Negro League Players' Nicknames Quiz

Answer: Double Duty

Radcliffe in the successive games of a 1932 Negro League World Series doubleheader between the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Monroe Monarchs, he caught Satchel Paige for a shutout in the first game and then Radcliffe pitched a shutout in the second game. Radcliffe had 4,000 hits and 400 home runs, won 500 games and had 4,000 strike-outs, player both as a pitcher and a catcher.

After his playing days he became a manager and later a 'goodwill' ambassador for the game. He was honored by Mayor Richard Daley as an outstanding citizen of Chicago; been the guest of three U.S. Presidents; a documentary about Radcliffe, narrated by Morgan Freeman, won an Emmy Award; The Illinois Department of Aging inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2002. Just two weeks before his death he threw out the first pitch at Rickwood Field, Birmingham, Alabama.

Answer: His unusual running style

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. Stearnes' plaque is on display at centerfield at Comerica Park, Detroit. In spite of his awkward running style he was considered a fast runner. Turkey claimed that is arm-flapping running style was because he had a pot-belly as a child.

In his three years with the Detroit Stars he averaged .345 batting average, hit 50 home runs, and drove in 288 runs.

Answer: Cool Papa

According to the story Bell was just called 'Cool' but he added the 'Papa' as it sounded better. Satchel Paige said in his autobiography that "If schools had known Cool Papa was around and if Cool Papa had known reading real good, he'd have made the best track man you ever saw". A teammate once reported that Bell was "an even better man off the field than he was on it. He was honest. He was kind. He was a clean liver. In fact, in all of the years I've known him, I've never seen him smoke, take a drink or even say one cuss word."

He was timed at between 12 and 13 seconds rounding the bases. "Cool Papa" played many years in Latin America and Mexico so statistics that exist do not fully cover his skills. He was elected to the Baseball of Fame in 1974 and his statue is outside Busch Stadium in Saint Louis.

Answer: His wide range in the field

Weather he was playing shortstop or third base, the 'ghost' would appear to meet the batted ball on the left side of the infield. He normally played a deep third base but was known to play several feet in front of third when a bunt was expected. He was a good hitter as well.

Stories abound about his off-field antics. When he drank, he could get nasty.
Marcelle, Dave Brown and Frank Wickware ended up in a speakeasy in Harlem in 1935. There was a dispute and a man named Adair was found shot to death. Marcelle and Wickware were arrested and released. Dave Brown disappeared and was never found or arrested. Marcelle once hit Oscar Charleston--one of the greats of the Negro Leagues-- in the head with a bat.

Frank Warfield, a teammate bit Marcelle's nose off during a fight. Afterward, Marcelle wore a patch over this nose. This lead to his quitting baseball. He died in poverty in 1949 in Denver, Colorado and was buried in an unmarked grave.

Answer: Helped to save a person in an auto accident

Art Pennington was about eleven when he assisted in rescuing a driver who car had to be lifted. His mother called him Superman. Later, Pennington was found to be a versatile player and at times in his career he played all the positions except catcher.

He played into the 1950s after the color barrier had been broken and had good years in the Three Eye League and the Pacific Coast league but he never made a major league roster.

Answer: Manager with most games in the Negro Leagues

"C.I.", "Steel Arm" and Ben were his brothers and he often played on the same teams with them. His professional career began in 1910 but by 1919 he was a player/manager and continued as a baseball manager until his death in 1948. He is given credit for managing the most games in Negro League history. Sometimes the seasons were as short as thirty games, not like a 162 major league team. He served on many committees and advisory boards promoting baseball.

Baseball historians sum Taylor up as " A master strategist with excellent managerial ability, he began his helm experience... as playing manager, and he was with sixteen different teams during a forty-five-year career as player and manager that spanned virtually the entire existence of the black baseball era".

Answer: 2006

The fact that it took until 2006 for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame was not so much a question of deserving but a backlog of players to recognize. Mule was about 5'11" and 185 pounds and owed his long ball hitting to his timing, his 50 ounce bat, and his tenaciousness, possibly the reason for his nickname. It is reported that some of his home runs were 500 feet blasts.

At his induction to the Hall of Fame in 2006, his niece his niece Merriett Burley commented "They always mentioned Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell, but they never mentioned Uncle George. We're now saying he's getting his just rewards. For this to come up now, we're all just thrilled to death."

Answer: Oakland Athletics

According to Paige, he picked up money when he was very young toting 'satchels'(suitcases) around the train depot. He built a device that allowed him to do four at a time, hence the nickname. Paige did play as a regular for Cleveland and Saint Louis. However, the appearance with Kansas City was different. On September 25, 1965 at the age of 59 he pitched three shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox. This appearance helped him get a major league pension.

There are many anecdotes about Paige. Here is my favorite. The defense behind him failed. The bases were loaded through errors. Paige allegedly told the whole team to sit down and then struck out the final batter.

Answer: Frog

How he got the name 'Frog' is not clear but that was what he was called. Best guess is that at 19 he was about 5'5" that may have elicited some type of teasing from teammates. He was a fixture in Negro League baseball for seventeen years. In one season he hit .391 and was frequently selected for all-star teams.

Answer: Smokey Joe and Cyclone

Smokey Joe's legend began early in the 20th century. He had an incredible fastball that caused Ty Cobb to remark after facing him in an exhibition game that he could win thirty games a year in the Majors. He spent his 27-year career from 1905 to 1932 pitching in the Negro Leagues and Latin America.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. He once struck out 27 Kansas City Monarchs in a 1-0, 12-inning game. In his only recorded meeting with Satchel Paige, Smokey won 1-0 also. Baseball historians argue who was the best Williams or Paige.