Adrian "Cap" Anson

A major figure in 19th century baseball, the strong-willed Adrian “Cap” Anson played at the major league level for 27 years, mainly at first base with the Chicago National League squad. He batted over .300 during 20 of those seasons, and accumulated over 3,000 hits during an illustrious career. When he retired, he owned records in numerous categories, including games, hits, at-bats, doubles and runs. He also served as a player-manager for Chicago, earning over 1,200 wins and accumulating five National League pennants.

Anson is also said to have originated many of the game's most traditional elements. He was the first manager to hold "preseason training" in the spring and the first to rotate pitchers from game to game. He also is credited with being the first to use hand signals to relay information to his hitters, rather than just shouting at them from across the infield. The fact that these ideas caught on is a testament to how influential Cap Anson was within the game.

He was also an enormous racist and his influence spread into that area of the game as well. Back in 1887, Anson uttered the endearing baseball yell "Get that nigger off the field!" when the Newark Little Giants tried to field a couple of spooks against Anson's Chicago White Stockings team. Anson refused to play several other games in which the opposing team had even a single black player, leading to a secret "gentleman's agreement" between all team owners that effectively banned black players from the Majors until 1947.

Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb may have been baseball's greatest player, if not the game's fiercest competitor. His batting accomplishments are legendary - a lifetime average of .367, 297 triples, 4,191 hits, 12 batting titles (including nine in a row), 23 straight seasons in which he hit over .300, three .400 seasons (topped by a .420 mark in 1911), and 2,245 runs. Intimidating the opposition, "The Georgia Peach" stole 892 bases during a 24-year career, primarily with the Detroit Tigers.

In spring training in 1907, Cobb, considered a racist by many, fought a black groundskeeper over the condition of the Tigers' spring training field in Augusta, Ga., and ended up choking the nigger's wife when she intervened. Cobb also reportedly fought nigger elevator operators and construction workers. The man did not put up with any shit. In June 1912, three men jumped Cobb and his wife in Detroit. Quickly thinking to protect his wife, Cobb pulled his gun, but it wouldn't fire. He chased down one of the fleeing thieves and beat the man's face to an unrecognizable pulp with the butt of his pistol.

Enos Slaughter

In 1936 at Columbus, Georgia, after being rebuked by manager Eddie Dyer, Enos Slaughter vowed never to loaf on a ball field again. His newfound commitment made him one of the game's greatest hustlers. Nicknamed "Country," Slaughter used a flat, level swing to become a consistent batter, hitting .300 or better 10 times, and an outstanding contact hitter in clutch situations. He achieved instantaneous fame for his "mad dash" home from first base on Harry Walker's double, which won the 1946 World Series for the Cardinals over the Red Sox. In May 1947, Slaughter led a St. Louis Cardinals attempt to strike in protest against Jackie Robinson. Later that year, Slaughter "spiked" the fresh negro Robinson in the chest while sliding onto a base.

Tom Yawkey

Owner and sportsman Tom Yawkey purchased the struggling Boston Red Sox in 1933 and dedicated his time and finances for the next 44 years to building winning teams. His teams' best seasons occurred in 1946, '67 and '75 when the Red Sox captured the American League pennant, and then went on to lose each World Series in seven games. The popular owner was a generous man and a leader among big league owners. Yawkey also served as American League vice president from 1956 to 1973. As late as 1954 and ’55 the Red Sox still didn’t employ a single black - player, janitor, or secretary. Alas the times were changing and the Red Sox became the last Major League team in give in to multiculturalism when they fielded their first nigger player in 1959.

Huh? "She passed as a black woman?" What did she do, smear tar over herself? Unless of course, she wasn't white to begin with, just another mulatto.

I always knew about Cobb but it was refreshing to read of those other great baseball men as well.

:cheers:

AM

Adrian "Cap" Anson

A major figure in 19th century baseball, the strong-willed Adrian “Cap” Anson played at the major league level for 27 years, mainly at first base with the Chicago National League squad. He batted over .300 during 20 of those seasons, and accumulated over 3,000 hits during an illustrious career. When he retired, he owned records in numerous categories, including games, hits, at-bats, doubles and runs. He also served as a player-manager for Chicago, earning over 1,200 wins and accumulating five National League pennants.

Anson is also said to have originated many of the game's most traditional elements. He was the first manager to hold "preseason training" in the spring and the first to rotate pitchers from game to game. He also is credited with being the first to use hand signals to relay information to his hitters, rather than just shouting at them from across the infield. The fact that these ideas caught on is a testament to how influential Cap Anson was within the game. He was also an enormous racist and his influence spread into that area of the game as well. Anson refused to play several games in which the opposing team had even a single black player, leading to a secret "gentleman's agreement" between all team owners that effectively banned black players from the Majors until 1947.

Look at how someone shits all over the memory of Anson, right on his tribute page. A special section, titled "Cap's Great Shame," asks, "is it okay to be a fan of Cap Anson in this more enlightened age? Each fan will have to make up his or her own mind."

I knew nothing about the guy until this thread, but something tells me good 'ole Cap won't be turning over in his grave anytime soon worrying about the opinions of today's nigger worshipping baseball fans.

Look at how someone shits all over the memory of Anson, right on his tribute page. A special section, titled "Cap's Great Shame," asks, "is it okay to be a fan of Cap Anson in this more enlightened age? Each fan will have to make up his or her own mind."

I knew nothing about the guy until this thread, but something tells me good 'ole Cap won't be turning over in his grave anytime soon worrying about the opinions of today's nigger worshipping baseball fans.

From his Tribute page:

Anson carried his racist attitudes off the field as well, as evidenced by his description of Clarence Duval, Chicago’s black team mascot. In his autobiography, “A Ball Player’s Career,” Anson wrote “Clarence was a little darkey that I had met some time before while in Philadelphia, a singer and dancer of no mean ability, and a little coon whose skill in handling the baton would have put to the blush many a bandmaster of national reputation. ... Outside of his dancing and his power of mimicry he was, however, a 'no account nigger,' and more than once did I wish that he had been left behind."

:cheers: Cheers Cap; and R-I-P.