October 03, 1999 22:20:33 CST
Ted Radcliffe: The Double Duty Man
Radcliffe starred for more than 15 teams in his long career.
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Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe |
The widely traveled Ted Radcliffe was a man of many talents. Not only was a he 3 time all-star catcher, he matched this accomplishment with 3 all-star nominations as a pitcher. In the 1932 Negro World Series he caught Satchel Paige in the first game of a doubleheader, then pitched a shutout in the second game. This performance caused Damon Runyon to provide the nickname “Double Duty”.
From 1928 through 1950 Radcliffe (brother of Negro Leagues star, Alex Radcliffe) played with more than 15 clubs, including the great 1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords team. Like his friend and sometime business associate Satchel Paige, Radcliffe was always open to a better offer. Throughout his career Radcliffe exercised an entrepreneurial spirit, often forming all-star teams of Negro Leagues stars for the purpose of independently booking exhibition games against white major league stars. More often than not, Satchel Paige was Radcliffe’s business partner in these highly successful ventures.
In addition to his catching and pitching duties Radcliffe began taking on managerial responsibilities during the late 1930s. In 1937 and 1938 he managed the Memphis Red Sox and in 1943 took the helm of the Chicago American Giants. Throughout this time he continued as an active player.
A flamboyant personality second only to Satchel Paige made Radcliffe a crowd pleaser throughout his career.
Bio In Brief
Born: July 7, 1902
Birthplace: Mobile, Alabama
Teams: Detroit Stars, St. Louis Stars, Homestead Grays, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Columbus Blue Birds, Cleveland Giants, New York Black Yankees, Chicago American Giants, Brooklyn Eagles, Claybrook Tigers, Cincinnati Tigers, Memphis Red Sox, Birmingham Black Barons, Kansas City Monarchs, Louisville Buckeyes
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