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African American Sports Legends |
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Bobby Bonds dies
Bobby Bonds was a mentor to his son, Barry
Bobby Bonds, a three-time All-Star with the Giants and Yankees and the father of five-time NL MVP Barry Bonds, has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 57 .
SAN FRANCISCO -- Bobby Bonds, one of the first major leaguers to blend home-run power with base-stealing speed and the father of one of baseball's greatest sluggers, died Saturday. He was 57.
Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds became great friends in the playing days together with the Giants. (AP)
Barry Bonds' father had been ill for nearly a year with lung cancer and a brain tumor, but he never lost his love for baseball. He was at Pacific Bell Park on Wednesday night, watching his superstar son and the San Francisco Giants.
Bobby Bonds died shortly before 9 a.m. PT, a Giants spokesman said. Barry Bonds will be away from the team indefinitely.
"This is a great loss for the Giants family," San Francisco owner Peter Magowan said. "We want the Bonds family to know that they're in our thoughts and prayers. Bobby has meant so much to this organization for such a long time.
"It will be strange not to see him in the clubhouse and working on the field with Barry and our other players. He will be greatly missed."
In early June, Bobby Bonds spent time in the hospital while fighting pneumonia. He underwent surgery on a brain tumor in April, all while fighting lung cancer.
Barry Bonds, who leads the majors with 39 homers, left the team for four days during a road trip last week to be with his father.
Bobby Bonds, a three-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1973 All-Star Game, hit 332 home runs and stole 461 bases for the Giants, New York Yankees, California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Texas, Cleveland, St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs.
He hit .268, had 1,024 RBI and won three Gold Glove awards as an outfielder.
Bonds became the second NL player to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season in 1969 with the Giants. Willie Mays, his close friend and Barry Bonds' godfather, was the first to do it.
Bobby Bonds reached the 30-30 mark four more times in his 14-year career. Barry Bonds also has done it five times; no other player has reached the mark more than three times.
Bobby Bonds is one of two players with five 30-30 seasons. His son is the other. (Getty Images)
A native of Riverside, Calif., Bobby Bonds signed with the Giants in 1964 out of high school. He played seven seasons with San Francisco, and he was with the organization for 23 seasons as a player, coach, scout or front-office employee.
Bonds served as the club's hitting coach from 1993-96, and since then had been a special assistant to general manager Brian Sabean.
Bonds is survived by his wife, Pat; a daughter, Cheryl Dugan; and three sons: Barry, Ricky and Bobby Jr.
Bonds' declining health in recent months had been a shock to the veteran Giants, who knew him as a friend and a wise presence in their clubhouse.
"There's a man who's been coming into this clubhouse since I've been here," Giants outfielder Marvin Benard said. "He was my hitting coach my first two years. He's healthy and everything's great, and then, bam. It's been hard on us. I can't imagine what it's been like for Barry. It's one of those things that's hard to explain. There are no words to describe what people are going through.
"Heck, he's been around here forever. He played here. He coached here. His son, Barry, becomes what he is here."
Funeral arrangements are pending.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Josh Gibson(1911-1947), nicknamed the "Black Babe Ruth," at age nineteen established himself as one of history's best all-around baseball players in a career which lasted for fifteen years. His first position was as a catcher for the Pittsburgh Homestead Grays on July 25, 1930. In 1972, he was posthumously voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Great African American Baseball Players
BASEBALL
Baseball is truly an American pastime. The origin of the sport can be traced back to colonial America and the English settlers around 1700. The mixing of cultures coming from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Africa to America also brought versions of what developed into the sport we know as baseball. The English version was called "rounders." During the Revolutionary War(1775-1783), the American soldiers were known to play "base." The true sport of baseball took root in America around the 1800's. It was called "towneball." In the late 1800's, it became known as "baste ball."
The original logistics for American baseball are believed to have been invented by Abner Doubleday(1819-1893). Doubleday was living in Cooperstown New York when he arrived at his essential ideas for the game of baseball back in 1839. Doubleday's game of baseball was very similar to the English game of "rounders," nevertheless, the interest which he brought to the area of Cooperstown, New York and baseball made him a recognizable name. The name of Doubleday became directly linked to the residents who helped to establish the National Baseball Hall of Fameand its museum. Abner Doubleday was an 1842 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. He served in both the Mexican War (1846-1848) and the American Civil War (1861-1865). He died in 1893, but very little had surfaced about his true claim to being The Inventor of Baseball.
Baseball as an organized sport was established by a New York City sportsman named Alexander Cartwright. The Knickerbocker Base Ball Clubof New Yorkwas the name chosen by Cartwright, and this club became the prime source for the first rules governing baseball. The first established, organized baseball game was held on June 19, 1846 between the New York Nineand the Knickerbocker Clubin Hoboken, New Jersey. The Nines won the game 23 to 1. African Americans were excluded from the original Knickerbocker Club, but, by 1858, the National Association of Baseball Players(NABBP) was organized and did welcome African Americans as members. After the Civil War (1861-1865), baseball began to spread out to other places, mainly in large cities in the United States. The different clubs and leagues became more segregated by raceand ethnicity during this period. By 1871, the NABBP had decided to exclude "colored" members from their clubs. Therefore, African Americans were forced to join, stay, and play in exclusive all black baseball leagues. These all black baseball teams were later identified as The Negro Leagues.
From 1871 to 1947, African American baseball players were locked in and forced to play only those teams made up of "negroes." As the all white baseball teams grew in numbers, right beside them were the developing number of all black teams. Baseball was so popular that, by 1869, the first professionalorganized team came onto the scene by the name of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Recruiting the top players was the key to developing a highly professional ball club. By 1876, eight professional teams formulated the first Major Leaguewithin the National League. By 1901, eight teams made up the American League. Baseball in America had become the prime spectator sport in America. It became so important to the American general public that baseball became known as the national pastime.
The early records of African American players playing as professionals on local league teams were not well documented. To have the necessary status of being "professional," these players had to join the all white teams in one of the major leagues. Two of the earliest players were Bud Fowler(his birth name was John Jackson), born in Cooperstown, New York in 1858 and Moses Fleetwood Walker, born in 1857 in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. Bud Fowler, by 1872, was playing on the New Castle, Pennsylvania (the Keokuk) as the only African American player. Fowler, like many of the early players, could move about and play several other team positions. He played for fourteen different teams for a career spanning twenty-five years but never was able to cross over into the National League due to his race. Moses Fleetwood Walker, called Fleet Walker, grew up in Ohio and later attended Oberlin College along with his brother, Weldy Walker. Oberlin College was one of the earliest American universities to integrate its student body. Fleet Walker and Weldy Walker both helped to start a varsity baseball team for Oberlin College. Fleet Walker later attended the University of Michigan's law school but left in the year of 1884 and joined the Toledo Mudhensof the Northwestern Leagueas its catcher. Moses Fleetwood Walkerbecame the first African-American to join the ranks of professional baseball. After forty-two games with Toledo, Moses Walker could not be retained. In order for Toledoto play in other areas of the country, they had to dismiss their "colored" players, thus ending the early progress of integrated teams in baseball.
In an effort to keep on playing organized, professional baseball, African Americans had to get the necessary backing. By the summer of 1885, Frank Thompsonout in Babylon, Long Islandstarted his own team called the Cuban Giants. The Cuban Giants were notfrom Cuba, but they did not want the general public to know they were African Americans but, rather, only here from another country to play baseball in the U.S.A. Some African American teams were playing against some all white teams, but, whenever the issue of race surfaced, the games were canceled. Moneyalso became the issue. African American ball players made three times less than a White American ball player competing in similar positions in the major leagues. African-Americans, if they were good, could play in the minor leagues but notin the major leagues.
History pushed African American baseball players forward. They now had formulated their own professional league called the League of Colored Baseball Clubs. The founding teams were:
- Boston Resolutes
- New York Gorham
- Philadelphia Pythians
- Washington Capital Cities
- Pittsburgh Keystones
- Norfolk (Virginia) Red Stockings
- Cincinnati Crowns,
- Lord Baltimores
- Louisville Fall Cities
In 1888, these all black teams had to compete in a playoff tournament to determine the best in the club. The first "Colored Championships of America"winners were:
- First place: Cuban Giants
- Second place: Pittsburgh Keystones
- Third place: New York Gorhams
- Forth place: Norfolk Red Stockings
Even when these clubs began to wane, the rudiments of baseball for African Americans were firmly rooting in the sport as an enjoyable pastime. By 1890, predominantly black colleges and universities were "creating" baseball athletes in this popular sport. The formation of the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Associationalso helped develop future African American baseball players by 1912. The First World War (1914-1918) also saw the segregated units of African American soldiers playing in regimental tournamentsas baseball players. One noted team was the 25th Infantry, who developed a record as "the best of the Black teams" through World War I. The first World Seriesfor baseball was in 1903 between the Boston Red Socksof the American Leagueand the Pittsburgh Piratesof the National League. Bostonwon 5-3 games in the series. Millions of people were glued to the series, and everyone's models became the American baseball players. With the growing popularity of televisionin the 1940's and 1950's, baseballwas elevated to the national pastime for the majority of Americans.
In the midst of keeping the Negro Leaguesup to standards as a separate professional league came the great efforts of Andrew "Rube" Foster. Fosterkept the dream alive by becoming an owner of the Chicago American Giants. His untiring work earned him the reputation of being "the Father of Black Baseball." Rube Fosterhad been a player and manager of the Chicago Leland Giants. Foster, by February 14, 1920, had brought together the top African American teams and their owners and formulated the Negro National League(NNL). The excitement behind Foster's efforts was his ability at getting lease and rental space time at available stadiums during the 1920's. Foster was able to see the "Negro World Series"and his Chicago American Giantsbeat the Eastern Colored Leaguein 1926. FOSTER died in 1930.
The American Economic Depression (1929-1934) had over 14 million Americans out of work. All baseball leagues were almost destroyed during this period, including most teams in the Negro Baseball League. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, under the New deal(March 4, 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945), brought America back to the road of economic recovery. Two years later, the Negro National Leaguefolded in 1948. Some African American greats came out of this league. Among them:
to name only a few. By the early 1950's, the Negro Leaguewas closed out. The Negro American League, which started in 1937, survived until the early 1960's.
REMEMBER JACKIE ROBINSON
Jackie Robinsonbecame the first African American to play in major league baseballwhen Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed Robinson up as the first African American in modern day history to cross over with a contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was first assigned to the Dodgers' minor leagueaffiliate, The Montreal Royalson October 23, 1945. His entrance to the major leaguewas on April 15, 1947 when Robinson made his debut as a player at Ebbets Fieldsfor the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was a former player on the Kansas City Monarchsall black team. With this door opened, the historyof African Americans in baseballstarted a knew era which made the long dream come true for countless players aiming for a chance to show their talents in the majors.
A TRIBUTE TO JACKIE ROBINSON
A MAN FOR ALL TIMES
When most African Americans think of Jackie Robinson, they think of the ultimate symbol of racial pride and progress in the sports arena. Jackie Robinson represented that symbol when he was chosen as the first African-American to play in modern times for the Major League Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was chosen to fill these shoes by Branch Rickey, president and general manager of the Dodgers. October 23, 1945 was the date that Robinson signed a contract to play with the Montreal Royals, a minor league affiliate of the Dodgers. This was Robinson's official first step to the majors, which came on April 15, 1947 when he entered Ebbets Fieldto play baseball with the Dodgers. This April 15, 1997 will be the 50th Anniversary of the celebrated date.
Jack(Jackie) Roosevelt Robinsonwas born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. He was the youngest of the five children of Jerryand MallieRobinson. When Jackie's father Jerry, a sharecropper, left home seeking work, his mother, Mallie, decided to move west, seeking a better life with her children by her side. She was able to find a house in the suburbs of Pasadena, California. Life was not that easy for the Robinsons, being the only black family in this not so friendly area of California. Jackie and his older brother, Mack, took to sports early on in their school years. Mack became a world-class sprinter, and, by 1936, he was invited to compete in the 200 meter dash in the Olympics held in Berlin, Germany. He finished second to Jesse Owens, the African American hero of the 1936 Olympic Games.
Jackie Robinson, like most teens, joined a gang while going to school. He was headed for trouble, but, thanks to the positive influences of Carl Anderson, a local mechanic, and the minister, Reverend Karl Downs, Jackie made a change. Jackie even taught Sunday school lessons to youngsters at Sunday church each week. At John Muir Technical High school, Jackie Robinson learned to compete and win honors in sports. He earned high school letters in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. Robinson attended Pasadena Junior Collegefrom September 1937 to August 1939. His athletic ability at Pasadena led to an athletic scholarship at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) starting in September of 1939.
At UCLA, Jackie Robinson was nothing less than spectacular. He was the university's first four letter athlete. He played football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. He was the team's highest scorer for two years in basketball. He also won the national championship in the long jump. He became an All-Americanhalfback on the university's football team.
Jackie Robinson met Rachel Isumin 1940 while she was a freshman studying Nursing at UCLA. By the spring semester of 1941, Jackie had left the campus of UCLA to take a job as the athletic director for the National Youth Administration. Within the following year, he was called to serve his country in the United States Army. Robinson applied for admission to the U.S. Officer's Candidate Schoolalong with other African American draftees. Each one was denied admission due to his race. The great Joe Louis, U.S. Heavyweight Champion, was a sergeant at Fort Riley(Kansas) at the same time Robinson was there. Under Joe Louis'influence, Jackie Robinsonand the other African Americans were admitted to the officers' school. Robinsonenrolled and was awarded his commission of second lieutenant in January of 1943.
Even in the army as a lieutenant, Robinson was faced with racism and discrimination. He could play on the militaryteam, but he could nottravel with them to play teams in Jim Crowareas of the South. Robinson was transferred to the army base at Fort Hood, Texas. Segregation was present and commonplace. "For Colored Only"signs were everywhere. Robinson was enraged and spoke up for his rights. He left the army in 1944 and went back to Kansas where he joined the Kansas City Monarchsas a shortstop for the all black professional baseball team in the Negro Leagues. Even though Robinson earned $400 a month, there were hard conditions in the Negro Leagues. Traveling by bus for long distances to play other teams often led to hotels which would not take in "colored" players.
Robinson was playing shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs for only one season in the year of 1945 when he was approached and persuaded by Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager, to join the Dodger Organization. Robinson knew how bad the rewards, recognition, and money were in the Negro League, therefore he decided to take a chance, and he signed his firstcontract to play with the Montreal Royalsof the Dodger's minor leagueclub on August 28, 1945. He played his first gamewith the Montreal Royals on April 18, 1946. His salary was $600 monthly with a bonus of $3,500. With this new salary, Jackie Robinson went back to Los Angeles and married Rachel Isum.
Jackie and Rachel were together when he undertook what was called the "baseball great experiment." This experiment was a test to see if a black player could play well enough to integrate the all white baseball leagues. That test would include his playing skills, psychological makeup, and social adjustment. This was 1940's America, and, on most fronts, segregationof the raceswas the way things were. Branch Rickeyof the Dodger organization wanted this to happen in a positive way. The Negro Leaguehad many great players, and they were notchosen to make the crossover to the all white Major League. Jackie Robinson was watched and chosen to do this transition. How would the manager and other players make him part of the team? Well, after his April 18, 1946 debut, Jackie Robinson was on his way! He played against the Jersey City Giantsin a stadium packed with 30,000 fans, and they wanted to see Robinson play. Robinson hit a three-run home run, stole bases, scored four runs, drove in three, and sent the crowd wild! He had helped the team win every game, and they became the champions of the International League. This win brought them to the playoffs with the Louisville Colonelsin the Southin Louisville, Kentucky. Robinson was booed with hatred remarks and racial taunts. He was upset and played his worst. On the return to Montreal, the Canadian fans were outraged, and they returned that behavior back to the Louisville players. Robinson was a gentleman and said he "didn't approve of this kind of retaliation but ... felt a jubilant sense of gratitude for the way the Canadiansexpressed their feelings."
The story about Jackie Robinsonin baseball surrounds the very important efforts of Branch Rickeyto break the color barrier in the league. Branch Rickeywas the untiring force and strategist behind this move in American history. Rickey knew how hard it was to get change in this area of racially divided sports. Rickey knew he would meet with opposition. He therefore planned Robinson's team entry by having both the Montreal Royalsand the Brooklyn Dodgerstrain together in Havana, Cuba. He also invited three other African American players to their spring training. They were Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, and Roy Partlow. When Rickeytold the teamhis plans, they signed a petition of non-acceptanceof Robinsonto their team. Rickey went ahead, and the big announcement came on April 10, 1947. Jackie Robinsonwas promoted to the National League Brooklyn Dodgers. His position was first baseman.
Jackie Robinson, no. 42, on April 15, 1947, played his first game as a Dodgerin the majorsagainst the Boston Bravesat Ebbets Field. The Dodgers won that game 5 to 3, but Robinson did not have a spectacular showing on that day's event. Two months into the season in June, Robinson had created a 21-game hitting streak. Despite the racial insults, Robinson persevered, and his fellow teammates began to support, appreciate, and accept Robinson as a fellow Dodger. Robinson's plays helped the Dodgersto win the National League Pennant, and he finished the league with the most stolen basesand tied for the team lead in home runs. He was honored as the National League Rookie of the Year, and the Dodgerswon the right to play the New York Yankeesin the World Seriesof 1947. Robinson later said, "If I could choose one of the most important moments in my life, it would be the opening day of the 1947 World Series when I played as a Dodger against the New York Yankees." Although the Dodgers lost the seriesin four games to three, Robinson was able to play against Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Phil Rizzuto. He had finally crossed over to the majors!
Within the next ten years, Jackie Robinson's name became the example of a special role model for other African Americans making the crossover to the majors. By 1949, the Dodgers had added Roy Campanellaand Don Newcombeto their roster of players. Robinson won the National League Most Valuable Player Awardin 1949, and he demonstrated his ability in speaking out about race and being an American before the House Un-American Activities Committeein Washington, DC. Robinson's life was on constant "view." He was a celebrity, but he still had to encounter racial prejudice and bigoted remarks as he played against other teams who had no African American players in 1949. Robinson's mentor and long time friend, Branch Rickey, resigned as the president of the Dodgersin 1950, and Walter O'Malleytook the reigns of the Dodger Club. O'Malleyand Robinson'srelationship was not the best. By May 1956, the famed Ebbets Field was sold, and the Dodgersmoved to Los Angelesat the end of 1957. Jackie Robinson was traded to the New York Giants, but he refused to play, and, therefore, he announced his retirement from baseball on January 5, 1957.
Jackie Robinsonwent on to become an executive and Vice President for Community Relations with the Chock-Full-o'-Nutsrestaurant and food distributor in New York City. Jackie was inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame on January 23, 1962. Jackie and Rachel Robinson had three children: Jackie Jr. (born in November 1946), Sharon (born in January 1950), and David (born in May 1952). Jackie Jr., a Vietnam Veteran, took to hard drugs, which took a hard toll on Jackie Sr. He was rehabilitated, but, unfortunately, he was killed in an automobile accident on June 17, 1971. Within sixteen months, Jackie Robinson SR. had died on October 24, 1972 of the crippling effects of diabetes and heart disease. Robinson once said that "A life is not important except in the impact it has on others."His Legacy has provided a way for all of us to understand what the sports arenaof that erawas truly about.
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