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Quiz about Notable Figures of the Negro Leagues
Quiz about Notable Figures of the Negro Leagues

Notable Figures of the Negro Leagues Quiz


Identify these towering figures of the Negro Leagues era by the descriptions given. If you're a fan of that late lamented age, this is the quiz for you!

A multiple-choice quiz by stuthehistoryguy. Estimated time: 8 mins.
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Time
8 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
209,444
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
357
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
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Question 1 of 15
1. I was widely reputed to be the fastest man who ever put on a baseball uniform. I played centerfield for the St. Louis Blues championship teams of 1928, 1930, and 1931, was a standout on the Negro National League champion Pittsburgh Crawfords of 1935-36, and won my last Negro League batting title with the Homestead Grays in 1946 at the age of 43. Who am I? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Most of my contemporaries believed that I was the greatest power hitter in the history of the Negro Leagues. I posted legendary home run totals and accomplished the unique feat of hitting a fair ball out of Yankee Stadium. I wasn't too bad at getting the bat on the ball, either, maintaining a lifetime league batting average of .354 and batting .412 in exhibitions against Major Leaguers. I played twelve seasons for the Homestead Grays, mostly at catcher, and was one of the many stars of the legendary Pittsburgh Crawfords. Who am I? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. One of the outstanding first basemen in Negro League History, I was a mainstay for the Homestead Grays from 1934 to 1950. I played on nine consecutive Negro National League champion ship teams between 1937 and 1945, and worked in the front office of the Rocky Mount, NC minor league team after my playing days were over. Who am I? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. I was a star third baseman for the Hilldale Daisies from 1921 to 1932 (with the exception of 1930, when I played for the Homestead Grays) and was recruited for the elite lineup of the legendary Pittsburgh Crawfords, where I served from 1932 to 1936. I led Hilldale to three straight Eastern Colored League titles (1923-1925), was a player-manager from 1930 to 1932, and batted .309 for my career. Who am I? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. I was a longtime ruler of a Latin American country. In 1937, I recruited several top Negro League stars (including three future Hall of Famers) to play for my personal team. During the championship series, I imprisoned my players to keep them from carousing and informed my team that if they did not win they would be summarily executed. They won. Who am I? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. I was one of the outstanding African-American ballplayers of the pre-1920 "dead ball" era. I broke into big-time Negro League ball in 1906 with the Cuban X-Giants, and would go on to star, mainly at shortstop, with the New York Lincoln Giants and Chicago American Giants. I would later be a player-manager for the Columbus Buckeyes, New York Bacharachs, and Hilldale Daisies in the 1920s, and would be hailed by Babe Ruth as the greatest baseball player of all time. Who am I? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Perhaps the most consistently successful owner in the history of the Negro Leagues, I started out as an outfielder with the Homestead Grays in 1911. I took over the team's operations the following year, and my methods of running the operation (including the institution of regular salaries) became the model for many Negro League teams to follow. Though my Grays had their ups and downs, they eventually became a dynasty, winning nine consecutive Negro National League titles from 1937 to 1945. Who am I? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. In addition to being one of the best pitchers of the early twentieth century, I was highly successful as the manager of the Chicago American Giants, who won all but one of the recorded championships in Black baseball from 1910 to 1922. In 1920, I founded the Negro National League, which would continue as one of the preeminent Negro Leagues until the integration of Major League Baseball. Who am I? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Thought by many to be the most versatile star in the history of baseball, I was one of the most effective pitchers and hitters in every league in which I played. I would routinely play every position in one game several times a season, and garnered a fine reputation as a defensive infielder in addition to my pitching and hitting. After retiring from active play, I served as minister of sports under Fidel Castro in my native Cuba. Who am I? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. A star for the Kansas City Monarchs from 1936 to 1948, I compiled a lifetime won-lost record of 161-32 in league play. Though I could pour on the heat when I had to, I was better known for my breaking pitches, including a vaunted curveball. Largely due to the efforts of my good friend on the Veterans' Committee, I was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Who am I? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. One of the first women to run a major sports team, I was business manager and effective owner of the Newark Eagles from 1935 to 1946, then assumed control of the team outright in 1946 after the death of my husband. When the Major Leagues began signing Negro League ballplayers, I fought to be compensated, eventually receiving a premium from Bill Veeck when he signed my second baseman, Larry Doby. Who am I? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. One of the great stewards of the Negro Leagues' memory, I was a Kansas City Monarchs mainstay from 1938 to 1955, excluding my military service from 1943 to 1945. After several years as a star first baseman, I took over as manager in 1948. I left the Monarchs in 1956 to become a scout for the Chicago Cubs, for whom I would later become the first Major League African-American coach in 1962. I was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City and was a longtime member of the Baseball Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee. Who am I? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. A fireballer for the New York Lincoln Giants and Homestead Grays, I posted a 20-7 lifetime record against Major League competition, including postseason barnstorming victories over the pennant-winning 1912 New York Giants and 1915 Philadelphia Phillies. I dueled the Giants again after they won the 1917 National League pennant and pitched a no-hitter, but lost 1-0 on an error. In 1952, twenty years after retiring from active play, I was voted the greatest Negro League pitcher of all time in a "Pittsburgh Courier" poll of African-American sportswriters. Who am I? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. I was one of the top Negro League second basemen of the 1910s and 1920s. With a reputation for defensive play and effective baserunning, I was captain of the Chicago American Giants from 1919 to 1924, leading them to the first three Negro National League pennants (1920-22). I would later manage the Detroit Stars from 1926 to 1931. Who am I? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. I was probably the best-known player in the history of the Negro Leagues. During my storied career as a pitcher, which began with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts in 1926, I won championships with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Kansas City Monarchs. My dominant pitching and charismatic demeanor made me the greatest drawing card in Negro League history, and when Bill Veeck signed me to play for the Cleveland Indians at the age of 42, most dismissed it as a publicity stunt. I proved them wrong by going 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA as the Indians won the World Series and I came away with the Rookie of the Year award in 1948. Who am I?

Answer: (Two words, or just surname, or just nickname ... think briefcase)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. I was widely reputed to be the fastest man who ever put on a baseball uniform. I played centerfield for the St. Louis Blues championship teams of 1928, 1930, and 1931, was a standout on the Negro National League champion Pittsburgh Crawfords of 1935-36, and won my last Negro League batting title with the Homestead Grays in 1946 at the age of 43. Who am I?

Answer: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 after posting a .341 lifetime batting average in league play and batting .391 in exhibitions against Major Leaguers. His baserunning remains legendary; it was said that he could go from first to third on an infield single, and that he could turn off the lightswitch and be in bed before it got dark. (This was a quirk of the electrical system where the Crawfords trained, but it's a great story anyway.)
2. Most of my contemporaries believed that I was the greatest power hitter in the history of the Negro Leagues. I posted legendary home run totals and accomplished the unique feat of hitting a fair ball out of Yankee Stadium. I wasn't too bad at getting the bat on the ball, either, maintaining a lifetime league batting average of .354 and batting .412 in exhibitions against Major Leaguers. I played twelve seasons for the Homestead Grays, mostly at catcher, and was one of the many stars of the legendary Pittsburgh Crawfords. Who am I?

Answer: Josh Gibson

Josh Gibson died of a stroke in 1947, just a month after his thirty-fifth birthday and only weeks before Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers to break the Major League color barrier. Gibson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
3. One of the outstanding first basemen in Negro League History, I was a mainstay for the Homestead Grays from 1934 to 1950. I played on nine consecutive Negro National League champion ship teams between 1937 and 1945, and worked in the front office of the Rocky Mount, NC minor league team after my playing days were over. Who am I?

Answer: Buck Leonard

Buck Leonard teamed with Josh Gibson to give the Grays a power combination comparable to the Yankees' lineup that featured Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Leonard was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 along with Gibson.
4. I was a star third baseman for the Hilldale Daisies from 1921 to 1932 (with the exception of 1930, when I played for the Homestead Grays) and was recruited for the elite lineup of the legendary Pittsburgh Crawfords, where I served from 1932 to 1936. I led Hilldale to three straight Eastern Colored League titles (1923-1925), was a player-manager from 1930 to 1932, and batted .309 for my career. Who am I?

Answer: Judy Johnson

Johnson later served as a scout for the Philadelphia A's, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Braves. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
5. I was a longtime ruler of a Latin American country. In 1937, I recruited several top Negro League stars (including three future Hall of Famers) to play for my personal team. During the championship series, I imprisoned my players to keep them from carousing and informed my team that if they did not win they would be summarily executed. They won. Who am I?

Answer: Rafael Trujillo

Trujillo was effectively the dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1961. His use of Negro Leaguers (including Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, and Josh Gibson) is paradoxical, considering that he was a racist who had thousands of Haitian workers killed in a genocidal effort to "whiten" his country. His repressive rule was ended by his assassination.
6. I was one of the outstanding African-American ballplayers of the pre-1920 "dead ball" era. I broke into big-time Negro League ball in 1906 with the Cuban X-Giants, and would go on to star, mainly at shortstop, with the New York Lincoln Giants and Chicago American Giants. I would later be a player-manager for the Columbus Buckeyes, New York Bacharachs, and Hilldale Daisies in the 1920s, and would be hailed by Babe Ruth as the greatest baseball player of all time. Who am I?

Answer: John Henry "Pop" Lloyd

In addition to the accolades Ruth paid him, Lloyd was also feted by Honus Wagner who, when asked if any Negro League player would compare with Major League talent, turned the tables on his interviewer and said that it was an honor to be compared with John Henry Lloyd. The great infielder retired from competition in 1932, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
7. Perhaps the most consistently successful owner in the history of the Negro Leagues, I started out as an outfielder with the Homestead Grays in 1911. I took over the team's operations the following year, and my methods of running the operation (including the institution of regular salaries) became the model for many Negro League teams to follow. Though my Grays had their ups and downs, they eventually became a dynasty, winning nine consecutive Negro National League titles from 1937 to 1945. Who am I?

Answer: Cumberland Posey

Posey's innovations also included the booking of night games years before the major leagues tried it. He also had the good fortune to sign Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard, who, in addition to probably being the best two power hitters in the league, gave him a right-handed/left-handed batting tandem in the middle of his order that made it very hard for opposing teams to get a platoon advantage.

He died in 1946, just a year before Jackie Robinson integrated the Major Leagues.
8. In addition to being one of the best pitchers of the early twentieth century, I was highly successful as the manager of the Chicago American Giants, who won all but one of the recorded championships in Black baseball from 1910 to 1922. In 1920, I founded the Negro National League, which would continue as one of the preeminent Negro Leagues until the integration of Major League Baseball. Who am I?

Answer: Rube Foster

Foster was widely reputed to have invented the screwball in his pitching days (though that contention is disputed by most baseball historians) and, on the considerable weight of both his athletic and administrative accomplishments, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

It is worth mentioning, however, that the career of the "Father of the Negro Leagues" (as Foster was often called) did not end well. He was forced from the Negro National League leadership in 1925, and his deteriorating mental health caused him to be removed as Giants manager in 1926.

He died in 1930 at the young age of 51.
9. Thought by many to be the most versatile star in the history of baseball, I was one of the most effective pitchers and hitters in every league in which I played. I would routinely play every position in one game several times a season, and garnered a fine reputation as a defensive infielder in addition to my pitching and hitting. After retiring from active play, I served as minister of sports under Fidel Castro in my native Cuba. Who am I?

Answer: Martin Dihigo

In the accolades given him after his career ended, Dihigo displayed his versatility in another way, being elected to the Sports Halls of Fame in Cuba and Mexico in addition to being inducted into the US Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.
10. A star for the Kansas City Monarchs from 1936 to 1948, I compiled a lifetime won-lost record of 161-32 in league play. Though I could pour on the heat when I had to, I was better known for my breaking pitches, including a vaunted curveball. Largely due to the efforts of my good friend on the Veterans' Committee, I was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Who am I?

Answer: Hilton Smith

Smith was often referred to as "Satchel's Shadow", since it was often his duty to "relieve" Satchel Paige when they both played for the Monarchs. In fact, though Satchel usually started these contests because his fame would enhance attendance, he would typically pitch only three innings, with Smith then doing the greater share of work. For much of his career, Smith was the roommate of Negro League sage Buck O'Neill, and Smith was elected to the Hall in Buck's last year on the Veterans Committee. Hilton's grandson, Turan Smith, was later a track star at the University of Nebraska. (Hey, T, if you're reading this, shoot me a message! Congratulations on your grandpa!)
11. One of the first women to run a major sports team, I was business manager and effective owner of the Newark Eagles from 1935 to 1946, then assumed control of the team outright in 1946 after the death of my husband. When the Major Leagues began signing Negro League ballplayers, I fought to be compensated, eventually receiving a premium from Bill Veeck when he signed my second baseman, Larry Doby. Who am I?

Answer: Effa Manley

Though Ms. Manley's presence was often resented by rival owners who did not relish dealing with an owner of her intelligence and independence, Manley's effectiveness as an executive was in evidence as the Eagles won the Negro League World Series under her exclusive guidance in 1946 (something they had failed to do under her husband Abe), then won the first half of 1947's split season before losing key players to "Organized Baseball".

When the Negro National League folded in 1948, Manley faded from the scene.
12. One of the great stewards of the Negro Leagues' memory, I was a Kansas City Monarchs mainstay from 1938 to 1955, excluding my military service from 1943 to 1945. After several years as a star first baseman, I took over as manager in 1948. I left the Monarchs in 1956 to become a scout for the Chicago Cubs, for whom I would later become the first Major League African-American coach in 1962. I was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City and was a longtime member of the Baseball Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee. Who am I?

Answer: Buck O'Neill

Though his career is one of the most estimable of any Negro Leaguer, Buck O'Neill became a major voice in the baseball world after his participation in the Ken Burns Public Television series "Baseball", which captured his unique charisma and insights.

This national exposure prompted O'Neill to write a short autobiography, titled "I Was Right on Time", and provided the impetus for the establishment of the Kansas City institution. I was fortunate enough to meet O'Neill at the museum in 2000, where he was a courteous host and an astute baseball sage, observing that he had played in the inaugural games in both Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium (which was then my home park) and North Platte, Nebraska's Bill Wood Field, the venue in my father's community.
13. A fireballer for the New York Lincoln Giants and Homestead Grays, I posted a 20-7 lifetime record against Major League competition, including postseason barnstorming victories over the pennant-winning 1912 New York Giants and 1915 Philadelphia Phillies. I dueled the Giants again after they won the 1917 National League pennant and pitched a no-hitter, but lost 1-0 on an error. In 1952, twenty years after retiring from active play, I was voted the greatest Negro League pitcher of all time in a "Pittsburgh Courier" poll of African-American sportswriters. Who am I?

Answer: Smokey Joe Williams

After a lengthy lobbying effort, Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.
14. I was one of the top Negro League second basemen of the 1910s and 1920s. With a reputation for defensive play and effective baserunning, I was captain of the Chicago American Giants from 1919 to 1924, leading them to the first three Negro National League pennants (1920-22). I would later manage the Detroit Stars from 1926 to 1931. Who am I?

Answer: Bingo DeMoss

DeMoss would later manage Branch Rickey's prototypical Brown Dodgers (a vehicle Rickey used to surreptitiously scout potential African-American Dodgers) in 1945.
15. I was probably the best-known player in the history of the Negro Leagues. During my storied career as a pitcher, which began with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts in 1926, I won championships with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Kansas City Monarchs. My dominant pitching and charismatic demeanor made me the greatest drawing card in Negro League history, and when Bill Veeck signed me to play for the Cleveland Indians at the age of 42, most dismissed it as a publicity stunt. I proved them wrong by going 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA as the Indians won the World Series and I came away with the Rookie of the Year award in 1948. Who am I?

Answer: Satchel Paige

The stories surrounding Satchel Paige are legion. He would habitually load the bases with walks, then call his outfielders to sit around the pitchers mound while he struck out the side. In 1965, he pitched three scoreless innings for the Kansas City A's at the age of 59, setting a record for venerable athleticism that will probably stand forever.

He was the first predominantly Negro League player inducted into the Hall of Fame, entering the Cooperstown shrine in 1971.
Source: Author stuthehistoryguy

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