Negro League Baseball Discussion Forum: General Discussion About The Negro Leagues: It's About Time for Turkey Stearnes…and a note to go….
By Gerard Joseph Jozwiak (Gerard) on Saturday, April 10, 1999 – 10:04 am:
Some folks are swayed by so much peer pressure and the world today…but the truth was conveyed best by the great James " Cool Papa " Bell who said it best when asked about the Hall Of Fame and who should be their…and his reply was – " If Turkey Stearnes isn't in their,then I don't know what I'm doing their"!
I've talked with many who've seen Turkey Stearnes play – the man maybe didn't have flashy large numbers in alot of categories… but it was his character on and off the field,his leadership abilities and his defense,along with many clutch hits for many of teams that makes Turkey Stearnes
the CHOICE for the HOF.
All the men I've had conversations with in the
past year – Players like Harold "Hooks" Tinker,Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe,Wilmer Fields,Josh Gibson
Jr.,Cecil Kaiser,Willie Grace,Cowan "Bubba" Hyde,
and several others had Turkey Stearnes on their mind when asked several things.
I think those Negro League or Black Semi Pro Ball
players who are living still should be the ones to
vote and induct one or two players every year.
The supposedly entrusted to vote on such matters have done a very poor job,and to proove my point that Our Black Baseball Legends are still very much discriminated against or are being taken advantage of.
All I hear/read on sportstalk radio & in the USA Today is NY Yankees baloney….day in – day out
it's the same stuff. Heck,I'd love to have today a team with Josh,Slim Jones,Satchel,Willie Foster,Cool Papa Bell,Jimmy Crutchfield, and about 20 other black gents…They'd destroy these wimpy
money hungry,greedy so called ball players of today…It'd be NO CONTEST.
By TERENCE SCANTLEBURY (Terence) on Saturday, July 31, 1999 – 10:29 am:
You just named a few, How about Biz Mackey, Hilton Smith, Louis Tiant Sr., Max Manning, Louis Louden or even Bob Harvey. These gentlemen that I mentioned to name a few were the best of their times and at one time maybe the best in baseball.
I do believe as you do about who should vote in the in the HOF balloting, but I also feel if they can not find any former player, at least find some one who knows the history and the players.