Campf: 1914 Hubbard Giants with Jimmy Claxton

From SABR member Brian Campf at Our Game on April 29, 2015:

Southpaw pitcher Jimmy Claxton was both the first African American to play in Organized Baseball in the 20th century–he pitched two games for the Pacific Coast League’s Oakland Oaks in 1916–and the first black player to appear on an American baseball card. He sits in the front row, far right of this postcard (below) of the 1914 Hubbard Giants baseball team from Portland, Oregon.

Composed solely of African Americans, the Portland Giants played from 1910 to 1915. In 1914 alone they used the name Hubbard Giants after Lew Hubbard, who managed the team. The postcard can be dated to 1914 because of their Hubbard Giants jerseys and the use of that team name on the postcard. Claxton played for the Giants during both 1914 and 1915 before signing with the Sellwood club (also located in Portland).[1]

The caption of a Hubbard Giants team photo in the Oregon Daily Journal (different from the photo on the postcard shown here) lists a 1914 roster of P. Smith, Goins, Harper, Williams, H. Smith, St. Clair, Hubbard (manager), Lewis, Brown, Harris, Couver (captain), Claxton, Henry, and Vernon.[2] The Oregonian‘s 1914 coverage adds another name, pitcher Elliston.[3]

Read the full article here: http://ourgame.mlblogs.com/2015/04/29/1914-hubbard-giants-with-jimmy-claxton/



Originally published: April 29, 2015. Last Updated: April 29, 2015.