Quick summary:
The World Series kicked off this Friday, with game two starting at 8 p.m. ET tonight. In this newsletter, we're uplifting a short list of legendary and lesser-known baseball players who have contributed so much to the sport. From Roberto Clemente to Willie Mays and Frank Hart, we highlight key moments from their legacies, featuring stories from palabra., Black Voice News, Haitian Times and AsAmNews.
Hey fam,
The World Series kicked off yesterday, and if you’re anything like me (aka not a die-hard Yankees fan), you might not have the faintest idea of what’s going on. But don’t sleep on baseball — this sport is steeped in Black and diasporic excellence and has deep ties to racial justice. That’s what I’ve gathered from reading coverage from URL Media partners palabra., AsAmNews and Haitian Times. I’ve learned that baseball is more than just pitching, batting and home runs. Let’s take a look at some game-changers you may or may not know who’ve given so much to the world of baseball.
Robert Clemente
As a Puerto Rican with African roots, Clemente was a trailblazer in baseball and his island’s history.
“There have been a number of very good Puerto Rican baseball players in the majors, and Clemente, of course, was a pioneer, the one who opened the door,” says Flavio Cumpiano, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer who took part in Roberto Clemente Day in 2008, celebrated at Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums every September 15, at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, in this story published in palabra.
More than 50 years after Roberto Clemente’s death, Puerto Rican MLB historian Jorge Colón Delgado points out that 19 statues honor the Hall of Famer, along with several parks and schools bearing his name. By the time Clemente became a World Series champ in 1960, he had already set himself apart by unapologetically speaking Spanish during live interviews — a bold move back then — and confronting racism head-on. palabra. reminds us that Clemente led the charge to halt games on the day of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral.
The right fielder’s life tragically ended during a humanitarian mission to provide hurricane relief to Nicaragua in late 1972.
“When he died, it impacted the world,” said Clemente’s friend, and former sports broadcaster Luis Rodríguez Mayoral.
Willie Mays
Another name you’ve likely heard of is Willie Howard Mays Jr., who was still with us at 93 until he died this June. Earlier this year, the Hall of Famer was scheduled to be honored at a special MLB tribute game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama — the same place where, at 16, Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues.
In his honor, Black Voice News reflects on the memories that made Mays a legend.
“We are only left with the images of a young Willie playing stick ball with local kids on a Harlem neighborhood street, or wheeling around the bases to leg out a triple, Willie’s special flair and exuberance for the game, always pulled us in.”
The outlet also highlighted Mays’ stats as a two-time MVP, including his World Series Championship with the New York Giants in 1954:
- Named “Rookie of the Year” in 1951
- Played in a record 24 All-Star Games
- National League MVP (1954 and 1965)
- Earned 12 Gold Glove awards
- Member of MLB’s All-Century Team
Frank Hart
Frank Hart’s story is pretty unique. This Haitian-American athlete made history as one of America’s first Black sports stars, rising in profile in pedestrianism in the late 19th century. (If you’ve never heard of pedestrianism, don’t worry, I hadn’t either. Pedestrianism is a long-distance walking sport of the 19th century.)
One of Hart’s most legendary wins came during the 1879 Six-Day Race at New York’s Madison Square Garden, when Hart set the record for competitive walking at 565 miles, reports the Haitian Times. He took home more than $20,000 for that race, a massive sum at the time.
He later transitioned to baseball, playing on segregated teams like the Boston Vendome Hotel B.B.C. in 1883 and Saratoga Springs’ Leonidas B.B.C. in 1883 and 1884.
Chan Ho Park
As with many other aspects of Black U.S. culture — like basketball, hip-hop and fashion — baseball has also spread across the globe, reaching places like South Korea. This year, the country honored its first MLB player, Chan Ho Park, at the first MLB game held there, AsAmNews reports.
The outlet reminded us of Park’s MLB debut on April 8, 1994, when he took the mound as a relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game against the Atlanta Braves. For many Korean Americans and South Koreans, seeing someone like Park on the field was significant.
Park went on to make a name for himself, playing for the Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Shohei Ohtani
As the Dodgers prepare to face off against the Yankees in this World Series, the stakes are higher for baseball fans in the diaspora, with Shohei Ohtani making his World Series debut. After signing a massive 10-year, $700 million contract, Ohtani is finally getting the chance to shine on baseball’s biggest stage.
Who are you looking forward to seeing play?
Let us know at editor@url-media.com.
