This week we continue our celebration of Black History Month. Today is our tribute the greatness of the Negro Leagues players who would go on to become members of the Baseball Hall of Fame – Part II.
Next in 1976 is Oscar Charleston https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/Charleston-Oscar who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT AS A MEMBER OF THE ST. LOUIS GIANTS OF THE NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE, OSCAR CHARLESTON BECAME THE FIRST BLACK PLAYER TO HIT A HOME RUN AT SPORTSMAN'S PARK, THE LONGTIME HOME OF THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS AND BROWNS?
Next in 1977 is a trio of Ernie Banks, Martín Dihigo and Pop Lloyd - https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/banks-ernie, https://baseballhall.org/hof/dihigo-mart%C3%ADn, https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/lloyd-pop - Their Hall of Fame DYK for Ernie Banks reads - THAT ERNIE BANKS PLAYED TWO YEARS (1950 AND '53) WITH THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS IN THE NEGRO AMERICAN LEAGUE? and Pop Lloyd - THAT POP LLOYD ONCE CAUGHT A GAME WHILE WEARING A WIRE WASTEPAPER BASKET TO PROTECT HIS FACE BECAUSE HIS TEAM COULD NOT AFFORD TO BUY A REAL CATCHER'S MASK?
Next in 1979 is Willie Mays https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/mays-willie who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT WILLIE MAYS WAS THE ON-DECK BATTER WHEN BOBBY THOMSON HIT HIS FAMOUS PENNANT-WINNING HOME RUN, "THE SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD," ON OCT. 3, 1951?
Next in 1981 is Rube Foster – https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/foster-rube who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT RUBE FOSTER WON 44 GAMES IN A ROW AS A PITCHER WITH THE 1902 CUBAN GIANTS?
Next in 1982 is Hank Aaron https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/aaron-hank who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT IF YOU REMOVE ALL OF HENRY AARON’S 755 HOME RUNS FROM HIS HIT TOTAL THAT HE WOULD STILL HAVE MORE THAN 3,000 HITS?
Next in 1987 is Ray Dandridge https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/dandridge-ray who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT AT THE ADVANCED AGE OF 36, MINNEAPOLIS' RAY DANDRIDGE BATTED AN ASTOUNDING .362 AND LED ALL AMERICAN ASSOCIATION THIRD BASEMEN WITH A STELLAR .981 FIELDING PERCENTAGE?
Next in 1995 is Leon Day https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/day-leon who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT ON JULY 23, 1942, NEWARK EAGLES PITCHER LEON DAY STRUCK OUT 18 BALTIMORE ELITE GIANTS TO SET A NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE RECORD?
Next in 1996 is Bill Foster https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/foster-bill who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT BILL FOSTER COACHED BASEBALL AT HIS ALMA MATER, ALCORN STATE COLLEGE, FROM 1960-77?
Next in 1997 is Willie Wells https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/wells-willie who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT WILLIE WELLS IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FIRST PRO BALLPLAYERS TO WEAR A BATTING HELMET, FASHIONING A HARD HAT FOR PROTECTION AFTER A 1942 BEANING?
Next in 1998 is Larry Doby and Bullet Rogan – the first players inducted that only played in the Negro Leagues - https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/doby-larry and https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/rogan-bullet according to their MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT DOBY'S NO. 14 WAS RETIRED BY THE CLEVELAND INDIANS ON JULY 3, 1994? and THAT JOE ROGAN WAS RECOMMENDED TO KANSAS CITY MONARCHS OWNER J.L. WILKINSON BY PIRATES OUTFIELDER AND FUTURE HALL OF FAME MANAGER CASEY STENGEL, A NATIVE OF KANSAS CITY?
Next in 1999 is Joe Williams https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/williams-joe who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT JOE WILLIAMS DEFEATED FIVE HALL OF FAME PITCHERS -- GROVER ALEXANDER, CHIEF BENDER, WAITE HOYT, WALTER JOHNSON AND RUBE MARQUARD -- IN EXHIBITION COMPETITION DURING HIS STELLAR CAREER?
Next in 2000 is Turkey Stearnes https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/stearnes-turkey who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT IN 1934, TURKEY STEARNES PLAYED IN A FOUR-TEAM DOUBLEHEADER AT YANKEE STADIUM IN FRONT OF 30,000 FANS, CLAIMED AT THE TIME AS THE LARGEST CROWD EVER TO WATCH A BLACK BASEBALL EVENT?
Next in 2001 is Hilton Smith https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/smith-hilton who according to his MLB Hall of Fame DYK - THAT HILTON SMITH ADVISED KANSAS CITY MONARCHS OWNER J.L. WILKINSON TO SIGN JACKIE ROBINSON TO A CONTRACT WITH THE POWERHOUSE NEGRO AMERICAN LEAGUE CLUB?
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