Negro Leagues' Historic Photographic Archive

[Bill Burgess]

If you enjoy this photo gallery, you might also like our other ones, too.

Historical, Archival Photographs---Pre-1900---Negro L.---Vintage Panoramic Pictures---Members' Gallery---Runningshoes Presents: Photo Op---Meet The Sports Writers

Photos of the following individual players---Hank Aaron---Pete Alexander---Ty Cobb---Eddie Collins---Sam Crawford---Jimmy Foxx---Lou Gehrig---Rickey Henderson---Rogers Hornsby---Joe Jackson---Walter Johnson---Nap Lajoie---Connie Mack---John McGraw---Mickey Mantle---Christy Mathewson---Willie Mays---Mel Ott---Babe Ruth---George Sisler---Tris Speaker---Pie Traynor---Rube Waddell--- Honus Wagner---Ted Williams---Zack Wheat---Rare Ty Cobb ---Rare Babe Ruth---Bill's Babe Ruth---Rare Ted Williams---Bill's Rare Finds ---Babefan's Fantastic Vintage Baseball photos---GaryL's Boston Public Library Baseball Photo Project

We also have some very nice, attractive team photo collections---New York Yankees---New York Giants---Detroit Tigers---Pittsburgh Pirates---Brooklyn Dodgers
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Indexing of Negro League Historical Photographic Archive:

1. Index
2. Top, Left: Leroy 'Satchel' Paige: Satchel Paige:  The Associated Press Pictorial History of Baseball, by Hal Bock, 1990, pp. 17.  Or, one use alternately use, Maybe I'll Pitch Forever, by Leroy (Satchel) Paige, as told to David Lipman, 1961, pp. 144.
2. Top, Right: Leroy 'Satchel' Paige:
2. Middle, Left: Satchel Paige: Baseball: The Perfect Game, ed. by Josh Leventhal, 2005, pp. 161.
2. Middle, Right: Satchel Paige: Illustrated History of Baseball, by Robert Smith, 1973, pp. 175.
2. Bottom, Left: Satchel Paige: INTERNET:
2. Bottom, Right: Satchel Paige: INTERNET:
3. Left: Josh Gibson: Heroes of Baseball: The Men Who Made It America's Favorite Game, by Robert Lipsyte, 2005, pp. 43.
3. Right: Josh Gibson: Negro League Scrapbook, by Carole Boston Weatherford, 2005, pp. 20. Or one can alternately use The Image of Their Greatness, by Lawrence S. Ritter & Donald Honig, 1992, pp. 201. 
3. Bottom, Left: Josh Gibson: Baseball's Best, by Martin Appel & Burt Goldblatt, 1980, pp. 176.
3. Bottom, Right: Josh Gibson: Home Run Leaders, by Jonathan Bliss, 1991, pp. 19.
3. Josh Gibson: SABR's The National Pastime, #9, 1989, pp. 65.
3. Left: Josh Gibson: The Shadows of Summer, Classic Baseball Photographs, 1869 - 1947, by Donald Honig, 1994, pp. 165.
3. Right: Josh Gibson: 
3. Bottom: Josh Gibson:
4. Left: Oscar Charleston: Playing America's Game: The Story of Negro League Baseball, by Michael L. Cooper, 1993, pp. 17.
4. Middle: Oscar Charleston
4. Right: Oscar Charleston
5. Left: John 'Pop' Lloyd: 150 Years of Baseball, 1989, pp. 201.
5. Middle: John 'Pop' Lloyd: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 52.
5. Right: John 'Pop' Lloyd: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 63.
5. Far Right: John 'Pop' Lloyd: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 104.
6. Top, Left: Biz Mackey: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 94.
6. Top, Center: Biz Mackey: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 131.
6. Top, Right: Biz Mackey: INTERNET:
6. Bottom, Left: Biz Mackey: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 82.
6. Bottom, Right: Biz Mackey:
7. Larry Brown: Voices From The Great Black Baseball Leagues, by John Holway, 1975, pp. 211.
7. Larry Brown:
8. Left: Spottswood Poles:
8. Right: Spot Poles: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 248.
9. Left: 'Smokey Joe' Williams: Shades of Glory: the Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball, by Lawrence D. Hogan, 2006, pp. 119. 
9. Middle: Wilbur 'Bullet Joe' Rogan: SABR's The National Pastime, #15, 1995, pp. 92.
9. Right: Wilbur 'Bullet Joe' Rogan: The Biographical Encyclopedia of The Negro Baseball Leagues, by James A. Riley, 2002, pp. 238.
9. Far Right: Wilbur 'Bullet Joe' Rogan: 100 Years of the Wold Series, by Eric Enders, 2003, 115.  Source: Sporting News Presents Heroes of the Hall: Baseball's all-time best, by Ron Smith, 2002, pp. 396.
10. Ted 'Double Duty' Radcliffe:
10. Ben Taylor:
11. Pete Hill:
11. Pete Hill:
12. Left: Roy Campanella: 150 Years of Baseball, 1989, pp. 321.
12. Middle: Roy Campanella: 150 Years of Baseball, 1989, pp. 299.
12. Right: Roy Campanella:  Total Baseball, 8th. Ed., 2004, pp. 948.
13. Left: Jose Mendez: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 130.
13. Right: Jesse 'Nip' Winters: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 95.
14. Left: Louis 'Santop' Loftin: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 94.
14. Right: Louis 'Santop' Loftin: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 224.
15.  Left:  Mule Suttles: The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Bseball Leagues, by James A. Riley, 2002, pp. 670.
15.  Right: Mule Suttles: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 103.
15. Right: Mule Suttles: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 227.
16. Left: Judy Johnson: 100 Years of the World Series, by Eric Enders, 2003, pp. 116. 
16. Middle: Elwood 'Bingo' DeMoss: The Biographical Encyclopedia of The Begro Baseball Leagues, by James A. Riley, 2002, pp. 238.
16. Right: Oliver Marcelle:
17. Left: Turkey Stearns:
17. Middle: Turkey Stearns:
17. Right: Turkey Stearns: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 249.
19. Left: Martin Dihigo: 
19. Right: Martin Dihigo: 
20. Quincy Trouppe: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 204.
21.  Far Right: Christobal Torrienti: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 245.
22. Left: Clint 'Hawk' Thomas: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 95.
22. Middle: Frank Duncan: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 105.
22. Right: 'Cool Papa' Bell: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 90.
23. Left: John Beckwith: 
23. Middle: Frank Duncan:INTERNET:
23. Right: Frank Duncan: INTERNET:
24. Left: Buck Leonard: The Baseball Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Book, by Gerald Astor, 1988, pp. 207.
24.  Middle: Buck Leonard: Baseball's Best, by Martin Appel & Burt Goldblatt, 1980, pp. 264.
24.  Right: Buck Leonard: Baseball: An Illustrated History, by Geoffrey C. Ward/Ken Burns, 1994, pp. 248.
25. Left: Oscar Charleston:
25. Right: Oscar Charleston:

Page 2.

26. Top: Pablo Mesa, Oscar Charleston, Alejandro Ohms: 
26. Bottom: Pablo Mesa, Oscar Charleston, Alejandro Ohms: Playing America's Game: The Story of Negro League Baseball, by Michael L. Cooper, 1993, pp. 43.
27. 1912 New York Giants:
28. 1920 Detroit Stars: SABR's The National Pastime, #6, 1986, pp. 39.  Or one can alternately use 100 Years of Major League Baseball, American and National Leagues, 1901-2000, by David Nemec/Saul Wisnia, 2000, pp. 77.
29. 1923 Indianapolis ABC's: 100 Years of Major League Baseball, American and National Leagues, 1901-2000, by David Nemec/Saul Wisnia, 2000, pp. 135.
30. 1923 Santa Clara Baseball Team: SABR's Road Trips, ed. by Jim Charlton, 2004, pp. 101.
32. 1924 Kansas City Monarchs: 
33. 1928 Pittsburgh Crawfords:
34. 1931 Homestead Greys: Voices From The Great Black Baseball Leagues, by John Holway, 1975, pp. 173.
36. 1942 Kansas City Monarchs: 
37. 1944 Washington Homestead Greys:
38. Top: Hillsdale Giants: The Biographical Encyclopedia of The Negro Baseball Leagues, by James A. Riley, 2002, pp. 238.
40.  Cool Papa Bell: The Baseball Anthology: 125 Years: ed. by Joseph Wallace, 1994, pp. 203. 
41.  Left: 'Smokey Joe' Williams: Shades of Glory: the Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball, by Lawrence D. Hogan, 2006, pp. 119.
41.  Right: 'Smokey Joe' Williams: Baseball: An Illustrated History, by Geoffrey C. Ward/Ken Burns, 1994, pp. 157.
41.  Bottom: 'Smokey Joe' Williams: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 32.
42.  John 'Pop' Lloyd: INTERNET:
43.  'Home Run' Johnson: 
44.  Spot Poles: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 248.
46.  Top: Ed Bolden: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 85.
46.  Bottom, Left: Cum Posey: INTERNET:
46.  Bottom, Right: Cum Posey: INTERNET:
48.  Martin Dihigo: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 243.
49.  Left: Newt Allen: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 228.
50.  Negro League Execs/Officials: Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution, by Neil Lanctot, 2004, pp. 101.

Page 3.

52. Left: Monte Irvin: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 164. 
52. Right: Ray Dandridge: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 149.
53. Henry Kimbro: When The Game Was Black and White, by Bruce Chadwick, 1992, pp. 67.
54. 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 161.
55. Left: Willie Foster: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 143.
55. Middle: Willie Wells: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 234.
55. Right: Dave Brown: Only The Ball Was White: Negro Baseball, by Robert W. Peterson, 1970, pp. 208.
56. 1920 Chicago American Giants: The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil Dixon, 1992, pp. 114.
57. Left: Clint Thomas: Internet:
57. Middle: Marcelle Oliver
57. Right: Bullet Joe Rogan
59. James Leslie "J. L." Wilkinson
60. Bill 'Willie' Foster
61. Buck Leonard
62. Cool Papa Bell
64. Judy Johnson/Cool Papa Bell
66. Hilton Smith
67. Cap Anson/Rube Foster

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If anyone has better quality versions of any of these photos, or can post a better quality of photo than we did, please show me in a PM or at the end of this thread. I would like to see anything you can do, in terms of more pristine resolution, or lesser cropped original source material.

Please do NOT be shy. We're looking to improve what we have here! Thanking you in advance. Bill Burgess
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Just a note that, with Bill's permission, I have edited most of the posts to include some info about the players pictured.

Jim Albright

Hello

I am extremely impressed with your images within this post.

I am a retired US Marine and currently doing research on preserving three all African American cemeteries (at my expense) in south eastern North Carolina.

Through an extention of my research I have learned of the Pepsi Cola Giants who played ball from ca. 1925 and well into the late 60s or even into the early 1970s. In the late fifties or early sixties the team's name was changed to Richlands Bees (North Carolina)

Would you, or your associates, have any reference to this African American ball team. They were not part of the "official" Negro leagues but, were extremely organized and systematically played ball as a touring team. The Raleigh Greys (North Carolina) lost to them. The local story goes that the Florida Greys, after hearing about the PC Giants, redirected their touring season to come to North Carolina to play and beat the PC Giants. The Giants won this game, like most of their games, too.

Any reference to this team would be appreciated. I am including them into my research, lectures and future books to give them proper, long over due recognition. I also have a friend who is a local news reporter who is willing to do an article on my research on this team.

With respect,

Jack Robinson, MA
GySgt., US Marine Corps, Retired
Researcher of local History

http://jackrobinsonbooks.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0MrZEuClg4

This is awesome... I have always been intrigued by the Negro Leagues, and what could have been... I have read up on alot of these guys, and to see some of these pics (seen quite a few already)... Good stuff... Thanks...

Does anybody have a photo of Minnie Minoso from his days with the Negro League powerhouse The New York Cubans? They appear to be very rare. Even the Baseball Hall Of Fame only has photos from Minnie's later major leagues days. Minoso played between 1945 and 1948 with the Cubans who were based primarily in The Polo Grounds, but played some games near my hometown in a park in East Orange, New Jersey known as Oval Park or Grove Street Oval. Most Negro League teams had alternate parks, like "The Oval" to avoid scheduling conflicts with big league teams. Despite the fact that Minoso was an East-West game all-star in 1947 and 1948, and that he played for NY Cuban teams that went to two consecutive Negro League Series (losing in 1946 and winning in 1947), there seems to be almost no photographic record of Minoso's Negro League playing days. (Minoso signed with the Cleveland Indians shortly after the '48 all-star game and his not finishing out the Negro League season with The Cubans may have had a lot to do with their not advancing to the championship series that year).
Does anybody have any photos of Minoso's Negro Leagues days, or a clue on where to find them?
-philliesfiend55-

It was sad to see how few people were in the stands during the games in some of those pictures. Unbelievable!

Thank you for posting these pictures! They are fabulous!:cap:

[Bill Burgess]

Baseball Think Factory---Satchel Paige data from Shades of Glory---Satchel Paige bio from negroleaguebaseball.com

------Satchel Paige, 1956, Miami Marlins, age 50---BB Ref--------------------------------------1941, Yankee Stadium---Note the arm angle. Did ol' Satch throw the screwball?

---------------Satchel Paige, Cleveland P, 1948-49


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kansas City A's, 1965


Pete Alexander looks on. Satch is wearing a New York Yankees' uniform, and it's Yankee Stadium. Maybe he had a tryout?

[Bill Burgess]

-----------------Josh Gibson-----------------------------Josh Gibson, Crawfords C, 1932-36----------BB Library bio---Bill Burgess' write-up


-----------Josh Gibson, Negro L. C
1942 at Forbes Field with Homestead Grays --------------- Pittsburgh Crawfords ca. 1942-----Baseball Think Factory----------------------At Forbes Field, 1942, with Homestead Grays

[Bill Burgess]

Oscar Charleston, Negro L. CF, 1915-23-------------------1930-31-------------------------------1922-24---Wikipedia

[Bill Burgess]

John Henry "Pop" Lloyd---Baseball Think Factory---BB Library bio---Bill Burgess' write-up

[Bill Burgess]

James Raleigh Clarence 'Biz' Mackey, Hillsdale Catcher-------Albright's Musings---Baseball Think Factory---Bill Burgess' write-up
---------------1923-31-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1938-39


-------------Abe Manley--------------Biz Mackey-------------Bill White-----------------------Biz Mackey---------------------Biz Mackey
-----------Newark Eagles----------Newark Eagles-----------Newark Eagles
-------------Owner-------------------catcher-----------------Manager
---------------------------------1939-41, '45-47, 50---------------------------------------1939-41, '45-47, 50

[Bill Burgess]

---------Larry Brown 1941, Tampico---BB Library bio

[Bill Burgess]

Spottswood 'Spot' Poles:---Baseball Think Factory---BB Library bio

Born: November 7, 1889
Died: September 12, 1962

Spottswood Poles, called the black Ty Cobb, won five battle stars and a purple heart in World War I with the 369th Infantry (Harlem Hell Fighters) while attached to the French Army.

He broke into professional black baseball as the center fielder and lead off hitter for the powerful 1909 Philadelphia Giants. He moved on the New York Lincoln Giants in 1911, where he batted .440 for the season and stole 41 bases in only 60 games. He hit .398 in 1912, .414 in 1913, and .487 in 1914.

With the Lincoln club in the 10 game 1915 black championship, Poles batted only .205, but because of his speed and base running ability scored 11 runs. In a 15 year Negro League career, Poles is credited with a .400 lifetime batting average and a .319 average for the four winter seasons he spent in Cuba. He is also credited with a .610 batting average in exhibition games against major league competition, many of which took place while Poles was in Cuba.

[Bill Burgess]

--------------------Joe Williams---------------------------------Joe Williams-----Baseball Think Factory--BB Library bio
---------------Lincoln Giants, 1911-23------------------------------1911-23
---------------------------------------------------------------------1925-32


Bullet Joe Rogan---Albright's Musings---Baseball Think Factory
------------------------------------------------Bullet Joe Rogan--Joe Rogan -------------------Joe Rogan
-----------------------------------------------KC Monarchs 1920-'38----------------------KC Monarchs P/O

[Bill Burgess]

Double-Duty Radcliffe: BB Library bio
Ben Taylor: Baseball Think Factory---BB Library bio

---Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe ----------Ben Taylor: 1B
------Pitcher/catcher, -----------------1914-18, 1920-22
Chicago American Giants,
---1934, 1941-43, 1949-50

[Bill Burgess]

J. Preston 'Pete' Hill, OF---Albright's Musings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Detroit Stars, 1919-21

[Bill Burgess]

----Roy Campanella, Dodgers' C, 1950-57----BB Reference------------------------------------------------May, 1950



March 6, 1950-----------------------------------------------------------February 1956


COLOR="Red"]Roy Campanella,[/COLOR] Brooklyn C, February 24, 1953--------------------------------------March, 1954


----------------------------------------March 6, 1950

[Bill Burgess]

Jose Mendez certainly seems to me to have the kind of case Hughie Jennings would have if he had been a Negro League pitcher rather than a white shortstop. They both were brilliant, for a few years, but maybe not enough to make it to the HOF on that ground alone. Then they both managed with significant success, though that too might be a tad short on its own. But put the two halves together, it's hard to keep him out. Mendez led one of the few organized Negro Leagues of the day in Cuba in wins three times from 1908-13, winning nearly 3/4 of his decisions (74-25). He came to the states and hurt his arm, so he only pitched occasionally thereafter, but generally effectively. He also managed the early Kansas City Monarchs to three league titles and won a Negro League World Series before he died young of pnemonia.

Jose Mendez data from Baseball Think Factory
Nip Winters---Baseball Think Factory---BB Library bio

-----------------------Jose Mendez-----------------------------------------Jesse 'Nip' Winters------------
-------------------Cuban Pitching great------------------------------------Hillsdale P. 1922-28, 1931

[Bill Burgess]

Louis 'Santop' Loftin, Catcher, 1909-1926

Born: January 17, 1890, Tyler, Texas
Died: January 6, 1942, Philadelphia, PA

One of the earliest superstars and a crowd favorite, Louis Santop was solid, strong-armed catcher who was better known as a power hitter. The left-handed hitting Texan was noted for his tape-measure home runs during baseball's dead-ball era.

A lifetime .406 hitter, the big 6'4", 240-pounder starred with several great teams during his career, including the Lincoln Giants and Lincoln Stars, for whom he starred from 1911-16. With the Lincoln Giants, "Top" caught the two contemporary hardest throwers, Smokey Joe Williams and Cannonball Dick Redding, and chalked up batting averages against all levels of competition of .470, .422 and .455 for the years 1911, 1912 and 1914, respectively.

After navy service during World War I, he played with Hilldale from 1920-26, including the pennant-winning teams of 1923-25. Santop hit for averages of .358, .364 and .405 for the 1922-24 seasons, respectively, and .333 in the 1924 World Series against the Kansas City Monarchs.

The following year, the 35-year-old Santop's playing time was restricted, as Biz Mackey assumed the catching duties. Soon thereafter, he faded from the baseball scene, but is still remembered today for his colorful exploits and his powerful bat.

Years Played:
1909-1926

----------1911-----------------Albright's Musings Post---Baseball Think Factory

[Bill Burgess]

Some Shots of Mule Suttles:---Albright's Musings---Baseball Think Factory---Wikipedia