The Legend of Turkey Stearnes
Norman “Turkey” Stearnes might be the most underrated player in the history of the Negro Leagues. He was an extraordinary left-handed hitter; by some accounts, he hit more home runs than any other Negro Leaguer, including the great Josh Gibson. “He was as good as Josh,” Satchel Paige himself once said. “He was as good as anybody who played ball.”
He was quiet off the field but he was a renowned character on the field. He had a quirky batting stance that made Jimmie Crutchfield say, “you’d swear he couldn’t hit the ball at all.” Buck O’Neil said he would sometimes talk to his bats. They probably called him Turkey because of the way he flapped his arms when he ran (Stearnes himself said it was because of his potbelly when he was young), but no matter how he ran, he was blazing fast in addition to hitting with power. He played a big centerfield and was a stolen base threat. Turkey Stearnes was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
On the left, his daughter Rosilyn Stearnes-Brown tips her cap. On the right is a photo of Turkey Stearnes holding one of his three grandsons, Tony. 50 years ago.
Luis Tiant
When you think about Luis Tiant, you probably about Luis Jr., the wonderful Major League pitcher who won 229 big league games and had a million pitching gyrations. Tiant’s father, Luis Sr., was was a Negro Leagues star pitcher who, it is said, had a dozen different pitches and the best pickoff move perhaps in baseball history. Here’s young Luis tipping his cap to his father and the Negro Leagues.
Artie Wilson Sr.
Artie Wilson Sr. was the last Negro Leagues player to hit .400 for a full season. At the end of his brilliant Negro Leagues career, he signed with the New York Giants and played 19 games in the big leagues in 1951. Here, is his son Artie Wilson Jr. tipping his cap.