May 6, 1931 William Howard “Willie” Mays, hall of fame baseball player and “The Say Hey Kid,” was born in Westfield, Alabama. Mays began his professional baseball career in 1947 in the Negro Baseball Leagues. In 1950, Mays was signed by the New York Giants and he began his major league career in 1951. Mays […]
Tag Archives | Baseball Hall of Fame
Wilver Dornell “Willie” Stargell – April 9th in African American History
April 9, 2001 Wilver Dornell “Willie” Stargell, hall of fame baseball player, died. Stargell was born March 6, 1940 in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. Stargell was signed by the Pittsburg Pirates at the age of 18 and made his Major League debut in 1962. Over his 21 year career with the Pirates, Stargell was the 1979 National […]
March 13th in African American History – Leon Day
March 13, 1995 Leon Day, pitcher in the Negro Baseball League, died. Day was born October 30, 1916 in Alexandria, Virginia and made his professional debut in 1934. Day was one of the top pitchers in the Negro Leagues from the mid-1930s through the 1940s. From 1935 to 1946, he appeared in a record seven […]
March 6th in African American History – Kirby Puckett
March 6, 2006 Kirby Puckett, hall of fame baseball player, died. Puckett was born March 14, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois and won All-American honors for baseball while in high school. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1982 and made his Major League debut in 1984. Over his 12 season Major League career, Puckett […]
February 5th in African American History – Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron
February 5, 1934 Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron, hall of fame baseball player, was born in Mobile, Alabama. Aaron started his professional baseball career in 1951 with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. In 1952, he signed a contract with the Boston (later to be the Atlanta) Braves and made his Major League Baseball […]
January 31st in African American History – Ernest Banks
January 31, 1931 Ernest Banks, hall of fame baseball player, was born in Dallas, Texas. Banks made his professional baseball debut in 1950 with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Baseball League and broke into the Major Leagues in 1953 with the Chicago Cubs, their first black player.
October 31st in African American History – Frederick Stanley McGriff
October 31, 1963 Frederick Stanley McGriff, former Major League baseball player, was born in Tampa, Florida. McGriff was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1981 amateur draft and reached the majors full time in 1987.