Western Canada Baseball Negro Leagues


The Negro Leagues / The Cuban Connection

"When black players were released they had few places to go because the Negro Leagues had for all purposes folded. Radio and television did their damage too, and before long barnstorming had faded away also. By the late 1940s, all major league teams had radio stations carrying their broadcasts. By the early 1950s, most major league teams had television coverage. People who could watch major-league baseball on television had no need to go down to their local high school field to see the House of David or the Black Yankees come to town anymore, so the only places for Negro Leaguers to go was Latin America, Mexico or Canada." -- Bruce Chadwick : When the Game Was Black and White Barney Brown (third from the left above) with the Satchel Paige All-Stars in 1946. Others in the photo, Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Howard Easterling, Sam Jethroe, Hank Thompson, Chico Renfroe, Gene Benson, Artie Wilson, Gentry Jessup, Max Manning, Rufus Lewis, Buck O'Neil, Frank Duncan, Quincy Trouppe, and Dizzy Dismukes. "Once the color line in organized baseball was eradicated, the end of black baseball was inevitable. For all practical purposes, the end of the Negro Leagues came with the stroke of a pen when Jackie Robinson signed a Brooklyn Dodgers contract." -- James A. Riley:The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. Phil Dixon with Patrick J. Hannigan : THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUES A Photographic History Bruce Chadwick : When the Game Was Black and White James A. Riley:The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues Dick Clark, Larry Lester : The Negro Leagues Book Also see BARNSTORMING Just three years after Jackie Robinson suited up with the Brooklyn Dodgers, dozens of former Negro Leaguers headed for Manitoba and jobs in the new ManDak League. A lone American team, the Minot Mallards joined two Winnipeg teams, the Buffaloes and Elmwood Giants, the Brandon Greys, and Carman Cardinals in the new circuit which began play in 1950. It would be home to many former stars of the now fading Negro Leagues. Willie Wells (left), Leon Day, Lyman Bostock, Ray Dandridge, and Double-Duty Radcliffe were among the players to finish out their careers in Canada. There would be some inter-league play between the ManDak and Western Canada Leagues in the early '50's. In 1959, Williston would join the Western teams in the Canadian-American League. As the ManDak League began to fade, some of the players drifted West to Saskatchewan and Alberta teams. Barney Brown (left to right) - 1939 with the New York Black Yankees; in 1944 with the Philadelphia Stars; 1944-45 Veracruz, Mexico; 1950-51 Ponce, Puerto Rico; me and Barney Brown in 1956 with the Lloydminster Meridians.
Smokey Joe Adams Carman 50 Hank Adkins Brandon 49 Ted Alexander London 50-51 Brandon 52	Harold Allan Regina 50	Tom Alston Indian Head 50-51	Higinio Alvarez Regina 58 Sandy Amoros Montreal 53-59 Bill Anderson Brandon 51	Orinthal Andy Anderson Carman 51 Minot 56-57 Stanley Gabby Anderson London 57-66 Curly Andrews Esteven 51
John Sonny Andrews Carman 49-53 Galt 55	Tex Anthony Estevan 50 Buddy Armour Farnham 49 Granby 50-51	Joe Atkins Farnham 48-49 Drummondville 51 Carman 53 Ottawa 54	Aquillon Bailey Ligon All-Stars 49-50 North Battleford 50 Fred Bankhead Ligon All-Stars 49 Sam Bankhead Farnham 51 Jim Banks Brandon 52-53	Norman Banks Regina 52 Brandon 52 Quincy Bud Barbee St. Jean 49-50 Granby 51 Thetford Mines 54 Tom Barnes Drummondville 51 Three Rivers 52
Herbert Barnhill Indian Head 51	Wes Barrow Elmwood 51	Lloyd Pepper Bassett Brandon 51	Nathaniel Bates Medicine Hat 51 Indian Head 52 Baldy Benson Estevan 50-51 Carlos Bernier St. Jean 50	Mike Red Berry Elmwood 51 Joe Black Montreal 51-52 Jesse Blackman Indian Head 50-51 North Battleford 53-56
Jim Bolden Elmwood 51 Monte Bond Lloydminster 58-59 Marshall Boney Elmwood 49-50	Nathaniel Legs Booker Prince Albert 51	Lyman Bostock Winnipeg 50-51 Carman 52-53	Lincoln Boyd Brandon 49 Indian Head 50 Regina 50	Luther Branham Drummondville 51 Victoria 52-53 Hiram Alonso Brathwaite Farnham 51 St. Hyacinthe 52-53 Drummondville 54 Jabe Brazzle Ligon All-Stars 49 & 51
Eugene Bremmer Broadview 1937	Chet Brewer St. Jean 49 Sceptre 50 Indian Head 51 Carman 53	Sherwood Brewer Saskatoon 57 Medicine Hat 59	John Britton Winnipeg 50 Elmwood 51	Ken Broady Ligon All-Stars 47-48 Ligon All-Stars 50-51 Dick Brookins Regina 1910
Lefty Ted Richardson, ace of the 1953 Indianapolis Clowns. Richardson played in the Negro leagues from 1951-55 with the Clowns. In 1955, he was also with the semi-pro St. Joseph Auscos which won the Michigan state title. He had three years of pro ball in the Detroit farm system beginning in 1956 with Syracuse of the Eastern League, 5-4 2.82. In 1957 had a 10-9 mark with a 2.00 ERA for Orlando of the Florida State League. In 1958, he went 5-1 1.94 for Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League before coming north to play in the Canadian-American League with Lloydminster-North Battleford. (Photo from Baseball game program for Kansas City Monarchs and Indianapolis Clowns, 1954; Library of Congress; lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/jrhtml/jr1900s.html)
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