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djc · 09-28-2023, 04:25 PM

Blacks In The Majors Leagues

By 1950 there were 16 black players in the minors and 10 in the majors. In Eric Chalek's MLE spreadsheet there are 78 black players listed in 1950. That equates to 20% blacks in the minors and 13% blacks in the majors and a total of 33%. By those numbers it is possible that in the hay day of black baseball the 1930s and 1940s there could have been 45 black players, (18 in majors and 27 minors) involved in major league baseball. Here is the breakdown of black players who made their way to the major league in the late 1940s.

1946 - Jackie Robinson – Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals
Roy Campanella – Dodgers B level affliate, Nashua, New Hampshire
Don Newcombe – Dodgers B level affliate, Nashua, New Hampshire
1947 - Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB
Larry Doby – Indians MLB
Don Newcombe - Dodgers B level affliate, Nashua, New Hampshire
Roy Campanella - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals
1948 – Roy Campanella – Dodgers MLB
Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB
Satchel Paige – Indians MLB
Larry Doby – Indians MLB
Luke Easter – Homestead Grays negro league
Hank Thompson – Newark Eagles negro league
Don Newcombe - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals
Roberto Avilla – Indians AAA affliate, Baltimore Orioles
Minie Minoso – Indians A affliate, Dayton
1949 – Roy Campanella – Dodgers MLB
Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB
Satchel Paige – Indians MLB
Larry Doby – Indians MLB
Minnie Minoso – Indians MLB
Luke Easter - Indians MLB
Hank Thompson – Giants MLB
Monte Irvin - Giants AAA afliate, Jersey City, then Giants MLB
Roberto Avilla – Indians AAA affliate, Baltimore Orioles
Booker McDaniel – Cubs AAA affliate, Los Angeles
Dave Barnhill – Giants AAA affliate, Minneapolis
Dan Bankhead - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals
Ford Smith – Giants AAA afliate, Jersey City
Frank Austin – Yankees AAA affliate, Newark
Ray Dandridge - Giants AAA affliate, Minneapolis
Sam Jethroe - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals
Luis Marquez - Yankees AAA affliate, Newark
Harry Simpson - Indians A affliate, Wilkes-Barre
Bob Thurman - Yankees AAA affliate, Newark
Artie Wilson – Indians AAA affliate, San Diego
Roy Welmaker – Indians A affliate, Wilkes-Barre
Al Smith - Indians A affliate, Wilkes-Barre
George Crowe – Braves B affliate, Pawtucket
1950 - Roy Campanella – Dodgers MLB
Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB
Satchel Paige – Indians MLB
Larry Doby – Indians MLB
Minnie Minoso – Indians MLB
Monte Irvin - Giants MLB
Roberto Avilla – Indian MLB
Luke Easter - Indians MLB
Sam Jethroe - Dodgers MLB
Hank Thompson – Giants MLB

What would the possible realistic outcome be if there was no negro league and no color barrier exhisted?

The total number of players in Eric's MLE list is 433 players, so if we put the percentages to work from above. It equates to 46 major leaguers, 86 minor leaguers, with the 299 remaining players at B level or lower. Keep this in mind this is just my hypothisys. Another way to look at is most of the 46 possible major leaguer would have spent 10 years in the majors, sincle the negro leagues were around to roughly 30 years that'c close to 10 players per year in the majors and roughly the same in the minors since those players are more likely to play 5 or so years. Out of those 10 players do all of them make the starting rosters?

What I have found is most clubs are satisfied with their middle of the field players, catcher, short stop, and centerfielder. So that makes it hard for negro league stars like Oscar Charleston, John Henry Lloyd, Pete Hill, Josh Gibson etc. to find a job. Surely the guys mentioned should make a roster somewhere? They would be more likely to make a bottom tier club or be a backup player on the top level club. When it comes to pitching most of the clubs have at least two top notch starters and the better teams have three if not four. So where does it leave for the negro league pitchers? The Satchel Paige, Dick Whitworth, Dave Brown, Dick Redding, Rube Foster calibur pitchers will probably get a starting role on a bottom tier club. Some two way players like Martin Dihigo, Bullet Rogan will probably find a role as either a bull pen pitcher or backup fielder.

My conculsion, the Nego League was a wonderful thing and we should be thankful for those players who provided so many folks with some great memories. Yes it is disheartening for the 150 or so players who could have made their mark in the majors and or minors. How would the 150 or so white players have done in the minor leagues, or out of baseball all to gether? Where would the other 300 or so negro league players have gone? Maybe the minor leagues could have flourished in the 1920s, 30s and 40s with more talent from the negro leagues?

My apologies if I missed a player from the list above.

09-28-2023, 04:25 PM	#34
djc Minors (Single A) Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 78	negro league players making the majors Blacks In The Majors Leagues By 1950 there were 16 black players in the minors and 10 in the majors. In Eric Chalek's MLE spreadsheet there are 78 black players listed in 1950. That equates to 20% blacks in the minors and 13% blacks in the majors and a total of 33%. By those numbers it is possible that in the hay day of black baseball the 1930s and 1940s there could have been 45 black players, (18 in majors and 27 minors) involved in major league baseball. Here is the breakdown of black players who made their way to the major league in the late 1940s. 1946 - Jackie Robinson – Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals Roy Campanella – Dodgers B level affliate, Nashua, New Hampshire Don Newcombe – Dodgers B level affliate, Nashua, New Hampshire 1947 - Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB Larry Doby – Indians MLB Don Newcombe - Dodgers B level affliate, Nashua, New Hampshire Roy Campanella - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals 1948 – Roy Campanella – Dodgers MLB Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB Satchel Paige – Indians MLB Larry Doby – Indians MLB Luke Easter – Homestead Grays negro league Hank Thompson – Newark Eagles negro league Don Newcombe - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals Roberto Avilla – Indians AAA affliate, Baltimore Orioles Minie Minoso – Indians A affliate, Dayton 1949 – Roy Campanella – Dodgers MLB Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB Satchel Paige – Indians MLB Larry Doby – Indians MLB Minnie Minoso – Indians MLB Luke Easter - Indians MLB Hank Thompson – Giants MLB Monte Irvin - Giants AAA afliate, Jersey City, then Giants MLB Roberto Avilla – Indians AAA affliate, Baltimore Orioles Booker McDaniel – Cubs AAA affliate, Los Angeles Dave Barnhill – Giants AAA affliate, Minneapolis Dan Bankhead - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals Ford Smith – Giants AAA afliate, Jersey City Frank Austin – Yankees AAA affliate, Newark Ray Dandridge - Giants AAA affliate, Minneapolis Sam Jethroe - Dodgers AAA affliate, Montreal Royals Luis Marquez - Yankees AAA affliate, Newark Harry Simpson - Indians A affliate, Wilkes-Barre Bob Thurman - Yankees AAA affliate, Newark Artie Wilson – Indians AAA affliate, San Diego Roy Welmaker – Indians A affliate, Wilkes-Barre Al Smith - Indians A affliate, Wilkes-Barre George Crowe – Braves B affliate, Pawtucket 1950 - Roy Campanella – Dodgers MLB Jackie Robinson - Dodgers MLB Satchel Paige – Indians MLB Larry Doby – Indians MLB Minnie Minoso – Indians MLB Monte Irvin - Giants MLB Roberto Avilla – Indian MLB Luke Easter - Indians MLB Sam Jethroe - Dodgers MLB Hank Thompson – Giants MLB What would the possible realistic outcome be if there was no negro league and no color barrier exhisted? The total number of players in Eric's MLE list is 433 players, so if we put the percentages to work from above. It equates to 46 major leaguers, 86 minor leaguers, with the 299 remaining players at B level or lower. Keep this in mind this is just my hypothisys. Another way to look at is most of the 46 possible major leaguer would have spent 10 years in the majors, sincle the negro leagues were around to roughly 30 years that'c close to 10 players per year in the majors and roughly the same in the minors since those players are more likely to play 5 or so years. Out of those 10 players do all of them make the starting rosters? What I have found is most clubs are satisfied with their middle of the field players, catcher, short stop, and centerfielder. So that makes it hard for negro league stars like Oscar Charleston, John Henry Lloyd, Pete Hill, Josh Gibson etc. to find a job. Surely the guys mentioned should make a roster somewhere? They would be more likely to make a bottom tier club or be a backup player on the top level club. When it comes to pitching most of the clubs have at least two top notch starters and the better teams have three if not four. So where does it leave for the negro league pitchers? The Satchel Paige, Dick Whitworth, Dave Brown, Dick Redding, Rube Foster calibur pitchers will probably get a starting role on a bottom tier club. Some two way players like Martin Dihigo, Bullet Rogan will probably find a role as either a bull pen pitcher or backup fielder. My conculsion, the Nego League was a wonderful thing and we should be thankful for those players who provided so many folks with some great memories. Yes it is disheartening for the 150 or so players who could have made their mark in the majors and or minors. How would the 150 or so white players have done in the minor leagues, or out of baseball all to gether? Where would the other 300 or so negro league players have gone? Maybe the minor leagues could have flourished in the 1920s, 30s and 40s with more talent from the negro leagues? My apologies if I missed a player from the list above.