Today’s Native American Ballplayer: Identity and Resilience

Brandon Bailey takes immense pride in his Native American heritage. A Chickasaw citizen, he has ancestors who walked the Trail of Tears and attended Indian boarding schools.

“My Chickasaw identity is part of who I am every day,” he said.

Bailey, pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers Class-A affiliate in Rancho Cucamonga, California, pitched briefly in the majors for the Houston Astros.1

Heritage underscores a foundational belief he applies to his baseball career: “Representation matters.”

Some Natives who play and coach professional baseball today were born and raised in communities close to their twentieth-century predecessors, particularly those from rural Oklahoma and other areas in the Southwest and Southeast with Native tribes and communities. Others, like Bailey, were raised in more suburban environments.

This article includes perspectives from five such major leaguers – Ryan Helsley, Jon Gray, Adrian Houser, Anthony Seigler, and Bailey – along with Tyler Gillum, head coach of the Savannah Bananas, a popular barnstorming team. Their stories share some common elements, especially how their Native identities inform their personal beliefs.

Some recent Native American major leaguers, such as Jacoby Ellsbury and Joba Chamberlain, have full SABR biographies. Dylan Bundy, a Cherokee Nation citizen from Oklahoma, retired after the 2022 season and does not yet have a full SABR biography.2 He did have a substantive career as a starting pitcher who won 54 games for the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, and Minnesota Twins.

Ellsbury was profiled in a Florida newspaper about his involvement with a baseball camp for young Natives:

Baseball plays an important role in his life, but serving as a role model to Native American kids does as well. Ellsbury combined those passions and teamed up with Nike in 2011 to run the N7 Jacoby Ellsbury Baseball Camp on the Sale Rover-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“This is a way to give back,” Ellsbury said. “If the kids take one thing from camp, it’s that they can work hard, go to school, get good grades and have a dream and goal in mind.”3

The article also includes a section about the modern player’s experience with racial stereotypes, with observations from Helsley, Bailey, and New York Times correspondent Kurt Streeter.

 

RYAN HELSLEY, CHEROKEE

New York Mets reliever Ryan Helsley gets most of his Native heritage from his mother’s side, though his father is also Cherokee.

Helsley was born and raised in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, a city that is the capital of the state’s two federally recognized Cherokee tribes, the Cherokee Nation and the Keetoowah Band of the Cherokee Indians.

Helsley, a right-handed flamethrower who set a Cardinals franchise record while leading the National League with 49 saves in 2024, said Cherokee culture was more in the background during his childhood.

“My grandma would watch us during the summer when we were kids,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of Cherokee culture in our daily lives, but we did attend powwows. My grandma spoke the language fluently and taught us a few phrases.”4

He attended local schools, including Sequoyah High School, a boarding school for Native Americans. He played multiple sports but did not attend showcases, so was not noticed much.

“I was a late bloomer,” he said. “I didn’t throw crazy hard back then. I threw hard enough for local colleges. I wanted to play football, but my college coach encouraged me to focus on baseball.”

Helsley attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, not planning to play professional baseball. About a quarter of NSU’s student population identifies as Cherokee, and the school offers many Cherokee linguistics courses — including a major in the Cherokee language. Some courses are taught in Cherokee.

“My plan was to get a degree – NSU was a four-year school. My mom works in radiology, reading MRIs, and I always thought that was cool growing up. I admired her work helping people. Initially, I wanted to go to medical school, but I changed my path to physical therapy. My next thought was helping athletes recover from injuries.”

Those plans changed when he began to bloom on the diamond.

“Going to college allowed me to focus on one sport and train my body. I was athletic enough to play multiple sports and be decent at all of them, but once I focused solely on pitching, I improved significantly,” he said.

After two years at NSU, he was drafted by and signed with the Cardinals in 2015. He moved up through the farm system, eventually making his major-league debut in 2019.

As a major leaguer, Helsley frequently returns to Tahlequah to visit family and friends. “I try to show my face in the community because it’s important for people to understand that I’m not a celebrity,” he said. “I’m just like them, trying to make it day by day.”

Helsley is a good friend of Adrian Houser, a major-league pitcher who was also raised in Tahlequah.

Helsley and his family were profiled in an article in The Athletic during his rookie season.5 The article notes that the morning after he was drafted, Helsley helped run a baseball camp for kids in his hometown.

“I try to be the best I can be, live in the moment, and make the most of every opportunity,” he said.

 

JON GRAY, CHEROKEE

Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and raised in Chandler, less than 30 miles away. His Cherokee roots come from his mother’s side. He cites his grandfather, who grew up near Tahlequah, in Cherokee County, as a major influence on his Native awareness.6

“My grandfather grew up with four brothers. His father was an Irish immigrant, and his mother was a full-blooded Cherokee. They had a small farm near Tahlequah, where the boys were raised,” Gray said.7

After serving in the military, his grandfather bought land near Chandler.

“A lot of my learning came later, but my grandfather spoke a little Cherokee and told us stories about growing up in Tahlequah,” he said. “He shared what he knew, and I always appreciated that.”

Gray took several Native studies courses in college, including Cherokee language classes.

“I feel like language is so important – if you keep it alive, it will stay forever,” he said.

Before that, Gray played American Legion baseball in Ada, Oklahoma, and high-school baseball in Chandler, along with wrestling, football, and basketball.

“I also played against great Native American ballplayers,” he said. “They were amazing athletes. I grew up not far from the Sac and Fox Nation, where Jim Thorpe was from. In eastern Oklahoma, we often played against them in football and basketball.”

He recalled games against Sequoyah High School, a Cherokee boarding school in Tahlequah, being “fun matchups.”

From there, Gray attended Eastern Oklahoma State College before transferring to the University of Oklahoma for two seasons. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the June 2013 amateur draft and made his major-league debut for the Rockies two years later. In 2023 Gray appeared in two games, winning one, for the Rangers in the World Series.

Raised in the heart of Cherokee country, Gray said he feels his heritage played a role in his development as a professional baseball player.

“I do feel like my heritage has given me an edge – playing on North American soil, or just instinctively. I’ve always seen it as a positive thing. Plenty of teammates have asked me about Cherokee language and culture.”

“Getting financial help for my college books made a big difference – we didn’t have much money. That support meant a lot to me, and now I want to find ways to give back,” he said. “After baseball, I want to get involved – whether in sports, health, or something else within the community. That’s a big goal of mine.”

Gray has a message for young Native ballplayers: “If you have a dream, you can achieve it.”

“Sometimes it might feel like you can’t escape your circumstances – but you can go out into the world, chase your goals, and bring that success back to your community. I’m living proof of that.”

He added: “I want to see more Cherokee athletes rise up. The talent is there, and I want young players to know they shouldn’t feel held back at all.”

 

ADRIAN HOUSER, CHEROKEE

Pitcher Adrian Houser was born in a Cherokee Nation hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He is Cherokee through his mother’s side of the family.

“I grew up in Locust Grove, about 25 minutes north of Tahlequah,” he said. “Locust Grove is a small town with only two stoplights, while Tahlequah has 20 times as many. My high school had a graduating class of about 100 students.”8

Houser described Locust Grove as a quiet, close-knit town where everybody knows everybody else. “Through my mom’s side alone, I’m related to half the town,” he said. “I spent a lot of time outside, playing in the dirt, running through fields, hanging out with friends, and playing sports. I had an awesome childhood, riding my bike to my friend’s house – that’s how small the town was.”

Houser said that for most of his childhood, his Cherokee identity remained in the background.

“When I was young, I attended Cherokee Nation Head Start, which was similar to preschool. All the kids there were Cherokee. My grandma and aunt had Cherokee Nation photos on the walls, and we learned how to count and speak a little Cherokee. I didn’t keep up with the language, though.”

Baseball was a big part of his upbringing. Throughout his elementary-school years, he played baseball on a team coached by his father that traveled to nearby states and even Puerto Rico. He joined a travel team in high school, then in his junior year he played for a team based in Dallas, about five hours away.

“That’s when we started playing in bigger tournaments and getting attention from scouts and agents,” he said.

He was friends with Ryan Helsley and Dylan Bundy as they played against each other in youth tournaments and high school.

Houser was drafted in 2011 by the Houston Astros and broke in with the Milwaukee Brewers, debuting in 2015. He last pitched in the majors for the New York Mets in 2024. In 2025, he was signed by the Chicago White Sox and traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Houser’s heritage drives many of his personal beliefs, especially those connected to baseball.

“Sometimes, I think about the fact that I’m representing more than just myself,” he said. “Being a small-town kid, I want to show that you don’t have to come from a big city to reach your dreams. And as a Cherokee, some kids in Oklahoma know about my background and can look up to that – they can see that someone with their heritage has reached their dreams too.”

 

BRANDON BAILEY, CHICKASAW

To Bailey, baseball is a game of resilience – a word that resonates with every Indigenous community.

“Growing up, as far back as my memory can take me, my Chickasaw heritage has always been a part of my life,” Bailey said during spring training 2025. “My grandfather is half Chickasaw and my great-grandfather was full-blooded. My grandfather frequently talks about this – getting involved in the tribe, going to reunions.”9

Though Bailey was born and raised in Colorado, he feels deeply connected to the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma.

“My family’s history is tied to the Trail of Tears – some of my ancestors walked it. My great-grandfather attended an Indian boarding school in Oklahoma, where he met his future wife. They eventually planted their roots in Colorado,” Bailey said.

“Because of his experience in boarding school, my great-grandfather swore he would never return to Oklahoma. That has always stuck with me. Even though I didn’t experience that firsthand or grow up on the reservation, I strive to be an example for young Indigenous children interested in sports.”

He added: “I want to learn more about Chickasaw culture. As I made my way through the minor leagues, I had big dreams of being involved with the community. Injuries led me to retire, but staying in baseball allows me to make an impact – teaching youth the game and helping them grow.”

“I’d love to work with Chickasaw youth and other tribal communities to help make baseball a sport of interest for Native American kids.”

Bailey believes sport is medicine.

“Movement is one of the greatest things we can do as human beings. Baseball is truly special. You play outdoors, run on dirt and grass under the sunshine – it lifts your spirits, makes you feel healthy and alive.”

Bailey has conversations about this heritage with colleagues.

“These conversations come up often. I frequently discuss my background with coworkers. My boss knows how proud I am to be Indigenous, and I’m always happy to share my perspective.”

 

ANTHONY SEIGLER, NAVAJO

On July 1, 2025, Anthony Seigler became the second Navajo (Diné) player in major-league history.

That’s the day the 26-year-old switch-hitting infielder was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers from the team’s AAA-affiliate, the Nashville Sounds of the International League.

When he got the call, the Brewers were in New York for a series against the Mets — a long way from the Navajo reservation where Seigler was born.

Seigler was chosen by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 2018 draft, out of Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Georgia. A year earlier, he played catcher for the USA team that won the U-18 Baseball World Cup. Nearly all his teammates eventually played professional baseball, including several in the major leagues.

Seigler learned about Jacoby Ellsbury — the first player of Navajo descent to make the major leagues — only after being drafted. Now, he is fully aware of being one of the few Native American players in professional baseball.

“I carry it as a badge of honor,” he said shortly after joining the Brewers. “There aren’t a lot of Native Americans in professional sports, and the ones who are there are not always widely known. So for us, especially being on the stage I’m at, it’s awesome to be able to represent and play for my Navajo Nation.”10

Seigler was born in Fort Defiance, Arizona, a small community of fewer than 4,000 people located in the Navajo Nation on the border with New Mexico. Over 90 percent of the population of Fort Defiance is Native American, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

“Everyone calls it The Fort,” said Seigler’s mother Alysia Webb, herself born and raised on a reservation in Window Rock, Arizona, capitol of the Navajo Nation. Webb speaks the Navajo language, Diné bizaad, as do her parents. Her grandfather was a Navajo code talker in World War II.11

Webb said her family, including Anthony and his three siblings, have always focused on basketball.

“On the rez, basketball is it,” she said. “We probably have nine or 10 state high school basketball championships in our family.”

In fact, Webb had never been off the reservation until she went to college, where she played basketball. As Seigler said: “We’re a love-to-hoop family.”

But Webb knew her son was a gifted athlete in baseball too. “We knew he was a good ballplayer but for us it felt normal, as crazy as that may sound,” she said.

It wasn’t until Seigler entered professional baseball that he began to understand how much his heritage meant — not just to him, but to others. Messages started to come in from family, community members, even strangers on Instagram.

“They tell me how I’m representing the Navajo Nation really well,” he said. “Kids on the rez started playing baseball when they heard about me. It gives them hope, whatever situation they’re in.”

His identity often sparks curiosity, especially in a sport where Native American players are few and far between. “Usually if I show up somewhere new, the Latino guys start talking Spanish to me because of how I look,” he said. “My teammates usually get curious when they learn I’m Native American. If they ask, I talk with them. It does come up.”

Though he moved off the reservation as a child, he doesn’t take for granted the challenges others still face. “Native Americans who live on the rez have harder lives — I can’t speak fully to that. But I do believe in understanding where people come from and treating them how they want to be treated.”

Seigler never set out to be a symbol—but as his profile has grown, so too has his sense of responsibility. What began as a love for sports has become a way to carry his heritage with him, everywhere the game takes him.

That connection became especially clear during his time with USA Baseball.

“I remember my mom bringing the Navajo Nation flag,” he recalls. “When I went out on the field, I was representing Team USA, but I wanted the Navajo community to know I was there for us.”

“It’s awesome to have a community, a whole big Navajo Nation, cheering for me, pulling for me, praying for me.”

 

TYLER GILLUM, CHICKASAW

Chickasaw citizen Tyler Gillum is head coach of the Savannah Bananas, a barnstorming team that in 2024 drew more fans than one major-league team.

Gillum was born in 1986 in a Chickasaw hospital in Ada, Oklahoma.

“Growing up in Ada, I was surrounded by Native American culture all the time. There were so many aspects of Chickasaw heritage that I took part in,” he said shortly after kicking off the 2025 Bananas tour.12

In 2024 the team played in 29 cities, drawing more than one million fans – more than the home attendance of the Oakland Athletics. In 2025 the team expected to play in 18 major-league ballparks, two NFL stadiums, and one college football stadium, with overall attendance expected to double.13

The Chickasaw Nation played a major part in Gillum’s baseball journey.

“It started with Chickasaw baseball camps in high school. The first one I attended was in Ardmore, Oklahoma, at Ardmore High School,” he said. “That camp was one of the best I’ve ever been a part of – high-level coaching with former major-league players, scouts, crosscheckers, current players, and college coaches from Division I schools.”

That experience was a huge stepping stone for Gillum – it inspired him to want to play college baseball. He ended up attending Seminole State Junior College in Seminole, Oklahoma.

“While I was in college, I started coaching at Chickasaw baseball camps,” he recalled. “Along that route, the Chickasaws provided multiple opportunities for me. They helped pay for my school, clothing, and full Pell financial aid. Their support made a huge difference in helping me chase my baseball dream.

“If it weren’t for the Chickasaws investing in me, I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities.”

Gillum transferred to East Central University in Ada, where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in education. He did not play baseball after college — instead, he pursued his passion for coaching.

“I started coaching at East Central University, but they didn’t have paid assistant positions – only two graduate assistant roles. I was making about $5,000 a year while working 100 hours a week.

At 23 years old, I was the recruiting coordinator, infield coach, and working in the office too,” he said.

“It was an incredible opportunity. I wasn’t in it for the money – and I still am not. I do it for the experience and the impact.”

Gillum’s personal motto is “Bet on Yourself,” and his goal is to make a positive impact on one single person every day. He surpassed that goal by about a million in 2024.

“Whenever I think about the Chickasaw Nation, I come back to one of their main principles – servant leadership,” Gillum said. “I always view myself through that lens – how can I serve? How can I make an impact?”

OLD STEREOTYPES, NEW OUTSPOKENNESS

Generations ago, Native players were commonly nicknamed “Chief” and cultural stereotypes were the norm for sports reporters covering Native athletes in baseball and other sports. While today’s Native ballplayers aren’t subjected to those caricatures, others persist – mascots, team names, and more.

One example: The 2021 World Series between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros averaged over 11 million television viewers per game. (The Braves’ Series-clinching win in Game Six drew over 14 million viewers.14 ) During the three Braves home games, television viewers saw thousands of fans doing the “tomahawk chop” and chanting a supposed war cry, accompanied by thumping, Native-sounding music.

The old trope isn’t as acceptable as it once was; today’s players and those who write about them are at ease sharing their perspectives.

In the New York Times, columnist Kurt Streeter called the chop a “spectacle of ignorance.”15 In a conversation more than three years later, Streeter added: “It’s crazy that we’re still doing that and that it’s still considered acceptable.”16

Streeter’s article and other coverage noted Commissioner Rob Manfred’s statements that local Native communities support the chop, despite widespread opposition from those who find it a stereotypical and offensive representation of Native culture.

“It wasn’t hard to find people within these tribes who were disgusted by their connection to the Braves,” Streeter said. “There’s nothing uniform about the way Native communities view these affiliations and imagery. There is a range of opinions.”

At least two of today’s Native ballplayers reflect that range.

Ryan Helsley, then pitching for the Cardinals, was widely quoted about the chop during the 2019 National League Division Series, when the Cardinals played the Braves. Reporters asked him about the chant after the first two games, both played in Atlanta. He called it “a misrepresentation of the Cherokee people or Native Americans in general.”17

It was his rookie season and his first visit to Atlanta. He looked back on the experience two years later in a conversation during a Cardinals visit to Boston.

“I understand why they do it for the fans, but there are better ways to honor Native culture,” Helsley said. “Mascots and teams often use regalia and headdresses – which are deeply important to our culture – as costumes. Many people don’t understand the meaning and think it’s harmless, but there needs to be more respect for people’s wishes. The narrative painted by this imagery isn’t who we are.”

Helsley credits the Braves for hosting an all-Native baseball camp and for educating fans about Natives. “They’re doing some good things to show who Native Americans are,” he said.

Brandon Bailey noted that Native race and culture are often uncomfortable topics and added that he feels schools do not teach enough about Indigenous history. He said he tries to understand both sides of the issue.

“There’s some shame, honestly, in how the federal government treated Native peoples – cultural genocide happened at the hands of the government,” he said. “History matters so that it doesn’t repeat itself. None of us today made those decisions, but we are in control of our actions now. Treating people with respect is something we can all commit to.”

He added: “I appreciate when teams, like the Cleveland Guardians, take a step back and acknowledge the effect on people. They ask, ‘How can we still be proud of our colors, our team’s energy, and history, while finding common ground to make changes that matter?’”

“Pride shouldn’t come at the cost of traumatizing people who’ve endured hardships.”

Streeter concluded: “Sports are more transcendent and saturated now – more visible and powerful than ever. The imagery is stronger because sports are cathedrals, players are celebrities, and with the internet, access to these symbols is everywhere.”

“When you see the chop and hear the chants, they carry a greater influence.”

NATIVE PROGRESS, NATIVE TERMS

As heritage continues to be important to Ryan Helsley, Brandon Bailey, Jon Gray, and others, today’s players and coaches can continue to speak out and participate in programs to gather cultural influence, helping to shape goals for Native progress on Native terms. They may not achieve these goals soon, but they can help set the track and maintain progress.

“I love the word unconquerable,” said Gillum. “Move the needle, impact the world, and do good things – so you can keep moving forward.”

JOE LEISEK lives in Petaluma, California, with his wife Tracy and Irish setter Liam. Joe is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

 

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author accessed a file provided by the Giamatti Research Center at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Retrosheet.org, and Baseball-Reference.com.

Notes

1 Andy McCullough, “Baseball’s 2020 Club: Five Years Ago They Realized a Dream, but COVID-19 Stopped Anyone From Seeing It,” The Athletic, March 12, 2025.

2 A player must be retired for five years before becoming a subject for a SABR biography.

3 Beverly Bidney, “Indian Country Profile: Jacoby Ellsbury,” Seminole Tribune (Florida), April 29, 2014.For more on Ellsbury, see Jon Schwartz, “Yankees Magazine: In His Blood,” MLB.com, April 3, 2017. https://www.mlb.com/news/ellsbury-honors-his-native-american-heritage-c222040346, accessed July 6,2025.

4 Ryan Helsley’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, June 2023.

5 Mark Saxon, “Cardinals Pitcher Ryan Helsley and His Family Work to Keep Cherokee Heritage Alive,” New York Times, August 29, 2016.

6 Thomas Harding, “Gray Humbled by Cherokee Nation Roots,” MLB.com, August 25, 2016.

7 Jon Gray’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, January 2024.

8 Adrian Houser’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, January 2023.

9 Brandon Bailey’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, February 2025.

10 Anthony Seigler’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, July 2025.

11 Alysia Webb’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, July 2025.

12 Tyler Gillum’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, February 2025.

13 Benjamin Hoffman, “The Savannah Bananas Needed a Bigger Stage,” New York Times, October 4, 2024.

14 Jabari Young, “14.3 million people watched the Atlanta Braves win the 2021 World Series,” CNBC.com, November 3, 2021.

15 Kurt Streeter, “M.L.B. Commissioner Can’t Hear Native Voices Over Atlanta’s Chop,” New York Times, October 29, 2021.

16 Kurt Streeter’s perspectives shared in conversation with the author, January 2025.

17 Alan Blinder, “Braves Pivot from ‘Tomahawk Chop’ Chant After a Cardinal’s Criticism,” New York Times, October 9, 2021.