Jimmy Claxton
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Claxton was a black baseball
pitcher
, and the first black man to play organized white baseball in the twentieth century.
On May 28, 1916, Claxton temporarily broke the professional baseball color line
when he played two games for the Oakland Oaks
of the Pacific Coast League
. Claxton was introduced to the team owner by a part Native American friend as a fellow member of an Oklahoma
tribe. A candy company — the Zeenut candy company — quickly produced a baseball card for Claxton. Within a week, a friend of Claxton revealed that he had both African American
and Native American ancestor
s, and was promptly fired. It was nearly thirty years before another black man played organized white baseball.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, and the first black man to play organized white baseball in the twentieth century.
On May 28, 1916, Claxton temporarily broke the professional baseball color line
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
when he played two games for the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. Claxton was introduced to the team owner by a part Native American friend as a fellow member of an Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
tribe. A candy company — the Zeenut candy company — quickly produced a baseball card for Claxton. Within a week, a friend of Claxton revealed that he had both African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Native American ancestor
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
s, and was promptly fired. It was nearly thirty years before another black man played organized white baseball.
