When legendary Red Sox
slugger Ted Williams gave his induction speech at the National
Baseball Hall of Fame on July 25, 1966, he unexpectedly
included a blunt admonition to the sport's establishment that
something in the hallowed Hall was significantly awry - the absence
of standout players from the Negro Leagues:
"I've been a very lucky guy to have worn a baseball uniform,
and I hope some day the names of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson in
some way can be added as a symbol of the great Negro players who
are not here - only because they weren't given a chance."
The "Splendid Splinter"
was referring to two of the most famous names in the Negro Leagues,
who were not given the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues
until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. (Gibson died
early in 1947 and never played in the majors; Paige's brief major
league stint came long past his prime.) Williams biographer Leigh
Montville called the broadside "a first crack in the door that
ultimately would open and include Paige [in 1971] and Gibson [1972]
and other Negro League stars in the shrine."
The Hall has been
playing catch-up ever since - and as this week's guest Steven
Greenes (Negro Leaguers and the Hall of Fame: The Case for
Inducting 24 Overlooked Ballplayers) argues - still has
plenty of ground to cover if it is to fully memorialize the
contributions of some of the best talent to have ever played the
game.
