Met Vets of the Negro Leagues.

[Edgy MD]

Which Mets played in the Negro Leagues? Obviously Willie Mays is one, and we learned from the Charlie Pride thread that Sammy Drake came out of there as well. Who else?



Brian Giles, Scott Hairston, and Jerry Manuel — among others, I'm sure — are descended from Negro Leaguers. Donn Clendennon's stepfather was a longtime player and coach.

[MFS62]

Sammy Drake tried out for the Kansas City Monarchs, but his brother Solly convinced him to play in Canada, where there was less racism. Not sure if he got into a game with KC.

That was found on wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Drakehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Drake

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Charlie Neal (Atlanta Black Crackers) and George Altman (Kansas City Monarchs) played in the Negro Leagues.

[G-Fafif]

Wrote http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2010/03/23/incongruous-remarkable-mets/an article on this topic in 2010.

[nymr83]

Charlie Neal (Atlanta Black Crackers) and George Altman (Kansas City Monarchs) played in the Negro Leagues.

Black Crackers has to be the funniest team name out there, did "cracker" not have the meaning then that it does now?

[Edgy MD]

The name was derived from that of the mainstream white team, the Atlanta Crackers. The source for that name is generally lost to history, and historians have been able to do little more than speculate.



My guess is that they were supposed to be a bunch of guys who made cracking sounds when they hit the ball.

[MFS62]

Wrote http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2010/03/23/incongruous-remarkable-mets/an article on this topic in 2010.

Thanks for that slice of history.

Later