We've left our run a bit late on the subject of this feature, pitcher
Johnny Markham. I don't mind that so much, I mean his historical stats aren't going anywhere and it affords us more perspective on what he has achieved as an EL player in this timeline.
Born 1908 in Shreveport LA, Johnny actually proved something of a lucky charm in his early NeL career despite never really attaining great individual heights as a player. According to Jim Riley, he played in five of the first eight Negro American League pennant winners when he was in the league.
A fair stretch among lesser teams is wedged in between his rather unimpressive 3-7 rookie 1930 season with the Monarchs and his far better 7-0 1937 season. That year saw the first of the aforementioned pennants, with two more coming in quick succession in 1939 and 1940. I'm not 100% sure on this however, as despite Jim Riley's assertions, Seamheads shows no stats for him in either of these seasons.
Johnny then - via a brief stint with the Chicago indy Palmer House All-Stars club - signed with the Black Barons in 1941, where he would play out the remainder of his NeL career and where he would again be part of pennant-winning outfits in both 1943 and '44, losing on each occasion to the Grays in the World Series. In the first of those, he went 6-2 with a league low 1.72 ERA but he lost form quickly and was out of the league for good after the 1945 season, finishing with a career record of 27-20 and 105 ERA+.
He died in 1975.
The EL version of Johnny was drafted 201st overall in the inaugural 1968 Draft by the American Giants, with whom he has ended up doing three tours of duty, winning 94 games all told. His 16 Eclipse League seasons have also seen him play for the ABCs (1972), Royal Giants (1973-76), Liberty Stars (1977-78), Black Barons (late '78), Black Yankees (1979-80), Cuban Stars West (1981) and his current club the Crawfords, which he joined this season on a one-year deal.
Now in his age-36 season, Johnny has amassed 238 Wins (tied for 6th on the all-time list) vs 227 losses, with his career 3.69 ERA almost mirroring his IRL career ERA+ at 104. He is yet to win a title, but took home the 1973 Stovey Medal for best pitcher after going 20-12 with a league-low 2.56 ERA and has made four All-Star appearances. At the time of posting, his WAR total sits at a healthy 69.8. A nice little career indeed!
Let's hope he's a few years left in the game ahead of him.