick contact Tom Barthel. profbart@ccny.com

Frank Ceresi fdon4@erols.com is seeking the loan of authentic Josh Gibson artifacts for an exhibit at The National Sports Gallery.

NEGRO LEAGUES 40 GREATEST

Please return ballot by February 1, 1999 to Dick Clark (address page 1) regular mail, Email, Fax NO PHONE CALLS. Anyone wishing to receive a ballot may do so by sending an SASE to Dick Clark without any obligation to join the NLC. If you feel knowledgeable enough, vote. The Negro Leaguers, contributors and 19th century figures are all on this ballot. We felt this is a fair way to select the Negro League greats of the past. Remember to vote for owners, officials, and 19th century players. This will be the only ballot they will appear on. All write-ins are acceptable. Remember a person should have played at least 10 years. Any totals over 40 will be arbitrarily reduced by Dick Clark. Please write your name on ballot. (only one vote is allowed).

Good Luck

NEGRO LEAGUE RELATED ARTICLES

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 10/14/98, (Baseball's Cornfield Boys,"

SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE 9/25/98, "History comes alive," Ira McKnight.

THE KNOXVILLE JOURNAL, 6/28/77, Pete Cleage & 6/30/77 Julian Bell

"Chasing a Bullet: New Hall of Famer's autograph will prove elusive," VCBC #17, October, 1998.

CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER 10/23/98, "Little known but extraordinary," (Radcliffe & Lockett come to Cleveland

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS 10/14/98 "Batting for the Negro Leagues," -- exhibit at African-American Museum.

NEW YORK POST 10/25/98, ""46 Newark Eagles as good as it gets,"

THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM OF THE 1998 WORLD SERIES contained a 5pp article on Josh Gibson: The King of Swing, by Larry Lester.

AUBURN BULLETIN 8/15/98, - "ArchiTreats to feature baseball Leagues" Bill Plott's presentation of Negro League baseball players.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER 8/20/98, "Researcher's program to focus on Gray Sox,"

FARMVILLE (VA) HERALD 10/2/98, "he never wore a crown: A look at home run kings," (Gibson)

CURRENT AND FUTURE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

James Speed, 1500 Foster Drive, Conroe, TX 77301, (409) 760-2735 seeks any info on Satchel Paige and the human rights violations he and other Negro Leaguers endured.

Inez Sanzeri (516) 893-9010 seeks info on the New York Yankees playing a Negro League team on Long Island, anytime.

Anyone who may have playing dates for the Homestead Grays in Wellsville, NY between 1912-1950 please contact me.

Jon Greenberg of Ohio University is doing a research project on the Negro Leagues.

Geoff Silver is working on his thesis, at Brandeis University, examining the politics leading up to racial re-integration in baseball

Sammy Miller has found that Rube Foster Field at Fort Huachuca, AZ is still in use but scaled down. It was dedicated on July 18, 1943. He continues his research.

Frank Gifford PO Box 8911 Pine Bluff, AK 71611 seeks any info regarding Jackie Robinson and/or Willie Mays (or Negro League teams) playing in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He hasn't had success checking local papers.

THE MARKETPLACE

THE SPORTING NEWS SELECTS BASEBALL'S GREATEST PLAYERS has Gibson #18, Paige 19, Leonard 47, Bell 66, Charleston 67

Much too low for Charleston and where's Lloyd?

Recent auction results: Josh Gibson single-signed ball $7,865. Satchel Paige rocking chair $1000. Pop Lloyd Cuban Aguilitas Card $1885

Look for TREASURES HIDDEN IN THE SANDS, the Frazier Robinson autobiography being finished by Paul Bauer, and is due in February, with a Buck O'Neil forward and Dr Gerald Early introduction. Should be great.

Jim Overmyer's QUEEN OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES reviewed in VCBC #17 October, 1998

Leland's held a huge auction on the 12th of November which had many NL pieces.

Wells autograph for sale $650 AD

NL 8x10 Photos AD

Wayne & Mike Stivers AD for NL autographs

Ron Lewis Negro League Lithograph #2

1990 Eclipse Stars of the Negro Leagues Baseball listing of the set.

Autographed 8x10's of NL players

THE NEGRO LEAGUES AUTOGRAPH GUIDE will be available very soon. It will be an excellent addition to a library

I recently purchased the book JACKIE ROBINSON RACE, SPORTS, AND THE AMERICAN DREAM, $34.95 (264pp) which covers the 1997 symposium.

McFarland's Negro Leagues books.

Caps available from STAR STRUCK catalog - 4pp of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, and NL

Negro League signed baseballs $60

NL autographs

BLACK DIAMONDS: an oral history of Negro Baseball, the audiocassette set, by Stephen Banker has been reduced in price to $37.95 postpaid. To order Tapes For Readers, 4410 Lingan Road NW, Washington, DC 20007-2513, tel: (202) 338-1215 Fax: (202) 222-8107. Email sbanker@access.digex.net

CAPITAL PC MONITOR, March, 1993, BLACK DIAMONDS - THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 1/31/93, "Life in the Negro Leagues." THE SPORTING NEWS 3/1/93, "The lessons learned from voices of the past."

FINAL REMARKS

I am very happy to announce that starting with the February Newsletter Sammy Miller will be the new editor. I expect the same quality with a new terrific format and peppier look. All material will continue to come to Dick Clark for dissemination but the newsletter will be much more fun and enjoyable to read.

The Lester and Clark families wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons.

Dick Clark & Larry Lester NLC Co-Chairpeople

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(Portions reprinted with the permission of the editor)

Editor: Dick Clark, 1080 Hull St. Ypsilanti, MI 48198-6472

www.blackbaseball.com