Former Negro Leagues Star Dies at 103

Yahoo - AP ^ | 8/11/05

[dfwgator]

I'd bet he still would have been the Ace of the Rangers' staff.

[Cyclopean Squid]

I'm used to being defeated. Kind of like the Cubs. But you should give that book a try--I'm just reading a bit here and there, but it is quite an impressive collection of writing about B-ball.

[SF Republican]

CHICAGO - Former Negro Leagues star Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, believed to be the oldest living professional baseball player, died Thursday. He was 103. The Cubbies could have probably used his help this year... When I was a kid the Texas Rangers were doing pretty well when one reporter commented to Manager Billy Martin that the Rangers were only two players away from the World Series; Martin shot back thats true but Babe Ruth and Cy Young are dead.

[speedy]

Jeez, born in 1902 -- the year before Lou Gehrig. A man who was a contemporary of players like Al Simmons and Lefty Grove, and only seven years younger than The Bambino himself. A great career, from a league that had more than its share of legendary figures.

[calex59]

Yes, it was a sad time in our history but the people who played in the Negro league have nothing to be ashamed of, but rather they are they stuff this country is made of.

Dispite adversity and prejudice they kept playing and laid the ground work for people such as Hank Aaron to play in the Major Leagues without discrimination as to color( not that there weren't jerks still crabbing about it for a long time).

These blacks, or african americans, or whatever name you want to give them are to be revered and should be held up as examples of how to live your life to every black american alive today.

Unfortunately, leaders such as Jesse Jackson have taken the pride away from many blacks and played the victim card all too often, so that this type of courage shown by the players in the Negro League is seldom shown today by our minorities, who face far fewer difficulties.

[fatnotlazy]

Thank you...you said it all far better than I did.

I might add that these guys obviously didn't make a whole lot of money...they truly did play for the love of the game. They had far more class than some of the whiney overpaid, underworked jerks who pass as professional baseball players today.