Baseball History Podcast

Luis Clemente Tiant Vega was born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba. Tiant was a right-handed starting pitcher who baffled hitters with a rocking, twisting windup and an assortment of release points that ranged from over-the-top to nearly underhand.

Ernest Judson Wilson, nicknamed “Boojum”, was born February 28, 1894 in Remington, Virginia. Wilson was an intense, no-holds-barred dynamo on Negro League baseball fields, intimidating opposing pitchers and umpires with his potent bat and powerful fists. He was built like a wrestler, and his fights with umpires and players were as legendary as his will to win. His nickname, Boojum, derived from the sound of his line drives slamming off the fences.

Joseph Williams, nicknamed Smokey Joe, Cyclone, and Yank was born April 6, 1885, Seguin, TX. During the first half of its existence, Smokey Joe Williams was to black baseball what Sachel Paige was to the latter half. Indeed, Williams made the footprints in which Satchel later walked. Oldtimers who saw him play remember him as Satchel’s equal, if not his superior.

Elston Gene Howard was born February 23, 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri. Howard was a strong hitter, three times topping .300, with a high of .348 in 1961. He hit from an exaggerated spread stance when he came up, which he modified later in his career.

John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil was born November 13, 1911 in rural Carrabelle, Florida. His father, who played for local teams, introduced him to baseball at an early age. He was nicknamed “Buck” after the co-owner of the Miami Giants, Buck O’Neal.

William Julius Johnson, nicknamed “Judy,” was born October 26, 1899 in Snow Hill, Maryland. Although his father wanted him to be a boxer, Johnson, who was 5 ft 11 in and only 150 lb, was far better suited for a career in baseball. Johnson began his baseball career in 1918, reaching the top-level Negro Leagues in 1921 with Hilldale, a team for which he played through 1929.

LeRoy Robert Paige, better know to baseball fans as Satchel Paige. Regarded as the nearest thing to a legend that ever came out of the Negro Leagues, this 6’4″, lanky right-hander parlayed a fastball, nimble wit, and a colorful personality into a household name that is recognized by people who know little about baseball itself and even less about the players who performed in the Jim Crow era of organized baseball.

Roy Campanella was born November 19, 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Just 5’9″ but solidly built, he had already proven himself as a catcher during nine years in the Negro National League. In 12 additional seasons, 10 in the majors, he was one of the era’s outstanding players, and his leadership and enthusiasm made him one of the most popular players in the game.