| Playing with Passion: Profiles of Negro League baseball players. |
About the Artist:
Dane Tilghman has taken his artwork to a new dimension. He has gone from realism to a stylish combination, incorporating his own interpretation of surrealism and primitive elongation. He has established himself as one of the premier painters of Negro League Baseball images and African American Golf Art. Tilghman works and resides with his family in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Click Here to visit Dane Tilghman's Website.
Introduction:
From the 1880’s to 1950, a time when negro players were not allowed to play on major league baseball teams, hundreds of all-black professional and semi-professional teams played throughout the United States. This loosely organized circuit of teams known as the “Negro League” provided outstanding athletes the opportunity to play for the pure passion of the game and the respect of the fans, with little financial reward for barnstorming the North, South, East and West regions of the U.S.
The players’ general health and fitness contributed to their success in the sport. Many athletes played well into their forties, when the major leagues were integrated. Playing for such teams as the Pittsburgh Crawfords, Cleveland Giants, New York Black Yankees, Harrisburg Giants, Philadelphia Stars, Baltimore Black Sox, Cleveland Cubs, Harlem Stars, Brooklyn Royal Giants, Newark Eagles and Baltimore Elite Giants, these men became historic figures who continue to be role models for today’s youth.
The Negro league’s demise started in 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The last Negro League All-Star game was held in 1962. The owners and many of the players and managers profiled herein have been honored for their contributions to the game by being inducted into the “Baseball Hall of Fame.”
We salute the many players who embodied the athleticism and spirit required to endure and be recognized for “being the best” at playing the game they loved.
Introduction Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe Oscar Charleston Leroy "Satchel" Pagen Walter "Buck" Leonard John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Roy Campanella John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Effa Manley
For more information about the history of the Negro League and its players, please visit www.NLBPA.com.
