Billy Horne

Billy Horne was a Negro League second baseman and shortstop who played for several clubs in his 15-season career, from 1935 to 1949. He was a left-handed hitter, threw right-handed, stood 5-feet-5 and weighed 152 pounds. Nicknamed Little Grumbler and Aussa, Horne was regarded as a fine defender and appeared in several all-star games.1

William Joseph Horne was born on February 20, 1916, in New Orleans. A 1920 census record listed his race as “mulatto,”2 identified his mother as Anna “Horn,” and noted that he had an older sister named May.3 They lived in a rooming house in New Orleans’ Third Ward, and his mother, a widow, found work as a servant for a family.4 Nothing is known about his father.

Horne dropped out of high school after his junior year,5 but not much else is known about his education, upbringing, or interest in baseball. Negro league player-manager Winfield Welch, who managed Horne for parts of three seasons with the Acme Colored Giants from 1935 to 1937,6 was regularly credited for his early development as a player.7 The Colored Giants were “an unofficial minor league team for the Kansas City Monarchs” and future hall of Famer Buck O’Neilplayed for them in 1936.8 Acme’s home city was billed as Shreveport, Louisiana, and the team occasionally hosted games in the city.9 However, the Colored Giants spent most of the time on the road, barnstorming across the United States and into Canada.

During this period, Horne may have briefly served as a batboy for the Pittsburgh Crawfords. A photograph of the Negro National League All-Stars, who won the 1936 Denver Post Tournament, appeared in the Kansas City Call.10 A young man in a “Pittsburgh” jersey, identified by the newspaper only as “Horne,” appears kneeling in the front row next to Josh Gibson, who was wearing a Crawfords uniform. A significantly clearer copy of this picture appears in Phil S. Dixon’s The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History.11 Dixon concluded that Horne was a batboy.12 While 20 would have been old for a batboy, a comparison of the young man in this photo with Billy Horne’s picture on the Seamhead’s website reveals a remarkable physical resemblance.13 However, his name did not appear in any news stories about the Crawfords in 1936, so the question will remain unanswered unless additional information is uncovered.

In mid-April of 1937, the Shreveport Tigers signed Horne to a contract and the news story noted that he was a former member of the Acme Giants.14 The details of Horne leaving the Colored Giants are lost to history. A few days after the signing, the mayor of Shreveport announced that the Tigers would not be allowed to play games at Dixie Field due to complaints “of the use of the grounds by negroes,” which forced them to play home games on the road.15 Horne’s name never appeared in a game story or box score for the Tigers. By Memorial Day, he had returned to the Colored Giants.16

Baseball historians Dick Clark and Larry Lester concluded that sometime in 1938, Horne joined the Monroe (Louisiana) Monarchs,17 but no contemporary newspaper articles have been found to confirm this. Another source claimed (in 1941) that Horne “came from the [Ethiopian] Clowns to the [Chicago American] Giants in 1939.”18 No article or box score has been found to confirm that Horne ever played for the Clowns from 1937 to 1939. Questions will persist regarding how he spent the 1938 campaign until additional resources are uncovered, but it is undisputed that at some point in 1938, he joined Candy Jim Taylor’s Chicago American Giants of the Negro American League. But the details of the signing are lost to history.

His name was initially spelled “Horn” and first appeared in a box score as a shortstop for the American Giants in a 9-8 comeback win over the Madison Blues in July.19 He went hitless in four at-bats, recorded five assists in the field, and made no errors.20 His first single memorialized in a box score came two weeks later in a 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Monarchs, although Horne probably had hits in other games that went unreported.21 He followed up that performance with two hits, including a home run, against the Kansas City Monarchs in an 11-4 win in late July.22

The American Giants finished with a 41-37-3 record and a third-place finish in the NAL but missed the playoffs. For his part, Horne batted .278 in 16 games and posted a 128 OPS+.

By 1939 Horne was on the verge of becoming a star. In a game against the Madison Blues, he led the American Giants with two hits, a stolen base, a run scored, and five assists.23 Fans began noticing his rangy defense, even when it was sometimes uneven. In a game in June, a report noted that “Billy Horn was the busiest man in either infield outside of the first baseman. He had four putouts, five assists, and two errors.”24 He received the highest vote total among all second basemen for the West in East-West All-Star voting with 401,286 and finished ahead of Curtis Henderson (387,333) and Newt Allen (206,120).25

The first of the two scheduled East-West All-Star games was played at Comiskey Park on August 6, 1939. Horne did not get into the game until the fifth inning with the West trailing, 2-0. He singled to right field in his first at-bat but got no farther as East pitcher Roy Partlow pitched out of trouble.26 In the eighth inning, the West squad rallied to take a 3-2 lead. Horne then drove in an insurance run in the West’s 4-2 victory:

“The game was held up until the groundskeepers could clear the field of straw hats and paper. The fans had staged a story book scene. What pent-up enthusiasm had been left in the crowd was turned loose. Manager George Scales of the East waved Partlow to the shower and Scales’ New York Black Yankees’teammate, Bill Holland, went to the mound. Alex Radcliffe dumped a single into center field and Mule] Suttles then proceeded to lose Neal Robinson’s fly in the sun and it went for a two-base hit, putting A. Radcliffe on third. Strong was purposely walked and the bases were full. Billy Horne, Chicago American Giants’ second sacker, put into the game at second in the fourth when A. Radcliffe had been shifted to shortstop and Ted] Strong on first to relieve Jelly Taylor, was up. Horne and A. Radcliffe worked a squeeze play. Horne pushed the ball to Buck] Leonard and A. Radcliffe getting home with the fourth and last run for the West. Leonard had no chance to get A. Radcliffe at the plate, therefore all he could do was to tag Horne out.”27

In the second East-West All-Star Game, at Yankee Stadium, the East got revenge, winning 10-2.28 Horne was hitless in two at-bats.29

The American Giants did not live up to lofty expectations in 1939.30 While they improved to a second-place finish, Chicago finished with a slightly worse NAL record of 41-38-0. They missed the playoffs again as the Monarchs won the league’s first-half title and met the second-half champion St. Louis Stars in the playoffs. Horne’s batting average reportedly sank to .232, although all Negro League statistics remain incomplete.

That winter, Taylor left Chicago to manage the Birmingham Black Barons, an NAL rival.31 Wilson Redus replaced him at the helm. Under his leadership, the American Giants fell to a disappointing 24-30-2 record and finished fifth in the NAL. Horne, now 24, should have returned as an established player on the American Giants. However, in Black Baseball and Chicago: Essays on the Players, Teams and Games, baseball historians determined that “Billy Horne jumped his contract and then was welcomed back by H.G. Hall without any penalty at all.”32 No news reports explained the reasons for Horne’s absence and return.                                                                                                            

Although he played professionally in Chicago, Horne continued to reside in New Orleans. A 1940 Census record noted that he lived in the city’s Second Ward.33 He was single, identified his occupation as “ball player,” and reported earning $1,273.34 During the season, “he was presented with a Gold Trophy by the Cross Roads Athletic Club of New Orleans during a doubleheader that involved the American Giants and the Birmingham Black Barons. Xavier Student Jesse Russell presented Horne with the trophy as a former member of the club.”35 Based on the limited box scores, Horne’s batting average reportedly slipped to just .186.

In August, the Chicago Tribune reported that he had been elected as a starter for the West in the East-West All-Star Game.36 There is no record of Horne on the West’s roster. Baseball historian Larry Lester later determined that he finished fifth in the voting for second base.37 However, he did appear for the South in one of the North-South All-Star Games, played at Pelican Park in New Orleans. Per Seamheads, Horne hit a triple, walked, and drove in a run in three plate appearances for the South. He was also involved in turning two double plays at shortstop and committed no errors in the field.38

The stands in American Giants Park burned that winter and the team relocated to Comiskey Park  for the 1941 campaign.39 The American Giants were favored to win the NAL.40 The Chicago Sunday Bee gushed with enthusiasm over their prospects:

“With many old favorites back in the fold, lured by the attractive program being pursued by the south side club in its efforts to regain the glory of past years, and the new players among the best ever recruited, it’s no wonder that the pennant bee is starting to hum among the [Giants]. . . .

‘Candy Jim’ Taylor is back as manager after a season of piloting the Birmingham Black Barons. The wily Taylor, one of the top-ranking Negro managers, is tickled pink with his squad and has gone on record as saying it’s the team to beat for the Negro American League crown.

Further cause for rejoicing is the return of such old favorites as Willie Cornelius, the great pitcher; ‘Pepper’ Bassett sensational young catcher; Billy Horne, top second baseman, and others after being away awhile.”41

Despite the positive predictions, Chicago finished last in the NAL with a terrible record of 18-36-2. While Horne batted .211, based on the available box scores, he had some bright moments. In late May he collected four hits in five at-bats, including a double, in an exhibition game against Council Bluffs.42 The fans chose him as the West’s second baseman in the East-West All-Star Game.43 He appeared in the game as a shortstop and did not get a hit in two at-bats, but was flawless in the field with three putouts, three assists, and no errors.44

In November 1941, Horne married Bertha Williams in New Orleans;45 any details about their life together, including any children they may have had, have been lost to history.46

In 1942 Horne, now 26, joined the expansion Cincinnati-Cleveland Buckeyes, although the reason for his departure from Chicago is unknown.47 In previews, he was repeatedly cited as a pivotal player:

• The Muskogee (Oklahoma) Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat observed that “[o]utstanding players for the Cincinnati team are Billy Horne, considered the best second baseman in negro baseball. …”48
• The Atlanta Daily World reported that “Billy Horne, second baseman, is rated with the best in the league and does a neat piece of fielding as well as hitting. …”49
• The Cleveland Call and Post called him “the nucleus” of the Buckeyes’50

Once the season got underway, reports frequently cited Horne’s smooth glove work as the reason for the success of the Buckeyes’ defense. The Pittsburgh Courier reported that “[t]he Buckeyes were hailed as the best Negro team ever to play in this city [Columbus, Ohio]. First baseman Archie] Ware and Second baseman Billy Horn also showed plenty of class in their fielding and several times had the crowd on their feet with spectacular playing.”51 The Cleveland Call and Posthad an even more descriptive writeup of Horne’s defensive prowess:

“Fans who saw Billy Horne, Archie Ware, and center-fielder Sonny] Harris do their stuff at League Park last Sunday, when the Bucks split a double-header with the Jacksonville Red Caps agree that a close approach to major league ball-handling is achieved by this trio. Harris tries hard at the plate, going out with each cut at the ball. Horne hit the dust five times as he dived for balls which barely escaped him. His play to retire the side after Jacksonville had scored two runs in the first inning of the second game last Sunday, was a pip. He went to his left, and to the edge of the grass where he fielded a hard-hit ball perfectly and without lost motion threw to first, beating the runner by a split step.”52

Horne’s contribution to the Buckeyes was not limited to defense. In late July, the club split a doubleheader with the Homestead Grays.53 He contributed three hits, including a double, in the first-game loss. In the second game, he came to bat with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth and a runner on third. “Billy Horne put all [his] five-foot one-inch frame into a swat which sent the ball sizzling out into right center. Eugene] Bremer trotted home … the game was over … 4449 of the fans made bedlam of League Park.”54

The Buckeyes finished with an enviable record of 50-27-2, which was remarkable for an expansion franchise. However, they finished second, one game behind the first-place and NAL pennant winner Kansas City Monarchs. So good was the Buckeyes’ performance that, in his Sportlight column, John Fuster reckoned that any contest between the Cleveland Indians and the Buckeyes “would be a fairly even game.”55 He cited Horne as part of an infield that matched the Indians;56 in another article, Fuster argued that he should have made the West’s all-star squad.57

Ernest Wright, the president of the Buckeyes, cited him as a prospect who could make the White major leagues immediately.58 Based on the available box scores, Horne played well, batting .275 with an OPS+ of 106. He led the Buckeyes with 7 stolen bases and 13 walks, and finished second on the squad with 27 runs scored.

Desiring a better contract, the 27-year-old Horne initially refused to report to the Buckeyes’ spring-training camp in 1943.59 He soon ended the holdout.60 On May 2 he appeared in a spring-training game for the Harrisburg-St. Louis Stars against the Buckeyes. He got an infield hit and scored the Stars’ only run in a 1-1 extra-innings tie.61 Whether this was during his contract dispute is unknown; he was presumably loaned to the Stars because this was the only game he appeared in for them.

By mid-May, Horne was the Buckeyes’ permanent fixture at shortstop and helped turn six double plays against the Memphis Red Sox.62 Another report noted that “Horne is the spark plug of the infield, and he and Marshall] Riddlessic] form a great double play combination. They have completed as many as eight double plays in one game.”63

Once again, Horne was also a solid hitter in the Buckeyes lineup and led the attack with four hits against the Cincinnati Clowns in an 11-0 win.64 Cleveland got off to a fast 6-1 start,65 and the Pittsburgh Courier reported that “they are well out in front in the league race and are being hailed the most sensational team in sepia baseball.”66 However, both Horne and the Buckeyes soon cooled off.

Cleveland was swept in a doubleheader at Chicago in mid-June with Horne making a critical error in the first game when he missed a groundball.67 He made up for the mistake with a spectacular over-the-shoulder running catch into short left field in the second game, but the Buckeyes still lost.68 A week later, Chicago traveled to Cleveland and swept another twin bill from the Buckeyes as Horne went hitless in the first game.69 On the return trip to the Windy City, the American Giants again defeated Cleveland in the first game of a double bill in a brutal 14-inning affair, 6-5.70 After playing so poorly in Sunday doubleheaders against Chicago, the Buckeyes were fortunate that the second game was rained out.71

While Cleveland soon began winning games again, including a doubleheader sweep of the Clowns72 and another win over the Monarchs,73 they could not catch the second-half NAL champion American Giants. Chicago played the first-half champion Black Barons in the NAL playoffs. The Buckeyes finished with an overall NAL record of 39-27-2, second-best in the league, but missed the postseason again.

Seamheads.com reports that Horne’s performance in 1943 was good enough for him to be named as a second baseman to the South’s All-Star squad, where he went 0-for-4 at the plate, but recorded two putouts and had two assists in his five innings of play.

Before spring training got underway in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1944, Wilbur Hayes, the general manager of the Buckeyes, reviewed his roster and remarked confidently, “I am sure that I will give the Cleveland fans a championship club.”74 Columnist Eddie P. Jennings agreed, and wrote that “[e]ven now, I dare to predict that they will cop the pennant for ’44.”75 Horne was expected to move back to second base, but he again spent most of the year at shortstop.”76

On March 11 Jennings informed his readers that he would write a profile the following week on “Billy Horne, the best second baseman in the league,”77 but the story never surfaced. Even so, sportswriters recognized the veteran leadership Horne contributed:

“Although the Buckeye club is one of the youngest in the fast Negro American League, it is distinguished in having on its roster some of the better known Negro baseball stars. In this category are Billy Horne, shortstop, and Jimmy Crutchfield, right fielder. Each has rocketed his name high in Negro baseball circles as members of other clubs and joined up under Manager Parnell] Woods when Cleveland entered the league.”78

During spring training, a controversy arose, as Hayes accused owners in the Mexican League of trying to lure players to jump their contracts.79 He claimed that “the Mexican interests have tried to take Billy Horne, sensational shortstop, and Willie Jefferson, a dependable pitcher of Cleveland.”80 While Horne honored his contract, he missed the end of spring training after being drafted into the US Army.81 However, he was able to return to the lineup by Opening Day;82another report clarified that he had been “recently discharged from the Army.”83

In late May, Horne was credited with contributing a key single in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of the Black Barons in front of 8,000 fans at League Park.84 He played well enough during the first half of the schedule to be mentioned as one of the Buckeyes who might make the East-West All-Star Game.85 He was later named as a reserve to the West squad,86 but did not appear in the game.87 Remarkably, the Buckeyes sent six players to the All-Star Game including Horne, Bremer, Woods, Ware, Sam Jethroe, and Buddy Armour, while a “sadly depleted Buckeyes squad” continued to play league games in their absence.88

The frequent travel and all the games may have begun to take a toll on Horne’s body. In July he suffered an injury against the American Giants while sliding into third, but did not miss much time.89 Late in the season, he suffered an undisclosed injury that was part of a rash of injuries on Cleveland’s roster.90 The injury was serious enough to sideline him for at least two weeks.91 Despite the injuries, he posted a .963 fielding percentage, which led all NAL shortstops.92

Cleveland finished in second place, albeit a distant 15½ games behind the NAL champion Black Barons. They had a winning record for the third straight season (45-42), but again missed the playoffs. Their fortunes would change in 1945.

With an overall three-year winning percentage of .583, the Buckeyes were recognized by sportswriters during the early spring as “a powerhouse in the Negro American League” and “a well-balanced ball club that promise[s] to make their presence felt in the Negro American League Championship race.”93

Before the schedule got underway, a Texas newspaper previewing a game between the Buckeyes and the American Giants reported that “Flashy Billy Horne has been moved over to second base from shortstop to make room for a highly touted newcomer, Avelino Cañizares.”94 GM Hayes explained the move:

“I have never seen a smoother shortstop than our new Cuban Avelino Canizarez, who is a wizard at getting the ball away from him fielding. He throws well from any position. … I have practically my same squad of last year with one change in the infield, that at shortstop. Thus, Billy Horne and Johnny Cowan can fight it out for second base, and you know they are good.”95

When the Buckeyes met the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field on Opening Day, Cleveland’s new manager, Quincy Trouppe – after apparently having been forgiven for trying to lure players to Mexico the year before – recalled that Birmingham had won the last two NAL flags and avoided a playoff by winning both halves in 1944. He asserted that the Buckeyes were finally ready to claim the pennant.96 However, they would have to do so without Horne, as he was set “to face induction into the armed forces within the next 10 days.”97

Throughout 1945, series previews regularly mentioned Horne as the starting second baseman.98 However, when a rare box score appeared, Cowan’s name appeared at the position.99 Seamheads.com determined that Horne only appeared in two games the entire season.

With Horne’s replacement at shortstop, Cañizares, leading Cleveland with a .375 batting average, the Buckeyes romped to a title with a 62-17-1 record, winning both halves of the NAL season just as Birmingham had the year before, and then swept the Homestead Grays in the Negro World Series.100 For Horne, the title must have been bittersweet. Cleveland won the championship, but his military commitment caused him to miss the Series. Bob Williams of the Cleveland Call and Post observed that Cañizares’ presence at shortstop helped ease Horne’s absence.101 He added, “Losing Horne and finally, Duckey Davenport, certainly a most valuable player, Trouppe’s squad still stayed on top of the heap, closing the gaps as if they never existed.”102

Before spring training in 1946, Horne, now 30 years old, was released from his military commitment and was free to return to the Buckeyes.103 Although some sources claim that Horne was in the Army,104 several stories clarified that he served in the Navy.105 He was initially penciled in as the starting shortstop after Cañizares reportedly signed with the Algodoneros (Cottonpickers) de Unión Laguna of Torreon in Mexico.106 Reports soon appeared suggesting that Cañizares’ return was imminent and that Horne was shifting back to second base.107 These rumors proved to be incorrect and Horne remained at shortstop throughout the spring.108

On April 21 Horne doubled in Cleveland’s 10-9 win over the Black Barons;109 in June, he had three hits, including “two towering three baggers,” as the Buckeyes crushed the Atlanta Black Crackers, 10-1,110 but it was one of his final highlights with the club.

A news story in late July reported that Horne had been traded to the Chicago American Giants for shortstop Ralph Wyatt.111 Other stories confirmed that Horne was a member of the American Giants,112 and his photo appeared in an advertisement for a game between Chicago and the Stag Beers in August.113 No game stories or box scores have been found showing Horne as having played in a game for Chicago in 1946.114 Other reports suggested that he represented the Buckeyes in the North-South All-Star contests; these games were played as a series in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and at Rickwood Field in Birmingham in October.115 Horne’s fly ball plated the only run in the South’s 1-0 win at Pelican Stadium.116 Whether he finished 1946 as a member of the American Giants or the Buckeyes, his career in the NAL had come to an end.

In 1947 Horne returned home and played shortstop for the New Orleans Creoles, a new entry in the Negro Southern League.117 The Creoles were managed by “Harry Williams, former all-around star for the New York Black Yankees.”118 Horne was hailed as “a former star with the Cleveland Buckeyes.”119 In a preview for a game against the Staten Island Oilers at New York’s Polo Grounds, a story misinterpreted the reasons for Horne’s presence in the minors:

“At shortstop for the Creoles will be one of the most promising Negro players in the business, Bill Horne, who has had trials with the Chicago American Giants and Cleveland Buckeyes. Horne, only a youngster, was sent down for further seasoning, but next year he is expected to make the grade in the Negro National League.”120

At age 31, and with nine years in the NAL behind him, Horne may have had designs on returning to the big leagues, but he was neither a youngster nor a prospect.

Early in 1947 the Creoles earned an unusual split in a doubleheader against the Atlanta Black Crackers. Atlanta had won the first game, 3-1, and led a back-and-forth second game, 6-5, when the Black Crackers began stalling for darkness.121The umpires called the game and declared a forfeit, with the Creoles winning the contest, 9-0.122

The Creoles reportedly finished in third place in the first half of the NSL,123 but won the second-half crown.124 They eventually fell to the Asheville Blues, who had won the first half, in the NSL playoffs.125 That October, Horne played for the South All-Stars, who were managed by Harry Williams and included numerous players from the NAL, in a Blue-Gray classic against veterans of the NNL.126

Drastic changes came to New Orleans in 1948. A preview noted that “[t]he Creoles, sporting an almost entirely new lineup, have only Billy Horne and Oliver Andry back from a strong 1947 club, and are traveling under a new manager, Tommy Brown, formerly of the Memphis Red Sox and the New York Black Yankees.”127 Horne occasionally played second base,128 but most often played shortstop and regularly charged the offense with his hitting.129

New Orleans made news in the sports world with the addition of female players. “On the Fourth of July, the Creoles played the Nashville Cubs in a doubleheader in Louisville, Kentucky. Two women, Fabiola Wilson and Lovie Dymond, ‘played three innings and were a hit with the crowd.’”130 Later that month, they signed another woman, right fielder Wilson MacDonald, who was reportedly a student at Xavier University in New Orleans.131

By midsummer, the Creoles reportedly had a 24-6 record and eventually won the NSL pennant.132 Once again, Horne appeared in an all-star game, this time as a shortstop for the American-Southern Aces, a combined group of stars from the NAL and NSL, against the NNL All-Stars.133

During the offseason, New Orleans left the NSL and became a member of the Negro Texas League.134 Horne left the Creoles and became the player-manager of the league’s Shreveport Tigers.135

Throughout the spring of 1949, the Tigers chased the first-place Creoles and trailed by only a half-game on June 2.136When they met the next day, Shreveport won, 5-1, and briefly moved into first place.137 However, New Orleans rebounded to win the next game, 6-4, and retook the lead.138 In early July the Tigers trailed the Creoles by just 1½ games.139 New Orleans was in first place until the end of July, when the league folded due to “financial wrangles and inferior type ball clubs.”140

By the time news of the league’s collapse had been announced, Horne had already rejoined the Creoles as a shortstop.141 He formed a part-time double-play combination with second baseman Toni Stone, another female player, who split time with Joe Wiley.142 The Creoles, who were backed by Abe Saperstein, survived by barnstorming after the NTL collapsed.143

Late in the fall, the Creoles formed an “all-star” team with other Negro Leaguers and faced off against Jackie Robinson’s Major League All-Stars at Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta. The Creoles’ lineup included pitcher Jimmie Newberry and players Piper Davis, Pepper Bassett, T.J. Brown, Lyman Bostock Sr., and Horne.144 Robinson’s All-Stars won, 15-5.145 In probably his final appearance in a Negro League box score, Horne had one hit in five at-bats.146 

Research has not uncovered whether Horne continued to play baseball in 1950, but he did not appear in the Negro Leagues. He briefly played in Canada in 1951. “Halfway through the 1951 ManDak schedule, Horne answered an appeal from the Carman Cardinals to join their lineup. He hit just .207 in twenty-one games.”147

Horne’s post-baseball life is a complete mystery. How he made a living during the 18 years after he left professional baseball is unknown. He died in New Orleans in November of 1969, but the exact date, cause of death, and burial site are not known either. No obituary has been uncovered, and no surviving family members have been identified.

Horne was frequently cited in news stories for his solid play, but none of the articles ever included any direct quotes from him, and no feature stories about him while he was playing have been unearthed. (If only Eddie P. Jennings had written Horne’s profile in 1944!). His name fell away from the sports pages as soon as he left the game. He was never mentioned in any retrospective articles either. This is probably because he died before most baseball researchers discovered the Negro Leagues and finally gave attention to many long-forgotten stories. Information about Horne’s career is incomplete in most books about the Negro Leagues if he is mentioned at all. He does not have a player file with the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library either.148

As a result, any biography of Billy Horne will always be one-dimensional unless more information is uncovered. What can be remembered about Horne are the many colorful descriptions of him as a player that often appeared in print. He was “small but speedy,” a “top second baseman,” “a bright performer at second base,” a “crack infielder,” a “Colored Star,” a “tough little second sacker and pivot man on those Cleveland couple-killings,” “flashy,” “an outstanding shortstop,” “the mighty mite of the infield,” a player who played his position “with baseball greatness,” and “the nucleus” of his clubs.149 Even if he did not give interviews to sportswriters, they always respected “the hustle Horne displayed.”150 He did his job on the field and the box scores tell the story of a player who nearly always contributed something positive to his teams.

In 2020, Major League Baseball announced that seven professional Negro Leagues, including the Negro American League, had been accorded major-league status.151 Horne has finally been recognized as a major leaguer for eight of his summers in the Negro American League.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Phil S. Dixon for taking the time to answer questions regarding the photo of the Negro National League All-Stars, and whether the batboy was Billy Horne. The photo in Phil’s book certainly looks like him. The author greatly appreciates Gary Ashwill of Seamheads for clearing up a mystery regarding the identity of Dan Henderson in the 1939 East-West All-Star voting, In addition, the author thanks Cassidy Lent for searching for a clip file for Horne. Finally, it is sometimes difficult to have a full-time career and still find time to research and write a biography. Accordingly, the author appreciates his wife Stephanie’s enduring patience.

Photo credit: Seamheads.com.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author relied on Seamheads.com for statistical information, except where otherwise indicated.

Notes

1 James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues (New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1994), 293; https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=horne01bil.

2 This is an archaic and offensive term that was discontinued by the census after 1920.

3 Louisiana. New Orleans City. 1920 US Census. A later census record identified Horne’s race as “Negro.” Louisiana. New Orleans City. 1940 US Census.

4 Louisiana. New Orleans City. 1920 US Census.

5 Louisiana. New Orleans City. 1940 US Census.

6 “Colored Hurlers Fan 28 Men In Tie Game,” Regina (Saskatchewan) Leader-Post, August 23, 1935: 21; “Acme Giants Win Over All-Stars by Score of 14-2,” Davenport (Iowa) Daily Times, September 11, 1935: 15.

“Local Seniors Lose To Visitors 7-0 and 10-4,” Rock Island (Illinois) Argus, May 13, 1936: 18; “Acme Giants Beat East Siders, 7-1,” Grand Forks (North Dakota) Herald, May 27, 1936: 10; “Local Seniors Lose To Visitors 7-0 and 10-4,” Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Star-Phoenix, July 9, 1936: 10; “Colored Giants Split Two Here” Spokane (Washington) Chronicle, July 27, 1936: 11; “Giants Wallop Texas Spiders,” Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette, September 10, 1936: 16; “Dunseith Colored Nine Clinches Win With Three Run Attack in Eighth,” Bismarck (North Dakota) Tribune, June 1, 1937: 8.

7 “Buckeyes Here Next Thursday,” Kellogg (Idaho) Evening News, July 12, 1940: 2; “Welch Signed as Barons’ Manager,” Michigan Chronicle(Detroit), February 13, 1943: 19; “Black Barons Coming Home For July 25th,” Birmingham Weekly Review, July 24, 1943: 7.

8 https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/buck-oneil/.

9 “Shreveport Giants Will Play Dallas,” Shreveport (Louisiana) Journal, June 6, 1935: 9.

10 “Champions of Denver Post Tournament,” Kansas City Call, August 21, 1936: 7. 6

11 Phil S. Dixon with Patrick J. Hannigan. The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History (Mattituck, New York: Amereon, 1992), 220.

12 Dixon, 220.

13 For his part, Dixon does not have additional information or photos of the batboy. Facebook message from Phil S. Dixon, January 9, 2025.

14 “Tigers to Stage Double Header at Dixie Field,” Shreveport Times, April 16, 1937: 24.

15 “Negro Teams Will Not Use Dixie League Park,” Shreveport Times, April 20, 1937: 13.

16 “Acme Giants Rout Bismarck Nine 8 to 4 In First Start Of Season,” Bismarck Tribune, June 1, 1937: 8.

17 Dick Clark and Larry Lester, eds., The Negro Leagues Book (Cleveland: SABR, 1994), 196.

18 “Clowns Star with Giants,” Cincinnati Post, July 14, 1941: 11.

19 “American Giants Blast Wallie Zuehls, Blatz, Win Rubber Game, 9-8,” Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin), July 8, 1938: 15.

20 “American Giants Blast Wallie Zuehls, Blatz, Win Rubber Game, 9-8.”

21 “Monarchs Win From Chicago,” Fargo Forum, Daily Republican, and Moorhead Daily News (Fargo, North Dakota), July 26, 1938: 9.

22 “Fancy Slugging – Giants Beat Monarchs, 11-4,” Des Moines Register, July 29, 1938: 9.

23 “Error Beats Negro Club in Ninth Inning,” Capital Times, August 10, 1939: 15.

24 “Zuehls Has an Edge in Slab Duel,” Wisconsin State Journal (Madison), June 16, 1939: 19.

25 Larry Lester, Black Baseball’s National Showcase, The East-West All-Star Game, 1933-1953 (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2001), 139. Lester identified “Henderson” as “Dan Henderson,” but Curtis Henderson was the only player with that surname to play in the NAL in 1939. Baseball historian Gary Ashwill confirmed that the player in question was Curtis Henderson, not Dan Henderson, who played for the Toledo Crawfords that season. Email from Gary Ashwill, February 3, 2025. He also referred the author to a newspaper article, which also referred to Curtis Henderson as “Dan” that year. “Cleveland Bears Clash With Orlando Crawfords Sunday,” Kansas City Call, July 14, 1939: 37. 

26 Lester, 125.

27 Lester, 126.

28 Lester, 138.

29 Lester, 138.

30 “Chi Team Stamped as One of Best in American League,” Pittsburgh Courier, April 15, 1939: 16.

31 “Jim Taylor in Tenn.,” Atlanta Daily World, January 10, 1940: 5.

32 Leslie A. Heaphy, ed., Black Baseball and Chicago: Essays on the Players, Teams and Games (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2006), 51.

33 Louisiana. New Orleans City. 1940 US Census. The census corrected the spelling of his surname, “Horne,” which was incorrect in the 1920 census.

34 Louisiana. New Orleans City. 1940 US Census.

35 Heaphy, 85.

36 “West’s Negro Team Named in All-Star Poll,” Chicago Tribune, August 11, 1940: 25.

37 Lester, 152.

38 https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/year.php?yearID=1940&lgID=NSA&tab=fld.

39 “American Giants to Start the Season With a Stronger Team Than in 1949,” Chicago Tribune, May 10, 1941: 8.

40 “American Giants to Start the Season With a Stronger Team Than in 1949.”

41 “Giants Plan Opener for Sunday, May 8,” Chicago Sunday Bee, May 4, 1941: 10.

42 “Scott Smashes Three-bagger With Bases Loaded to Give Bluff’s Team 9-8 Decision Over Giants,” Council Bluffs (Iowa) Daily Nonpareil,May 31, 1941: 6.

43 “Rival Teams Tied With 4 Games Each,” Baltimore Afro-American, July 26, 1941: 19.

44 “50,000 See East Defeat West in Classic, 8-3,” New Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Virginia), August 2, 1941: 12.

45 New Orleans, Louisiana, US, Marriage Records Index, 1831-1964.

46 No information was found regarding Horne in the 1950 US Census.

47 Riley, 393; “Bucks Pound Out Victory Over Paige, 12-9,” Cleveland Call and Post, April 11, 1942: 11.

48 “Cincinnati, Birmingham Negro Nines Mix Tonight,” Muskogee (Oklahoma) Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat, April 28, 1942: 7.

49 “Cincy Buckeyes Ready to Pry 1942 Lid,” Atlanta Daily World, May 12, 1942: 5.

50 “Morgan Gets Annual Track Championships,” Cleveland Call and Post, May 2, 1942: 11.

51 “Cincy Bucks Sweep Bill,” Pittsburgh Courier, May 16, 1942: 17.

52 “‘Cool Papa’ to Appear Here Sunday,” Cleveland Call and Post, June 6, 1942: 10.

53 Clarence L. Simmons, “Grays Shellack Jefferson in First Game, but Bow to Mister Brewer in Second,” Cleveland Call and Post, July 25, 1942: 11.

54 “Grays Shellack Jefferson in First Game, but Bow to Mister Brewer in Second.” Despite the height reference in this article, we earlier used the 5-foot-5 height listed by Seamheads.

55 “John Fuster’s Sportlight,” Cleveland Call and Post, June 27, 1942: 10. In 1942 the Indians went 75-79-2, finishing fourth in the American League.

56 “John Fuster’s Sportlight.”

57 John Fuster, “A Pat on the Back for the Bucks and a Few Suggestions for the Negro American League,” Cleveland Call and Post, June 27, 1942: 11. Horne finished third with 83,829 votes behind Tommy Sampson (124,506) and Fred Bankhead (92,672). Lester, 206.

58 “Cleveland Agrees to Give Tryouts to Negro Players,” Cleveland Call and Post, August 1, 1942: 21.

59 “Cleveland Appears League Title Threat,” St. Louis Argus, May 7, 1943: 10.

60 “Buckeye Leadoff Man Ill,” Cleveland Call and Post, May 22, 1943: 10.

61 “Cleveland Comes From Behind to Tie Up the Old Score at 1-1, Cleveland Call and Post, May 8, 1943: 10A.

62 “Two New Infielders Play for Buckeyes,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 22, 1943: 16; “Fans Interest Intense Over Games Sunday,” Cleveland Call and Post, May 29, 1943: 10A.

63 “Coloured Teams Will Show Here Thursday, June 17,” Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator, June 11, 1943: 29.

64 “Buckeyes’ Smith Shuts Out Clowns With One Hit, 11-0,” Buffalo News, June 3, 1943: 20.

65 “Standings,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 5, 1943: 18.

66 “The Cleveland Buckeyes … Most Sensational Team in Sepia Majors,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 5, 1943: 18.

67 “Clevelanders Lose Twin Bill to Chicago Giants,” Cleveland Call and Post, June 19, 1943: 10A.

68 “American Giants Knock Cleveland Out of Lead,” Michigan Chronicle (Detroit), June 19, 1943: 20.

69 “Chicago Giants Stop Bucs Winning Streak,” Kansas City Call, June 25, 1943: 47. There was no box score for the second game.

70 “Chicago Giants Stop Bucs 6-5 in 14-Inning Game,” Kansas City Call, July 2, 1943: 10.

71 “Chicago Giants Stop Bucs 6-5 in 14-Inning Game.”

72 “Bucs Take Two From Clowns,” Kansas City Call, July 9, 1943: 41.

73 “Cleveland’s Ace Tames Monarchs,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 10, 1943: 18.

74 Bob Williams, “Cleveland Buckeyes Eye Coming Baseball Season,” Kansas City Call, February 4, 1944: 8.

75 Eddie P. Jennings, “Buckeyes Should Be 1944 Champs,” Cleveland Call and Post, February 19, 1944: 10A.

76 “Buckeyes Leave Friday for Miss.,” Cleveland Call and Post, March 8, 1944: 9B.

77 Eddie P. Jennings, “Says Forgotten Man of Buckeyes Is Bremer,” Cleveland Call and Post, March 11, 1944: 9B.

78 “Bears and Bucks Battle Here Tonight,” South Bend Tribune, July 26, 1944: 14.

79 “Cleveland Official Says Mexicans Are ‘Stealing’ Players,” Pittsburgh Courier, March 25, 1944: 12.

80 “Cleveland Official Says Mexicans Are ‘Stealing’ Players.”

81 “New Keystone Pair for Cleveland Team,” Dayton Daily News, April 29, 1944: 5.

82 “Clowns, Bucks Open League Play Today,” Louisville Courier-Journal, May 7, 1944: 52.

83 “Buckeyes Are Strengthened for Game Here Tomorrow,” Buffalo News, May 17, 1944: 15.

84 Wendell Smith, “Good Hurling Beats Barons,” Pittsburgh Courier, May 27, 1944: 11.

85 “All-League Stars Show in Negro Game Today,” Knoxville Journal, June 12, 1944: 8.

86 “West Favored to Win Annual Classic Tilt,” Michigan Chronicle, August 12, 1944: 15.

87 Lester, 238.

88 “Victorious East-West Players Rejoin Bucks to Play Clowns Sunday,” Cleveland Call and Post, August 9, 1944: 6B.

89 Bob Williams, “Memphis Team Will Test Mettle of Buckeyes Who Lost One to Champs, 9-0,” Cleveland Call and Post, July 8, 1944: 6B.

90 “Buckeyes vs. Chicago Giants in 2 Games Here This Week,” Dayton Daily News, August 27, 1944: 5.

91 Bob Williams, “Buckeyes Win Two; Play Homestead Grays Here, Sunday: Beat Chicago 15-9, 4-2; Buck’s Big Bats to Clash With Grays Here at League Park, Sunday,” Cleveland Call and Post, September 9, 1944: 6B.

92 Stephanie M. Liscio, Integrating Cleveland Baseball: Media Activism, the Integration of the Indians and the Demise of the Negro League Buckeyes (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2010), 211.

93 “Buckeyes to Begin Workouts Today,” Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat, March 25, 1945: 3; “American Giants Meet Buckeyes on Saturday Evening,” Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald, April 15, 1945: 8.

94 “American Giants Meet Buckeyes on Saturday Evening.” Lest anyone forget that the indignity of segregation still ruled in the Deep South, the same story reminded readers that “[a] special section of the Katy park stand will be roped off for the white fans.”

95 “Buckeyes Split Two Games With Cubans, Good Spring Games,” Cleveland Call and Post, April 14, 1944: 19.

96 “Black Barons in Two Tilts Sunday,” Birmingham News, May 5, 1945: 5.

97 “Bucks Defeat Chicago Twice,” Michigan Chronicle, May 5, 1945: 15.

98 “Clowns Oppose Veteran Team,” Cincinnati Post, May 18, 1945: 25; “Beers And Buckeyes Clash Here Tonight,” South Bend Tribune: May 18, 1945: 25; “Cleveland Negroes Here Tonight – 8:15,” Lafayette (Indiana) Journal and Courier, June 6, 1945: 10; “All 3 Clubs Loaded With Star Diamond Performers,” St. Louis Argus, June 8: 1945: 10; “Stars Meet Negro Team Here, 8:30,” Belleville (Illinois) Daily Advocate, June 29, 1945: 7; “Buckeyes Play Black Crackers Tonight,” Alabama Journal (Montgomery), July 13, 1945: 9.

99 “Union City Red in High Gear, Battle Dexters,” Brooklyn Eagle, July 31, 1945: 14.

100 https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/year.php?yearID=1945&lgID=NAL; Bob Williams, “Manager Quincy Trouppe, Man Behind the Scenes, Was the Deciding Factor,” Cleveland Call and Post, October 27: 1945: 6B.

101 “Manager Quincy Trouppe, Man Behind the Scenes, Was the Deciding Factor.”

102 “Manager Quincy Trouppe, Man Behind the Scenes, Was the Deciding Factor.”

103 “Billy Horne to Join Buckeyes,” Chicago Defender, January 26, 1946: 9.

104 “Buckeyes Are Strengthened for Game Here Tomorrow”; David Finoli, For the Good of the Country: World War II Baseball in the Major and Minor Leagues (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2002), 297.

105 “Billy Horne to Join Buckeyes”; “Cleveland’s Champion Buckeyes Open Spring Training,” Dayton Daily Bulletin, March 21, 1946: 1; “Bucks to Play Crackers On April 7,” Atlanta Daily World, March 20, 1946: 5; “World Champion Buckeyes Oppose Birmingham Sunday,” St. Louis Argus, March 22, 2017: 17.

106 “World Champion Buckeyes Oppose Birmingham Sunday”; Jimmie Jones, “Buckeyes Start Spring Training With Strong Squad; List 15 Games,” Cleveland Call and Post, March 30, 1946: 8B.

107 “Skipper Troupe Out to Maintain Record,” Atlanta Daily World, April 4, 1946: 5;

“Cleveland Faces Black Yankees in 8:30 Contest,” Florence (South Carolina) Morning News, April 17, 1946: 8.

108 “Cleveland Buckeyes to Play Chicago Giants Here Sunday,” Dayton Daily News, April 28, 1946: 21.

109 “Cleveland Buckeyes Shade B’ham Black Barons, 10-9,” Atlanta Daily World, April 23, 1946: 8.

110 “Cleveland Nine Routs Atlanta, 10-1,” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, June 8, 1946: 19.

111 “Gen. Beightler to See Benefit Game For V.F.W. Tomorrow,” Plain Dealer, July 16, 1946: 14. As to Chicago’s motivation for the deal, according to baseball historian Paul Debono, “[Ralph] Wyatt was criticized by the Chicago Defender for not running out a ground ball, which resulted in a double play in a situation where the Giants might have been able to score, costing a game to the Birmingham Black Barons. A month later Wyatt refused to accompany the team on a road trip and was subsequently sold to the Cleveland Buckeyes.” Paul Debono, The Chicago American Giants (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2007), 170.

112 Red Sox to Play Giants,” Memphis Commercial Appeal, July 26, 1946: 24; “Memphis Meets Chicago Giants Tomorrow Night,” Belleville Daily Advocate, July 29, 1946: 6.

113 “Baseball Tuesday Night,” Belleville News-Democrat, August 12, 1946: 6.

114 Horne was not listed in the only box scores the author could locate. “Bunt and Triple in Eighth Shoved in Winning Run,” Belleville Daily Advocate, August 14, 1946: 7; “American Giants Defeat Clowns, 6-4, With Rally In Eighth,” Decatur Herald and Review, August 30, 1946: 13. Seamheads.com does not show Horne on Chicago’s roster in 1946 either. https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/team.php?yearID=1946&teamID=CAG&LGOrd=2.

115 Lucius “Melancholy” Jones, “North-South Classic Rickwood Sunday,” Weekly Review (Birmingham), October 12, 1946: 7; “Negro Leagues Stage Single Game Today,” Birmingham News, October 13, 1946: 37.

116 “Negro Leagues Stage Single Game Today.”

117 William J. Plott, The Negro Southern League: A Baseball History, 1920-1951 (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland Publishing, 2014), 234, 236.

118 “Black Crax Will Be Out to Sweep Series,” Atlanta Daily World, May 21, 1947: 5.

119 “Fans Look Forward to Sensational Thriller,” Atlanta Daily World, June 10, 1947: 5.

120 “Negro Team From Southern Circuit Under the Lights,” Staten Island (New York) Advance, July 8, 1947: 14.

121 “Crax Win Opener; Forfeit Nightcap” Alabama Tribune (Montgomery), June 20, 1947: 7.

122 “Crax Win Opener; Forfeit Nightcap.”

123 Plott, 175.

124 “Negro Southern Loop Teams Book Playoff Game Here,” Shreveport Times, September 14, 1947: 34.

125 Plott, 176-77.

126 “Blue and Gray Meet Thursday,” Waco Times-Herald, October 8, 1947: 12.

127 “Nashville, New Orleans Negro Teams at Clarks,” Monroe (Louisiana) Morning World, April 23, 1948: 11.

128 “Southern Loop Rivals Set for Crucial Tilt,” Atlanta Daily World, June 5, 1948: 5.

129 “Studebakers Beat Creoles; Play Tonight,” South Bend Tribune, July 8, 1948: 23 (2-for-4 with a run scored); “Oliver Nine Splits With New Orleans,” Battle Creek (Michigan) Enquirer, July 12, 1948: 9 (1-for-4 with a stolen base); “New Orleans Beats Autos By 7-6 Count,” South Bend Tribune, July 8, 1948: 23 (1-for-5 with a run scored).

130 Plott, 185.

131 “Creoles Feature Girl Outfielder,” Greensboro (North Carolina) News and Record, July 25, 1948: 43.

132 Plott, 185, 188.

133 “All-Star Negro Battle Tonight,” Monroe Morning World, September 29, 1948: 10.

134 Plott, 191.

135 “Famous Negro Baseball Team Here Tomorrow,” Shreveport Journal, April 16, 1949: 6; “Tigers Meet Giants Today,” Shreveport Times, April 17, 1949: 38; Shreveport Tigers Will Make Debut,” Shreveport Times, May 11, 1949: 21; “Tigers Beat San Antonio in Twin Bill,” Shreveport Times, June 2, 1949: 17; “New Orleans Creoles Play City Circuit All-Stars Friday,” La Crosse (Wisconsin) Tribune, July 26, 1949: 12.

136 “Shreveport Tigers Will Make Debut”; “Tigers Beat San Antonio in Twin Bill.”

137 “Tigers Topple New Orleans; Cop TL Lead,” Shreveport Times, June 4, 1949: 6.

138 “Creoles Retake Negro Loop Lead,” Shreveport Journal, June 4, 1949: 6.

139 “Tigers to Meet Eagles Friday,” Shreveport Times, July 6, 1949: 17.

140 “Texas Loop Folds,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 30, 1949: 10.

141 “New Orleans Creoles Play City Circuit All-Stars Friday.”

142 “New Orleans Creoles Play City Circuit All-Stars Friday.”

143 “New Orleans Creoles Play City Circuit All-Stars Friday”; “Creoles Survive as Texas League Folds,” Atlanta Daily World, August 4, 1949: 5.

144 “Jackie Robinson’s All-Stars in Tilt With Creole All-Stars Here,” Atlanta Daily World, October 15, 1949: 6.

145 “Jackie Robinson All-Stars Beat Creoles Before 7,500,” Atlanta Daily World, October 18, 1949: 5.

146 “Jackie Robinson All-Stars Beat Creoles Before 7,500.”

147 Barry Swanton and Jay-Dell Mah, Black Baseball Players in Canada: A Biographical Dictionary, 1881-1960 (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2009), 85; Barry Swanton, The ManDak League: Haven for Former Negro League Ballplayers, 1950-1957(Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2006), 114.

148 Cassidy Lent of the Baseball Hall of Fame library, email correspondence with author, February 27, 2024.

149 “Signs Sherbath. Paugh; Freck Is Benched,” Capital Times , June 14, 1939: 17; “Giants Plan Opener for Sunday, May 8,” Chicago Sunday Bee, May 4, 1941: 10; “Buckeye Club Strong Entry,” Waco Times-Herald, April 17, 1945: 6; “Fans to See Strongest American Giants Team,” Chicago Daily Calumet, July 8, 1941: 6; “Colored Star,” The Life (Berwyn, Illinois), July 9, 1941: 9; “Standalone Photo,” Cleveland Call and Post, June 20, 1942: 10; “Buckeyes Rated Tops Among Negro League Clubs,” South Bend Tribune, July 25, 1944: 12; “Leading Sluggers of Negro League Will Accompany Cleveland Buckeyes Thursday,” Muskegon (Michigan) Chronicle: August 16, 1944: 12; “Erickson of Mosox to Face Creoles’ Nine Here Thursday,” Fargo (North Dakota) Forum, August 17, 1949: 16; “New Orleans Creoles Play City Circuit All-Stars Friday”; “Morgan Gets Annual Track Championships,” Cleveland Call and Post, May 2, 1942: 11.

150 “Strong Negro Clubs to Vie in Lippincott,” South Bend Tribune, September 12, 1941: 33.

151 https://www.mlb.com/news/negro-leagues-given-major-league-status-for-baseball-records-stats.