One of the baseball heroes of my childhood, Luscious “Luke” Easter. He became a Negro League Star around age 30, enjoyed his greatest success with the then-Cleveland Indians in his mid-30’s, and was over 40 when I saw him slugging homers for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Despite the injuries to his legs which shortened his major-league career, Luke Easter became the International League MVP in 1957, and continued playing for the Bisons and then the Rochester Red Wings, as late as 1963, age 48.

Cristobal Torriente was a Cuban outfielder who played for a number of US Negro League teams for two decades, going back as far as 1912. There were a few Hispanic players in the Majors before 1947, but they were light-skinned and often born in the US. Al Lopez and Lefty Gomez come to mind. Very obviously, another example of the double standards of the time. #baseballhistory #negroleagues

At least two members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame participated in the D-Day Invasion 80 years ago today. Yogi Berra should be familiar to all baseball fans, but perhaps not so Leon Day. Day was a top pitcher in the Negro League during the 1930’s and 40’s, who also spent a few seasons in the post-war Mexican League. #D-Day #baseball #halloffame

It so happens Oscar Charleston did indeed have a few baseball cards issued in his heyday. But, as with Martin Dihigo, they do not represent him as a participant in the Negro League in the US, but with his Cuban team of 1923-24. Here is one example. #baseball #Negroleagues #Cubanbaseball

Unfortunately, the manufacturers of baseball cards never bothered to issue cards for Negro League players. But at least one Hall of Fame Negro League star, Martin Dihigo, did have his own card, issued in the mid-1940’s when he was playing in his native Cuba. I have as yet been unable to find vintage cards on other players, other than modern-day sets.

The 1935 edition of one of the legendary teams in Negro League history, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, pose in front of the team bus. Key members of the Crawfords that year included Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, and Cool Papa Bell. #NegroLeague #baseball