Biz Mackey
Encyclopedia
James Raleigh "Biz" Mackey (July 27, 1897 – September 22, 1965) was an American catcher
and manager
in Negro league baseball
. He came to be regarded as black baseball's premier catcher in the late 1920s and early 1930s. His superior defense and outstanding throwing arm were complemented by batting skill which placed him among the Negro leagues' all-time leaders in total bases
, RBIs
and slugging percentage, while hitting
.322 for his career. He played for the Indianapolis ABC's (1920–22), New York Lincoln Giants (1920), Hilldale Daisies (1923–31), Philadelphia Royal Giants
(1925), Philadelphia Stars
(1933–35), Washington and Baltimore Elite Giants
(1936–39), and Newark Dodgers/Eagles
(1935, 1939–41, 1945–47, 1950). Mackey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006
.
, Mackey began playing baseball with his brothers Ray and Ernest on the Luling Oilers, a Prairie League team, in 1916 in his hometown of Luling
. He joined the professional San Antonio Black Aces two years later. When the team folded in 1920, his contract was sold to the Indianapolis ABC's in time for the Negro National League
's first season. After three years under manager C. I. Taylor
, in which he hit .315, .317 and .344, he was picked up by Hilldale when the Eastern Colored League
was organized in 1923
.
In his first season with Hilldale, he batted .423, winning the ECL batting title and pacing the team to the pennant, and followed with eight consecutive seasons batting .308 or better. In 1924
, he finished third in the batting race as Hilldale repeated as champions, but lost to the Kansas City Monarchs
5 games to 4 in the first Negro League World Series
with Mackey playing third base
. At first platooning behind the plate with the aging Louis Santop
, while also sharing time at shortstop
with Pop Lloyd
and Jake Stephens, he took over the full-time catching job in 1925. In that year's Negro League World Series, Mackey helped Hilldale to the title over the Monarchs with a .360 average. He drove in the lead run in the 11th inning of the first game, which Hilldale won in 12 innings; after scoring the winning run in a 2–1 victory in Game 5, his three hits in the deciding Game 6 clinched the title.
His barnstorming tours included a highly successful trip to Japan
in 1927
, during which he became the first player to hit a home run
out of Meiji Shrine Stadium, doing so in three straight games. He was particularly well received on the tour and made later trips to Japan in 1934 and 1935. In 1931
, he won his second batting title with a .359 average, as Hilldale also finished with the best record among eastern teams.
In voting for the first East-West All-Star Game in 1933
, he was selected at catcher over the young Josh Gibson
, batting cleanup
. He would play in three more All-Star Games by 1938. In 1934
, he batted only .299, as the Philadelphia Stars' won the NNL second-half pennant, but had a good postseason, batting .368 and driving in the first run of a 2–0 victory in Game 7 to defeat the Chicago American Giants
4 games to 3.
By 1937, he was managing the Baltimore Elite Giants, where he began mentoring 15-year-old Roy Campanella
in the fine points of catching. Campanella later recalled:
Mackey joined the Newark Eagles in 1939, replacing Dick Lundy
as manager a year later, and continued his work with young players such as Monte Irvin
, Larry Doby
and Don Newcombe
. When Doby joined the Cleveland Indians
of the American League
in 1947
, it was Mackey who recommended moving him from second base
to center field
.
Personality conflicts with Newark owner Effa Manley
led to Mackey's departure from play after the 1941 season, but he returned to the field in 1945, and managed the team in 1946
as the Eagles won the Negro League World Series 4 games to 3, again over the Monarchs, who featured pitcher Satchel Paige
. Even in his 40s, Mackey was still an effective player – he batted .307 in 1945, and appeared in the 1947 All-Star Game at age 50. When the Eagles moved to Houston
in 1950, he retired from baseball following the season.
poll as the Negro leagues' greatest catcher, ahead of Josh Gibson. Mackey received more attention on May 7, 1959 when Campanella was honored at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
following his paralysis from a car accident. Mackey was introduced to the crowd of over 93,000 for an exhibition game between the Dodgers
and the New York Yankees
.
Mackey lived in Los Angeles until his death in 1965. He was buried in that city's Evergreen Cemetery.http://www.thedeadballera.com/GravePhotos/MackeyBizsGrave.html Through the 1990s, reference sources widely reported his death as having occurred in 1959; this seems to have resulted from Campanella's recollection in John B. Holway's 1988 book Blackball Stars that Mackey "passed away right after" the Coliseum event, an apparent error that Campanella repeated in other interviews.
Mackey's grandson Riley Odoms
played 12 seasons for the NFL
's Denver Broncos
.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in Negro league baseball
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
. He came to be regarded as black baseball's premier catcher in the late 1920s and early 1930s. His superior defense and outstanding throwing arm were complemented by batting skill which placed him among the Negro leagues' all-time leaders in total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
, RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and slugging percentage, while hitting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.322 for his career. He played for the Indianapolis ABC's (1920–22), New York Lincoln Giants (1920), Hilldale Daisies (1923–31), Philadelphia Royal Giants
Boston Royal Giants
Boston Royal Giants was a Negro League baseball team in Boston. The team was also known as the Boston Giants, Quaker Giants, Philadelphia Giants and Boston Colored Giants. The Royal Giants served as a farm team of sorts for the league...
(1925), Philadelphia Stars
Philadelphia Stars (baseball)
The Philadelphia Stars were a Negro league baseball team from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Stars were founded in 1933 when Ed Bolden returned to professional black baseball after being idle since early 1930...
(1933–35), Washington and Baltimore Elite Giants
Baltimore Elite Giants
The Baltimore Elite Giants were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues from to . The team was established by Thomas T. Wilson, in Nashville, Tennessee as the semi-pro Nashville Standard Giants on March 26, 1920. The team was renamed the Elite Giants in , and would move to...
(1936–39), and Newark Dodgers/Eagles
Newark Eagles
The Newark Eagles was a professional Negro league baseball team that played in the second Negro National League from 1936 to 1948.- Formation :...
(1935, 1939–41, 1945–47, 1950). Mackey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2006
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2006 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001, augmented by a special election; the result was the largest class of inductees in the Hall's history, including the first woman elected. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to...
.
Baseball career
Born in Eagle Pass, TexasEagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass is a city in and the county seat of Maverick County The population was 27,183 as of the 2010 census.Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is to the southwest and across the Rio Grande. The Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Metropolitan Area is one of six...
, Mackey began playing baseball with his brothers Ray and Ernest on the Luling Oilers, a Prairie League team, in 1916 in his hometown of Luling
Luling, Texas
Luling is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States, along the San Marcos River. The population was 5,080 at the 2000 census. There is some debate as to how Luling got its name. Some say it was named for a Chinese railroad worker, others for a judge named Luling, or that it was the maiden...
. He joined the professional San Antonio Black Aces two years later. When the team folded in 1920, his contract was sold to the Indianapolis ABC's in time for the Negro National League
Negro National League (the first)
The Negro National League was one of the several Negro leagues which were established during the period in the United States in which organized baseball was segregated. Led by Rube Foster, owner and manager of the Chicago American Giants, the NNL was established on February 13, 1920 by a...
's first season. After three years under manager C. I. Taylor
C. I. Taylor
Charles Isham Taylor was an American second baseman, manager and executive in Negro league baseball. Born in Anderson, South Carolina, he was the oldest among four sons of a Methodist minister - including Candy Jim, Ben and Johnny - who made a remarkable impact on black baseball.After serving in...
, in which he hit .315, .317 and .344, he was picked up by Hilldale when the Eastern Colored League
Eastern Colored League
The Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Clubs, more commonly known as the Eastern Colored League , was one of the several Negro leagues, which operated during the time organized baseball was segregated.- History :...
was organized in 1923
1923 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*League Award**Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, OF-Statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:...
.
In his first season with Hilldale, he batted .423, winning the ECL batting title and pacing the team to the pennant, and followed with eight consecutive seasons batting .308 or better. In 1924
1924 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Washington Senators over New York Giants *First Negro League World Series: Kansas City Monarchs over Hilldale -Awards and honors:*League Award** Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P** Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Dodgers, P...
, he finished third in the batting race as Hilldale repeated as champions, but lost to the Kansas City Monarchs
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time...
5 games to 4 in the first Negro League World Series
Negro League World Series
The Negro League World Series was a post-season baseball tournament which was held from 1924-1927 and from 1942-1948 between the champions of the Negro leagues, matching the mid-western winners against their east coast counterparts....
with Mackey playing third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. At first platooning behind the plate with the aging Louis Santop
Louis Santop
* , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley -External links:* – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16*...
, while also sharing time at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
with Pop Lloyd
John Henry Lloyd
John Henry "Pop" Lloyd was an American baseball player and manager in the Negro leagues. He is generally considered the greatest shortstop in Negro league history, and both Babe Ruth and Ted Harlow, a noted sportswriter, reportedly believed Lloyd to be the greatest baseball player ever.He was a...
and Jake Stephens, he took over the full-time catching job in 1925. In that year's Negro League World Series, Mackey helped Hilldale to the title over the Monarchs with a .360 average. He drove in the lead run in the 11th inning of the first game, which Hilldale won in 12 innings; after scoring the winning run in a 2–1 victory in Game 5, his three hits in the deciding Game 6 clinched the title.
His barnstorming tours included a highly successful trip to Japan
Japanese baseball
Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning Professional Baseball. Outside of Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball." The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation of the in 1934 and the...
in 1927
1927 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*Murderers' Row lead New York Yankees to World Series victory.*Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs.-Champions:* World Series: New York Yankees over Pittsburgh Pirates...
, during which he became the first player to hit a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
out of Meiji Shrine Stadium, doing so in three straight games. He was particularly well received on the tour and made later trips to Japan in 1934 and 1935. In 1931
1931 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Athletics -Awards and honors:*MLB Most Valuable Player Award** Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics, P** Frankie Frisch, St...
, he won his second batting title with a .359 average, as Hilldale also finished with the best record among eastern teams.
In voting for the first East-West All-Star Game in 1933
1933 in baseball
-Headline Events of the Year:* First Major League Baseball All-Star Game, July 6 at Comiskey Park: American League, 4-2.* First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game.-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Giants over Washington Senators...
, he was selected at catcher over the young Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Joshua Gibson was an American catcher in baseball's Negro leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946...
, batting cleanup
Batting order (baseball)
The batting order, or batting lineup, in baseball is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's offensive strategy. The batting order is set by the manager before the game begins...
. He would play in three more All-Star Games by 1938. In 1934
1934 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers *All-Star Game, July 10 at Polo Grounds: American League, 9-7-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player:**American League: Mickey Cochrane, Detroit Tigers, C...
, he batted only .299, as the Philadelphia Stars' won the NNL second-half pennant, but had a good postseason, batting .368 and driving in the first run of a 2–0 victory in Game 7 to defeat the Chicago American Giants
Chicago American Giants
Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team, owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Foster. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball...
4 games to 3.
By 1937, he was managing the Baltimore Elite Giants, where he began mentoring 15-year-old Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
in the fine points of catching. Campanella later recalled:
- In my opinion, Biz Mackey was the master of defense of all catchers. When I was a kid in Philadelphia, I saw both Mackey and Mickey CochraneMickey CochraneGordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
in their primes, but for real catching skills, I don't think Cochrane was the master of defense that Mackey was. When I went under his direction in Baltimore, I was 15 years old. I gathered quite a bit from Mackey, watching how he did things, how he blocked low pitches, how he shifted his feet for an outside pitch, how he threw with a short, quick, accurate throw without drawing back. I got all this from Mackey at a young age.
Mackey joined the Newark Eagles in 1939, replacing Dick Lundy
Dick Lundy (baseball player)
Richard Benjamin Lundy was an African American shortstop in the Negro Leagues for numerous teams. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida....
as manager a year later, and continued his work with young players such as Monte Irvin
Monte Irvin
Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs .-Biography:Although born in Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin grew up in Orange, New Jersey, one of five...
, Larry Doby
Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball....
and Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
. When Doby joined the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
, it was Mackey who recommended moving him from second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
to center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
.
Personality conflicts with Newark owner Effa Manley
Effa Manley
Effa L. Manley was an American sports executive, and the first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. She co-owned the Newark Eagles baseball franchise in the Negro leagues with her husband Abe from 1935 to 1946 and was sole owner through 1948 after his death...
led to Mackey's departure from play after the 1941 season, but he returned to the field in 1945, and managed the team in 1946
1946 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox *All-Star Game, July 9 at Fenway Park: American League, 12–0-Other champions:*Negro League World Series: Newark Eagles over Kansas City Monarchs...
as the Eagles won the Negro League World Series 4 games to 3, again over the Monarchs, who featured pitcher Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
. Even in his 40s, Mackey was still an effective player – he batted .307 in 1945, and appeared in the 1947 All-Star Game at age 50. When the Eagles moved to Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 1950, he retired from baseball following the season.
Life After Baseball
In the 1950s, he moved to Los Angeles and began working as a forklift operator. In 1952, he was selected by a Pittsburgh CourierPittsburgh Courier
The Pittsburgh Courier was an American newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which was published from 1907 to 1965. Once the country's most widely circulated Black newspaper, the legacy and influence of the Pittsburgh Courier is unparalleled.A pillar of the Black Press, it rose...
poll as the Negro leagues' greatest catcher, ahead of Josh Gibson. Mackey received more attention on May 7, 1959 when Campanella was honored at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
following his paralysis from a car accident. Mackey was introduced to the crowd of over 93,000 for an exhibition game between the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
Mackey lived in Los Angeles until his death in 1965. He was buried in that city's Evergreen Cemetery.http://www.thedeadballera.com/GravePhotos/MackeyBizsGrave.html Through the 1990s, reference sources widely reported his death as having occurred in 1959; this seems to have resulted from Campanella's recollection in John B. Holway's 1988 book Blackball Stars that Mackey "passed away right after" the Coliseum event, an apparent error that Campanella repeated in other interviews.
Mackey's grandson Riley Odoms
Riley Odoms
Riley Mackey Odoms is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Houston and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
played 12 seasons for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
External links
- Negro League Baseball Players Association
- Baseball Library – biography and career highlights
- BlackBaseball.com