Chief Yellow Horse
Encyclopedia
Moses J. "Chief" Yellow Horse (also Yellowhorse) (January 28, 1898 – April 10, 1964), was an American
baseball
player who pitched
for the Pittsburgh Pirates
, from until . A Native American
from the Pawnee tribe, he is the first full-blooded American Indian to have played in the Major Leagues
.
, United States
to Clara and Thomas Yellow Horse in the early part of 1898 (one source lists his given name as "Mose," though all other sources give it as "Moses"). Yellow Horse was a full-blooded Native American since his parents were Native Americans of unmixed ancestry. Additionally, he was ordered to attend a traditional school
by the Indian Agency
. It was at the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
that Yellow Horse started his baseball career. In , he performed at a high level for the school, and compiled a win–loss record of 17-0.
of the minor league Southern Association
. In , under the tutelage of Kid Elberfeld
, he helped the team to its first championship
.
In 1921, Yellow Horse joined the Pittsburgh Pirates. His major league debut was on April 15 in relief
of Earl Hamilton
. The Pirates won the game 3-1 over Eppa Rixey
and the Cincinnati Reds
. Later that year, he ruptured his arm and had to have surgery. His injury forced him to sit out two months. The next year, Yellow Horse injured his arm a second time. The injury was purportedly a result of a fall he took while drunk. Over his two-year stay with the Pirates, Yellow Horse was used primarily as a reliever, and compiled a record of 8 wins and 4 losses.
While with the Pirates, Yellow Horse befriended Rabbit Maranville
. The relationship had a profound impact on his life as Maranville introduced Yellow Horse to alcohol
; he began to drink substantial amounts of liquor on a frequent basis. Later in life, Yellow Horse identified himself as an alcoholic
.
Unable to pitch in the major leagues, either because of his behavior and/or his injuries, Yellow Horse went to play minor league baseball
. In , he was sent to play with the Sacramento Senators
of the Pacific Coast League
. The next year, he suffered another serious arm injury and Sacramento traded him to Fort Worth, Texas
. Shortly thereafter, Fort Worth returned him to Sacramento. He spent two more years with Sacramento when, in January of , Sacramento sold Moses to Omaha
. He pitched the final game of his professional career on May 1, 1926.
While Yellow Horse is believed to be the first full-blooded Native American to play major league baseball, there had been previous major league baseball players of Native American ancestry. These included Louis Sockalexis
(Cleveland Spiders
, 1897-1899), Charles Albert (Chief) Bender
(primarily the Philadelphia Athletics, 1903-1917), and John (Chief) Meyers
(primarily the New York Giants
, 1909-1917).
1945 was an important year for Yellow Horse. For unknown reasons, he stopped drinking cold turkey
, and was able to find steady work. His first job was with the Ponca City
farm team, and his second job was with the Oklahoma State Highway Department. Yellow Horse also served as groundskeeper for the Ponca City ballclub in 1947, and coached an all-Indian baseball team. Eventually, his relationship with the tribe improved and he became an honored member; a sports field was named after him in Pawnee, Oklahoma. He was also able to remain sober for the remainder of his life. Yellow Horse died on April 10, 1964 at the age of sixty-six in Oklahoma.
comic strip
as the model for a character named Yellow Pony. Other than the name, the only real similarity between live model and comic strip character was a big, strong physique.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
player who pitched
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...
for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, from until . A Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
from the Pawnee tribe, he is the first full-blooded American Indian to have played in the Major Leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Early life
Yellow Horse was born in OklahomaOklahoma
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Clara and Thomas Yellow Horse in the early part of 1898 (one source lists his given name as "Mose," though all other sources give it as "Moses"). Yellow Horse was a full-blooded Native American since his parents were Native Americans of unmixed ancestry. Additionally, he was ordered to attend a traditional school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
by the Indian Agency
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
. It was at the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
Chilocco Indian School was an agricultural school for Native Americans located in north-central Oklahoma from 1884 to 1980. It was located approximately 20 miles north of Ponca City, Oklahoma and seven miles north of Newkirk, Oklahoma, near the Kansas border....
that Yellow Horse started his baseball career. In , he performed at a high level for the school, and compiled a win–loss record of 17-0.
Professional baseball career
After Yellow Horse left Chilocco, he went to pitch for the Arkansas TravelersArkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League club....
of the minor league Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
. In , under the tutelage of Kid Elberfeld
Kid Elberfeld
Norman Arthur "Kid" Elberfeld , nicknamed "The Tabasco Kid," was a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers , New York Highlanders , Washington Senators , and Brooklyn Robins...
, he helped the team to its first championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
.
In 1921, Yellow Horse joined the Pittsburgh Pirates. His major league debut was on April 15 in relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
of Earl Hamilton
Earl Hamilton
Earl Andrew Hamilton was a MLB left-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Browns , Detroit Tigers , Pittsburgh Pirates , and the Philadelphia Phillies . He pitched a no-hitter against Detroit on August 30, 1912. The Tigers did get a run on a Ty Cobb walk and an error, making the final score 5-1 Browns...
. The Pirates won the game 3-1 over Eppa Rixey
Eppa Rixey
Eppa Rixey Jr. , nicknamed "Jephtha", was an American left-handed pitcher who played 21 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1933...
and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Later that year, he ruptured his arm and had to have surgery. His injury forced him to sit out two months. The next year, Yellow Horse injured his arm a second time. The injury was purportedly a result of a fall he took while drunk. Over his two-year stay with the Pirates, Yellow Horse was used primarily as a reliever, and compiled a record of 8 wins and 4 losses.
While with the Pirates, Yellow Horse befriended Rabbit Maranville
Rabbit Maranville
Walter James Vincent Maranville , better known as Rabbit Maranville due to his speed and small stature , was a Major League Baseball shortstop. At the time of his retirement in 1935, he had played in a record 23 seasons in the National League, a mark which wasn't broken until 1986 by Pete Rose...
. The relationship had a profound impact on his life as Maranville introduced Yellow Horse to alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
; he began to drink substantial amounts of liquor on a frequent basis. Later in life, Yellow Horse identified himself as an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.
Unable to pitch in the major leagues, either because of his behavior and/or his injuries, Yellow Horse went to play minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. In , he was sent to play with the Sacramento Senators
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
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...
. The next year, he suffered another serious arm injury and Sacramento traded him to Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. Shortly thereafter, Fort Worth returned him to Sacramento. He spent two more years with Sacramento when, in January of , Sacramento sold Moses to Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
. He pitched the final game of his professional career on May 1, 1926.
While Yellow Horse is believed to be the first full-blooded Native American to play major league baseball, there had been previous major league baseball players of Native American ancestry. These included Louis Sockalexis
Louis Sockalexis
Louis Francis "Chief" Sockalexis , nicknamed The Deerfoot of the Diamond, was an American baseball player...
(Cleveland Spiders
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
, 1897-1899), Charles Albert (Chief) Bender
Chief Bender
Charles Albert "Chief" Bender was a pitcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century...
(primarily the Philadelphia Athletics, 1903-1917), and John (Chief) Meyers
Chief Meyers
John Tortes "Chief" Meyers was a Major League Baseball catcher for the New York Giants, Boston Braves, and Brooklyn Robins from 1909 to 1917. He played on the early Giants teams under manager John McGraw and was the primary catcher for Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson...
(primarily the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, 1909-1917).
Alcoholism and later life
By 1923, news of Yellow Horse's drinking problems reached the Pawnee tribal members in Oklahoma. In addition to the physical problems he had as a result of the drinking, this created tension between Yellow Horse and the tribe. After he retired from baseball, he spent the next 18 years working jobs that did not provide him with much disposable income. His continued drinking remained a divider between him and the tribe.1945 was an important year for Yellow Horse. For unknown reasons, he stopped drinking cold turkey
Cold turkey
"Cold turkey" describes the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction or by using replacement medication....
, and was able to find steady work. His first job was with the Ponca City
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Ponca City is a small city in Kay and Osage counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which was named after the Ponca Tribe. Located in north central Oklahoma, it lies approximately south of the Kansas border, and approximately east of Interstate 35. 25,919 people called Ponca City home at the...
farm team, and his second job was with the Oklahoma State Highway Department. Yellow Horse also served as groundskeeper for the Ponca City ballclub in 1947, and coached an all-Indian baseball team. Eventually, his relationship with the tribe improved and he became an honored member; a sports field was named after him in Pawnee, Oklahoma. He was also able to remain sober for the remainder of his life. Yellow Horse died on April 10, 1964 at the age of sixty-six in Oklahoma.
Dick Tracy and Yellow Pony
Like Yellow Horse, cartoonist Chester Gould was also born on the Pawnee reservation. Gould used Yellow Horse in his Dick TracyDick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
as the model for a character named Yellow Pony. Other than the name, the only real similarity between live model and comic strip character was a big, strong physique.
Statistics
| Season | W | L | G | IP | HR | BB | SO | HBP | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 10 | 48.3 | 1 | 13 | 19 | 0 | 2.98 | 1.200 | |
| 3 | 1 | 28 | 77.7 | 0 | 20 | 24 | 2 | 4.52 | 1.442 |
External links
- Weber.edu Poems about Chief Yellow Horse
- Fangraphs stats
- Baseball Almanac
- SABR bio