Negro Leagues

1986 Larry Fritsch Cards

I saw this Fritsch set in a Cooperstown card shop (a mecca for collectors) many years ago and bought it because it had several Negro League players that were in the National Baseball Hall of Fame (HoF), which is my main collection. Such cards were, and many still are, quite hard to find. After removing the HoFer cards from the set I decided to use the remaining cards to start an album of the non-HoF Negro League players. The cards below are a sampling of different manufacturers of such cards. I commend Larry Fritsch Cards for creating this 119 card set dedicated to Negro League players. 

Monarch Corona Centennial Series card of Rafael Almeida.

From what I understand, Monarch Corona made 200 of the 104-card sets of these mini litho-printed cards.

Bob Lemke Custom Art Card of Charlie Pride

Bob Lemke's blog was the first I ever ran across, and I followed it for several years until his passing. He created many custom art cards over the years, and this was one of Charlie Pride I could not pass up. According to the card back, Pride played in the Negro Leagues for many years, and he spent two years in the Army. He was even traded in 1954 from the Louisville Clippers to the Birmingham Black Barons for a used team bus! Pride had 29 Billboard No. 1 hits; sold over 70 million albums; had 30 Gold Albums; was the Country Music Association Top Male Vocalist in 1971-1972, and Entertainer of the year in 1971; had three Grammy Awards; joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1993; and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000!

1993 Ted Williams "The Negro Leagues"

The Ted Williams Card Company included "The Negro League" subset. I just learned that in Williams' Hall of Fame induction speech on July 25, 1966, he advocated for the inclusion of African American players. He is quoted as saying “I hope some day Satchel Page and Josh Gibson will be voted into the Hall of Fame as symbols, as symbols of the great Negro League players who are not here only because they were not given a chance.” Negro League players became eligible for the National Baseball HoF in 1971.

Lyman Bostock Sr. was the father of former major league player Lyman Bostock, Jr. Senior played in the Negro Leagues from 1938-1953, and led the league in batting in 1941 with a .488 average! Junior played four seasons, as an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins (1975–77) and California Angels (1978), with a lifetime average of .311. Junior was shot and killed as a passenger in a vehicle in his hometown of Gary, Indiana on September 23, 1978, hours after playing against the Chicago White Sox earlier in the day.

1993 Ted Williams "Goin North"

Jim Gilliam from the Ted Williams Card Company Goin North subset.

Legends of the Negro Leagues - A product of the International Society of Athletes

Samuel Hairston played for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues and played part of one season (1951) with the Chicago White Sox as a catcher. Sam is the father of MLB players Jerry Hairston, Sr. and Johnny Hairston, and the grandfather of Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Scott Hairston.

The Hairston family is noted for two significant accomplishments. The Hairston's are one of only three three-generation baseball families. The two other three-generation MLB families are the Boone family (Ray, Bob, Bret and Aaron) and the Bell family (Gus, Buddy, David, and Mike).

The five Hairston's are also noted for being tied for the most ever MLB family members with the Delahanty brothers (HoFer Ed, Tom, Jim, Frank and Joe).

2001 Fleer "Greats of the Game"

The set is notable for featuring some of the first officially-licensed cards of Negro League players. At the time, Fleer had a license with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Kimbro played for the Negro League Baltimore Elite Giants for 13 of his 18 seasons in the Negro Leagues. According to SABR.org, Kimbro took a job at a gas station where he worked into his early twenties. There he learned how to repair cars, keep them running, and even give them extra power. He earned a reputation as a top notch driver and was rumored to have run moonshine in Western Tennessee. During his baseball career his knowledge of cars came in handy. He helped repair the team buses (Chevrolet and Buick) and served as a back-up driver.

Millito Navarro - 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter's Negro League Star

1994 Ted Williams "The Negro Leagues"

Toni Stone was the first of three women to play professional baseball along with pitcher Mamie “Peanut” Johnson and second baseman Connie Morgan, as a part of the Negro League.

1994 Upper Deck Ken Burns Special

In 1884, Walker was the first African-American to play MLB, and last, until Jackie Robinson in 1947.

There are other cards of Negro League players, like Helmar and The Daily Historic, but too not many others that I'm aware of. Of course, that makes collecting interesting!

Thanks for visiting!
CinciCuse Bill