IMPACT OF BLACK AND LATIN PLAYERS

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Black & Latin Players

A quarter century has passed since Jackie Robinson broke the color line in major league baseball. Hiss appearance in a Brooklyn Dodger line-up in 1947 and the outstanding performance which he gave also opened, the door wider for players from Latin America, who previously had never appeared in significant numbers. The Society for American Baseball Research felt that it should assess the contribution to major league baseball made by these two groups, who have broadened the horizons and added new dimensions to the national game since World War II.

A ballot was sent out to the SABR membership asking them to list the top players by positions since 1947 in three categories - North American Negro, Latin American, and North American White. Two pitchers would be selected with no reference to the way they threw, and the outfielders would be selected generally rather than by specific field. Then after the three separate teams are named, the voters should select a consolidated team of the best major league players since 1947. SABR members were asked not to vote for white stars who had played most of their games prior to 1947, even though they might have had some good seasons after that. This restriction was well observed, as there was only one vote cast for Joe DiMaggio, Johnny Mize, Bobby Doerr, and Lou Boudreau.

Fifty-nine members of the Society responded to the survey. Many showed initiative in going beyond the sample names offered on the player ballot. Many juggled their line-ups to get the strongest possible team. This could be done with players like Ernie Banks and Stan Musial, because they have played enough games at two or more positions to compete legitimately at those posts. Logic apparently dictated that with the outfield so strong, why not use Musial at first base? After all, he played more than 1000 games there.

Most of the selections on the individual teams were reasonably easy to make. Such players as Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Juan Marichal, Bob Gibson, and Ted Williams were practically unanimous choices. Shortstop Luis Aparicio lost only one vote to Bert Campaneris on the Latin team, and Manny Sanguillen., even with his short period of play, still had no competition from fellow Latin catchers like Joe Azcue. One of the closest races was for the Latin 2B position, where two-time bat champ Rod Carew beat out one-time bat champ Bobby Avila 29 to 20.

As might be expected on the consolidated team, there were several close races. Pitchers Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax, and Bob Gibson almost finished in a dead heat, with the two southpaws getting the edge. Catcher was a three-way race with Berra, Campanella, and Bench finishing in that order. Ted Williams was on the most consolidated ballots, 47 out of 59. Stan Musial was on 46, either at first or in the outfield; Jackie Robinson was on 43, and Willie Mays 41½. There were a few split votes by some who couldn't make up their minds, and this resulted in the ½ figure.

Here are the players selected for the various teams, with the votes for the leaders and chief contenders listed.

QUARTER CENTURY PLAYER SURVEY RESULTS

North American Negro

1B	McCOVEY	34	Banks	14	D. Allen	6
2B	J. ROBINSON	54	Gilliam	4
3B	D. ALLEN	33	Gilliam	12	Wills	10
SS	BANKS	38	Wills	21
OF	MAYS	59
OF	AARON	57
OF	F. ROBINSON	47.5	B. Williams	12
C	CAMPANELLA	53	E. Howard	6
P	GIBSON	57
P	JENKINS	48	Newcombe	10

Latin American

1B	CEPEDA	54	Power	3
2B	CAREW	29	Avila	20	Millan	5
3B	PEREZ	51	Rodriguez	8
SS	APARICIO	58
OF	CLEMENTE	58	Carty	4
OF	OLIVA	50	F. Alou	6
OF	MINOSO	46	M. Alou	12
C	SANGUILLEN	59
P	MARICHAL	57	Pascual	5
P	CUELLAR	43	Tiant	11

North American White

1B	MUSIAL	33	Hodges	14.5	Killebrew	9.5
2B	N. FOX	34	Mazeroski	9.5	Schoendienst	7
3B	B. ROBINSON	37	Mathews	17
SS	REESE	33	Rizzuto	14	Groat	4
OF	T. WILLIAMS	57
OF	MANTLE	48	Snider	11
OF	KALINE	30.5	Musial	22
C	BERRA	42.5	Bench	15.5
P	SPAHN	43	Wynn	11.5
P	KOUFAX	40.5	Ford	13	Roberts	6.5

Consolidated Team

1B	MUSIAL	34	Hodges	10	Killebrew	6
2B	J. ROBINSON	43	N. Fox	8	Schoendienst	3
3B	B. ROBINSON	36	Mathews	15
SS	APARICIO	29	Banks	19	Reese	5
OF	T. WILLIAMS	47	Mantle	11.5
OF	MAYS	41.5	Musial	12
OF	AARON	37	Clemente	21
C	BERRA	26.5	Campanella	17	Bench	15
P	SPAHN	36	Gibson	29	Ford	4.5
P	KOUFAX	32.5	Roberts	5	Wynn	4

Note: In addition to the above totals for the individual ream members, there was a scattering of votes for other players. Receiving at least two votes were Bobby Richardson 6, Carl Yastrzemski 3.5, Alvin Dark 3, Pete Rose 2.5, and Bill White, Tony Taylor, Cookie Rojas, Cesar Tovar, Ralph Kiner, and Ron Santo 2 each.