Living history made its way through Columbus Tuesday as five former Negro league baseball players made the rounds.
Before speaking at Columbus Middle School, the old ball players ate and chatted with the Columbus Rotary Club. Seated at the head table at the Columbus Country Club were Cleophus Brown (Birmingham Black Barons, Louisville Clippers); Roger Brown (Birmingham Black Barons, Kansas City Monarchs); Henry Elmore (Birmingham Black Barons, Philadelphia Stars); Earnest “Big Dog” Fann (Raleigh Tigers); and Earnest Harris (Birmingham Black Barons, Philadelphia Phillies).
The former players joked and poked fun at one another as they answered questions from the audience following brief statements from each. They shared stories of both good times and everyday realities. There were no bad times because playing for a salary of $5 per day or pitching three innings every single day without resting your arm were the status quo.
A unique perspective was all it took to create a happy memory. Harris bragged of facing legendary black pitcher Satchel Paige and escaping without striking out.
“He walked me,” Harris recalled to laughter.
Another great pitcher, Johnny “Blue Moon” Odom, was so called because he was darker than all of his friends growing up, recalled Fann, who was one of those friends. Fann was “Big Dog” simply because he was the biggest at the time nicknames were being assigned.
Cleophus Brown recalled playing with future country singer Charley Pride, who would “used to play his two or three string guitar on the bus.”
The players recalled some of the lesser known aspects of the game, such as the three women and at-least one white player who played in the Negro leagues. Or how young men barely 16 years old would be snatched up to play professional baseball.
Bringing the discussion full circle, Fann contrasted his generation with the millionaire players of today.
“They”re taking these kids out of high school and college and giving them millions. Most of these kids don”t have an education. You can”t give a kid that much money,” he said. “Some people got five Mercedes in their garage, and that”s all right. But what are you going to give back? These kids and their parents both need to be educated.”
And for those who claim “times were different,” Fann said the allure of alcohol, drugs, guns and nightclubs all existed in the days of the Negro league. But players appreciated the life they were fortunate enough to lead and exercised discipline.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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