history

In recognition of Black History Month, and in honor of the many Mississippians who played in pro ball’s pre-integration era, here’s an All-Negro Leagues team of Magnolia State natives: Rufus Lewis (Hattiesburg), pitcher; Sam Hairston (Crawford), catcher; Bob Boyd (Potts Camp), first base; Sherwood Brewer (Clarksdale), second base; Howard Easterling (Mount Olive), third base; Buddy Armour (Jackson), shortstop; Bill Hoskins (Charleston), left field; Cool Papa Bell (Starkville) center field; and Luke Easter (Jonestown), right field. In reserve, there’s outfielder Bubba Hyde (Pontotoc), pitcher/outfielder Dave Hoskins (Greenwood), outfielder Lacey Thomas (Meridian) and first baseman Henry McCall (Hattiesburg). This is a darn good bunch. Bell is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, of course, as a special electee. (William Foster, one of the greatest Negro Leagues pitchers, is there also and rates special mention here. He wasn’t born in Mississippi but grew up in the Lorman area and later coached and served as a dean at Alcorn State.) Easter — a legendary home run hitter — Boyd, Hairston and Dave Hoskins all got to the major leagues. Easterling was a perennial Negro Leagues All-Star, and Lewis was the ace of the Newark Eagles’ championship club in 1946.