By June 1, 2021
Photo: Inez Moore Parker Archives Photo Collection at JCSU
On June 20, 1890, The Wilmington Messenger reported on a game between their local Black baseball team, the Fowler Base Ball Club of Wilmington, against the Quicksteps of Charlotte. On the day of the game (June 19), the Quicksteps of Charlotte won by a narrow victory against the Fowler Base Ball Club of Wilmington by the score, 11-10. The two Black baseball clubs would play another game the following day where the Quicksteps won by another close call.
When it comes to the history of Black baseball in Charlotte, this was one of the earliest reported games.
Back in the late nineteenth century, Black players were disbarred from playing Major League Baseball alongside their white counterparts. It was a segregated game where ballplayers who wanted to play competitively had to organize their own team or league, and many Charlotte Black business owners and neighborhoods did. These teams were composed of talented players who were mostly obscure to both national and local media. It was around this time that Black ball clubs started to pop up throughout the area and the state of North Carolina.
In the 1910s, Charlotte’s Black baseball began to flourish with teams such as The Biddle Stars, Charlotte Black Hornets, Charlotte Quicksteps, and the Charlotte Red Sox. The Biddle Stars consisted of players from Biddle University (now Johnson C. Smith University) and from the Biddleville community, while the Charlotte Blacks Hornets were a new team that received its name from the local white minor league baseball club called the Charlotte Hornets.
During the mid-to-late 1910s, the Charlotte Red Sox were a touted team that claimed themselves as “Champions of Baseball” in the area as well as throughout the state. The Red Sox had a large fanfare that attracted many fans from the area and, during World War I, they led a supportive effort to help support Camp Greene’s Black soldiers. In 1918, on Labor Day, the team hosted a fundraiser where they played against the soldiers at Wearn Field. After the conclusion of the game’s fundraiser, the team was able to collect $249.66 (as of 2021, equal to $1,768.57), which afforded the music band to buy new instruments.
During the Roaring ’20s, the Jim Crow era was at its height, but this did not discourage many of these baseball clubs from earning extra income. The game of baseball allowed many of these men and teenagers to earn a small lump sum of extra money while playing the sport they loved. The majority of the ballplayers had varied occupations — working in the fields, textile mills, and department stores — while the teenagers still attended school. The baseball clubs scheduled a majority of their games on the weekends and during the holidays — it was an occasion. Many fans who attended the games treated the event as a community gathering or even a reunion, and while in attendance, hats were passed around the crowd to support the local and visiting teams.
World War II created difficulties in consistently maintaining baseball clubs, as many of Charlotte’s Black enlistments were headed to war. In 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson to a Major League contract, which led to a trickle effect that allowed other Black baseball players to sign professional league contracts. By the late 1940s, Jackie Robinson was flexing his skills with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Charlotte had two thriving Black baseball clubs: the Charlotte Black Hornets and the Charlotte Red Sox. The Black Hornets were a part of the Negro Carolina League and, in the 1950s, the Red Sox were a part of the Negro National League Association.
During the turn of the 1950s, Black baseball and, in particular, Charlotte’s Black baseball saw a sharp decline in organized team and league play. Nevertheless, through the years, many of the teams were able to thrive while playing in the region. Charlotte and Johnson C. Smith University were pipelines for players to move on to the professional ranks of the Negro Leagues, and many were honored with local fame and attention, becoming household names in the Black community. Unfortunately, by the late 1950s, the Red Sox and the Black Hornets had to dissolve due to losing many of their players to minor and major league baseball teams.
Players from Charlotte and students from Johnson C. Smith University who went on to play in the professional Negro Leagues include: Mickey Casey (catcher – Johnson C. Smith University), William Davis (pitcher – Charlotte Black Hornets), Carl Forney (pitcher/manager – Charlotte Black Hornets), Burnalle “Bun” Hayes (pitcher – Johnson C. Smith University), William “Red” Lindsay (shortstop – Johnson C. Smith University), Charlie Parks (catcher – Brooklyn community), Willie Sheelor (infielder – Charlotte Black Hornets), Fate Simms (outfielder – Charlotte Black Hornets), John “Steel Arm Johnny” Taylor (pitcher/manager – Johnson C. Smith University), and James Tillman (catcher – Charlotte Black Hornets). For over half a century, Charlotte was a powerhouse in Black baseball throughout North Carolina.
On December 16, 2020, Major League Baseball acknowledged their wrongs in excluding Black baseball players during segregation, and reconciled with the Negro Leagues and its players by adding the stats to their official record books. This moment in baseball history cemented the legacy of the Negro Leagues. Legends like Josh Gibson — who was known for his hitting prowess — will now be recognized as one of the all-time home run kings listed next to Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth. Satchel Paige, who was a phenom ace pitcher, will be listed among such greats as Cy Young, Christopher Mathewson, and Nolan Ryan, as one of the all-time winningest pitchers and strikeout leaders in the game. Negro League managers such as James “Candy Jim” Taylor and Vic Harris will be included among the all-time winningest managers in Major League history, alongside Connie Mack, John McGraw, and Tony La Russa.
With the inclusion of Negro League baseball player records, these men will finally receive the recognition they deserve, shedding light on their roles as unsung heroes of the sport. At last, Major League Baseball is bridging the gap and giving these players their rightful seat at the table.
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