Stillwater to Host Talk on History of Minnesota’s Black Baseball Players

Minnesota was home to countless talented black baseball players during the years they were excluded from Major League Baseball, but few of them are known today.

The Washington County Historical Society is hosting Frank White, author of They Played for the Love of the Game, a history of Minnesota’s black baseball players, as the featured speaker at the Fall History Dinner meeting to be held on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Water Street Inn in Stillwater.

A century before Kirby Puckett led the Minnesota Twins to World Series championships, Minnesota was home to many talented black baseball players.

During the decades MLB did not allow black players, those in Minnesota were relegated to a haphazard array of semipro leagues, barnstorming clubs, and loose organizations of all-black teams, many of which are lost to history.

They Played for the Love of the Game recovers that history by sharing stories of African American ballplayers in Minnesota, from the 1870s to the 1960s, through photos, artifacts, and spoken histories passed through the generations, according to a news release.

Author Frank White’s own father was one of the top catchers in the Twin Cities in his day, a fact that White did not learn until late in life. While the stories tell of denial, hardship, and segregation, they are highlighted by athletes who persevered and were united by their love of the sport.

“White, four years a Woodbury resident and the husband of a university professor,” according to the Woodbury Bulletin, “has enjoyed a 32-year career in recreation with the city of Richfield, as well as his 16th year as the owner of Respect Sports and the coordinator of the Minnesota Twins' RBI Program. He lives mere miles from Bielenberg Sports Center, where he can walk a dog and see a ballgame. But he still considers himself "a St. Paul guy,"”

The book is filled with names of players and teams from the late 1800s into the 1970s. It is illustrated with black-and-white photos of the period; sometimes players are identified, sometimes not.

The event is open to the public. Cost for the dinner and program is $20 for WCHS members and $25 for nonmembers. The Water Street Inn is located at 101 Water St S, Stillwater, MN.

The evening will begin at 5:30 with a social hour and cash bar, dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the business meeting will be at 7:30.

White’s presentation will be after the short business meeting. Reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information about the event please call 651-439-5956 or visit the WCHS website.

Image: gfpeck via Flickr /Creative Commons