Jim "Mudcat" Grant was determined to spread the Black Aces legacy for as long as he could, similar to how Buck O'Neil preached the gospel of the Negro Leagues well into his 90s. Walking with the aid of a cane, Grant traveled across the country to baseball events as a septuagenarian to tell the story of baseball's Black 20-game winners. It was a subject where Grant was an expert; he was the first Black pitcher to win 20 games in the American League.
Grant used his platform to share how Black pitchers faced an uphill battle their entire careers, often questioned by an establishment who doubted whether Black pitchers were "equipped" to outsmart big league hitters. His 2005 book, The Black Aces gave this brotherhood of 13 Major League Baseball pitchers (at the time of publishing) the opportunity to put their untold stories on record about how they succeeded against insurmountable odds.
Grant died June 11, 2021, in Los Angeles, leaving behind a legacy for many to discover. I profiled Grant's life and career for my Forbes Sports Money column, which includes Grant's own words from an interview I did with him in New York. His book and continuing efforts to promote this select group's legacy will continue to inspire future generations of Black athletes to follow his lead on the mound.
0 comments:
Post a Comment