Red Sox: Two more postseason awards for Mookie Betts and Rick Porcello
The Boston Red Sox Mookie Betts and Rick Porcello continue to be honored this postseason. Latest is two prestigious awards from the Negro Leagues Museum
Boston Red Sox stars Mookie Betts and Rick Porcello just added two more postseason awards to their ever-expanding trophy collection. This time both are being honored by the Negro Leagues Museum with Betts receiving the Oscar Charleston Award for most value player in the American League. Porcello was honored with the Bullet Rogan Award as American League Pitcher of the Year. More on Charleston and Rogan will follow.
As a baseball fan growing up in the 1950’s I knew nothing of the Negro Leagues. The only reference would be a small snippet when a player such as Ernie Banks became known and an article would make mention. There were virtually no books of note to read.
In the 1960’s, I met Ambrose McGillvery who was then in his mid-70’s. Ambrose, or “Amby,” was a baseball fanatic. How so? Amby would take the train to New York City in his younger days to see not only major league ball but Negro League ball. Amby respected and knew talent.
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Many an hour was spent with Amby talking about the early days of baseball – he claimed he started following baseball before the Red Sox existed. The Negro Leagues were a favorite topic and the stories of the players and their ability certainly caught my interest. Then came “Only the Ball Was White.”
That book opened up a groundswell of a review into the Negro Leagues. Names that Amby would describe now surfaced with greater detail. Research into the players of that point of separation in our history proliferated and the Baseball Hall of Fame opened its doors wider.
“One of the best—if not the best—pitcher that ever lived.” Casey Stengel
Rogan was a right-hand hurler who was called bullet for a reason. “Bullet Joe” was generally considered the equal to Satchel Paige as a pitcher, but where Satch was an “easy out,” Bullet was a hitter. Statistical information from the Negro Leagues is spotty, but the HOF does provide some insight thanks to diligent research.
Rogan compiled an 119-50 record in the Negro National League despite starting his career at age 30. Rogan used a variety of pitches besides his well-known heater – curve ball, palm ball, fork ball, spit ball and change-up that contributed to 855 career strikeouts. Now about that hitting?
Rogan had a career average of .338 as an outfielder, but that is just part of the picture. Rogan blasted 45 career home runs, slugged .515 and stole 99 bases. One also has to consider that the figures mentioned take in a shorter schedule and poor record keeping. Rogan spent the bulk of his career with the Kansas City Monarchs.
Charleston was more than just pure speed. Reputed to be one of the fastest players in the Negro Leagues and just about any other league, the comparison was often made to Ty Cobb. Both Cobb and Charleston played center, batted left and were notoriously aggressive. Charleston was long a mainstay of the Pittsburgh Crawfords.
“Charlie was a tremendous left-handed hitter who could also bunt, steal a hundred bases a year, and cover center field as well as anyone before him or since…he was like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Tris Speaker rolled into one.” –Buck O’Neil
In 1921 Charleston hit over .400 and led the Negro National League in just about every offensive category. Charleston was a regular in the Cuban Winter Leagues and research has determined he hit .326 against white major league players in exhibition contests.
Kansas City is a great destination stop for Red Sox fans. The ballpark is outside the city, but a nice stop on the way yo the park is the Museum. The museum also shares space with the American Jazz Museum and both are in the neighborhood of the old Municipal Stadium – home of Dick Radatz only MLB home run.
Two links to a great repository on the Negro League players – the HOF and Seamheads.