Frank Grant
Encyclopedia
Ulysses Franklin Grant (August 1, 1865 - May 27, 1937) was an African American baseball player in the 19th century. In his early career, he was a star player in the International League
shortly before Jim Crow
restrictions were imposed that banned African-American players from organized baseball. He then went on to become a pioneer in the early Negro leagues
, starring for several of the top African-American teams of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is widely considered to have been the greatest African-American player of the 19th century. In 2006
, Grant was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
. He is the earliest Negro league player to have received that honor.
Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
. In the late 19th century, few black hitters matched up with Grant. However, two pitcher
s could be argued to have been the greatest players of their era - Newark's George Stovey
and Syracuse's Robert Higgins.
A middle infielder, mostly a second baseman
, Grant's fielding was widely praised as the best in the league. When he joined Buffalo of the IL in the 1880s, some believed he was the best player they have ever had, even though future Hall of Famers had played before him there.
Grant had substantial power at the plate, often hitting home run
s and very often getting extra base hit
s. Grant hit for extra bases every four times he got a hit
. Surprisingly, he was quite small (5'7", 155 pound
s). He also hit .344
with Buffalo.
Playing mostly second base, he was frequently among the league leaders in batting (1886 - 7th, .326; 1886 - 3rd, .340; 1888 - 5th, .346; 1890 - 5th, .328). In 1887, the 22-year-old paced the IL with 11 home runs and 49 extra-base hits and led Buffalo with 40 stolen bases. Grant also earned the nickname the "Colored Dunlap" in honor of the white Fred "Sure Shot" Dunlap, the Majors' slickest fielding second baseman at the time.
He repeatedly impressed the white baseball establishment. In 1887, John Chapman, the Bisons' veteran manager, valued Grant's services at $5,000—quite a compliment when Chicago had recently sold superstar Mike Kelly to Boston for $10,000. Despite significant racial turmoil that year, Buffalo forced the IL to rescind a proposed color line to keep Grant in town.
Grant is also notable for becoming the first black player to play on the same team in organized baseball for three consecutive seasons.
By 1888, anti-black sentiment was all around the league, and it seemed only Buffalo argued against segregation (possibly because of Grant). When blacks were banned from organized, white-controlled baseball after 1887, Grant went on to become a hugely successful Negro Leaguer
for the Cuban X Giants, Big Gorhams and Philadelphia Giants
into the 20th century.
During the 1887 season, he hit for the cycle in one game and stole home twice in another.
Grant ended his career in 1903, ending the early era of the Negro Leagues. From there, the Negro leagues would blossom and grow up to the mid-1940s, but they likely never would have done so without the early players, such as Grant.
He died at age 71 in New York City. His grave in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton, N.J. was unmarked until June 2011.
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
shortly before Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
restrictions were imposed that banned African-American players from organized baseball. He then went on to become a pioneer in the early Negro leagues
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...
, starring for several of the top African-American teams of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is widely considered to have been the greatest African-American player of the 19th century. 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...
, Grant was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
. He is the earliest Negro league player to have received that honor.
Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
. In the late 19th century, few black hitters matched up with Grant. However, two 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...
s could be argued to have been the greatest players of their era - Newark's George Stovey
George Stovey
George Washington Stovey is considered the best African-American baseball pitcher of the nineteenth century, but discrimination barred him from the majors and led him to move from team to team until he had no further opportunities to play in the minors...
and Syracuse's Robert Higgins.
A middle infielder, mostly a second baseman
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...
, Grant's fielding was widely praised as the best in the league. When he joined Buffalo of the IL in the 1880s, some believed he was the best player they have ever had, even though future Hall of Famers had played before him there.
Grant had substantial power at the plate, often hitting 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...
s and very often getting extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s. Grant hit for extra bases every four times he got a hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. Surprisingly, he was quite small (5'7", 155 pound
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s). He also hit .344
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 :...
with Buffalo.
Playing mostly second base, he was frequently among the league leaders in batting (1886 - 7th, .326; 1886 - 3rd, .340; 1888 - 5th, .346; 1890 - 5th, .328). In 1887, the 22-year-old paced the IL with 11 home runs and 49 extra-base hits and led Buffalo with 40 stolen bases. Grant also earned the nickname the "Colored Dunlap" in honor of the white Fred "Sure Shot" Dunlap, the Majors' slickest fielding second baseman at the time.
He repeatedly impressed the white baseball establishment. In 1887, John Chapman, the Bisons' veteran manager, valued Grant's services at $5,000—quite a compliment when Chicago had recently sold superstar Mike Kelly to Boston for $10,000. Despite significant racial turmoil that year, Buffalo forced the IL to rescind a proposed color line to keep Grant in town.
Grant is also notable for becoming the first black player to play on the same team in organized baseball for three consecutive seasons.
By 1888, anti-black sentiment was all around the league, and it seemed only Buffalo argued against segregation (possibly because of Grant). When blacks were banned from organized, white-controlled baseball after 1887, Grant went on to become a hugely successful Negro Leaguer
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...
for the Cuban X Giants, Big Gorhams and Philadelphia Giants
Philadelphia Giants
The Philadelphia Giants were a Negro league baseball team that played from 1902 to 1916. From 1904 to 1909 they were one of the strongest teams in black baseball, winning five eastern championships in six years. The team was organized by Sol White, H. Walter Schlichter, and Harry Smith.- Founding...
into the 20th century.
During the 1887 season, he hit for the cycle in one game and stole home twice in another.
Grant ended his career in 1903, ending the early era of the Negro Leagues. From there, the Negro leagues would blossom and grow up to the mid-1940s, but they likely never would have done so without the early players, such as Grant.
He died at age 71 in New York City. His grave in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton, N.J. was unmarked until June 2011.
External links
- 2006 Hall of Fame Inductee Bio: Frank Grant (video) – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16