African Americans began playing baseball in the late 1800s on military teams, college teams, and company teams. They eventually found their way to professional teams with white players. With existing "Jim Crow" laws and racism prevalent Black players formed their own teams, "barnstorming" around the country to play anyone who would challenge them. In 1920, an organized league structure was formed under the guidance of Andrew" Rube" Foster- a former player, manager, and owner for the Chicago American Giants. The Negro Leagues played until the 1960s. An historic baseball and civil rights event that is credited with the Negro League teams folding is the recruitment of Major League Baseball's first African American player-Jackie Robinson in 1945. Robinson was recruited from the Kansas City Monarchs and shortly after the best Black players were also recruited for the Major Leagues.
But, did you know the story of Marcenia Lyle?
"In 1937, at the age of sixteen, Marcenia Lyle began her career as a pitcher with the Twin Cities Colored Giants. From there she moved on to semiprofessional and minor league Negro teams, including the San Francisco Sea Lions and the New Orleans Creoles. As Marcenia's playing took off, she changed her name to Toni Stone. The name Marcenia "was just too cute for baseball," she said.
In 1953, when she was thirty-two years old, Toni's dream of playing professional baseball came true. She signed to play second base for the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns, filling the position vacated by Hank Aaron's move to the Major Leagues. This made Toni the first female member of an all-male professional baseball team."
Excerpt from the Afterword in "Catching the Moon" by Crystal Hubbard illustrated by Randy DuBurke
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