Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the timing of what would have been the College World Series season, I was asked by Ryan Whirty to prepare a story for his wonderful website, The Negro Leagues Up Close. This story originally appeared…
Editors note… this was originally posted on February 16, 2010 and has been edited for posting during 2019 Black History Month. For me, it is interesting to realize that the man who broke baseball’s “color barrier” was not even the…
This is the third installment during Black History Month of HBCU Baseball Historical Hi-Lites in “trading card” format. In his only year of college baseball, Tommie Agee earned National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NAIA) All-American honors finishing third in the country…
This is the second installment during Black History Month of HBCU Baseball Historical Hi-Lites in “trading card” format. In July of 1974, in a surprise move to most, it was announced that South Carolina State College (now South Carolina State…
This is the first installment during Black History Month of HBCU Baseball Historical Hi-Lites in “trading card” format. While Johnson C. Smith University and Livingstone College have not supported baseball programs since well before the mid-twentieth century, the two rival…
In spite of baseball’s obsession with statistics, records and “firsts”, I’ve yet to see any documentation about the first individual to transition from HBCU baseball to the Major Leagues. If you know the name Jackie Robinson, then you’ll probably know…
Sadly I first read on Facebook this past Wednesday that former Central Sate (Ohio) Marauder and Major Leaguer, Eddie Milner passed away at age 60 on Monday, November 2, 2015. I think this hit me differently than most MLB’ers who…
As we end black history month 2015, we are saddened to learn of the passing of the National Basketball Association’s integrator, Earl Lloyd. Most probably didn’t know that Mr. Lloyd also played baseball at West Virginia State University. Below is…
During this Black History Month observance, we are reminded of the scholar/athletes who were integrators of and pioneers in their college’s baseball programs. My fellow committee member, Dr. John Winters and I have been researching these individuals by either uncovering the…
In my continual research of early integrators and other black pioneers of college baseball, I often discover a connection between baseball and African-Americans who have gone on to do wonderful work both in their communities and throughout the country. During Black History month, I’m often…
