Between 1884 and 1947, a significant era in baseball history, the most prominent minority was American Indians. Larry Ritter's "The Glory of Their Times" offers insights into this period through interviews with John Tortes "Chief" Meyers, a California Cahuilla Indian catcher. Meyers, despite facing discrimination from his peers, compiled a remarkable.291 lifetime batting average and had a standout 1912 season with a.358 batting average, second only to Henry Zimmerman.

Nicknames and Prominent Players

During 1890 to the 1950s, the nickname "Chief" was commonly attached to Indian baseball players, a subtle form of racism. Albert "Chief" Bender, a Minnesota Chippewa pitcher, led the Philadelphia A's to three World Series titles. Bob "Chief" Johnson, one-quarter Cherokee, was a five-time.300 hitter and knocked in 100 or more runs eight times for the Philadelphia Athletics. Allie "Super Chief" Reynolds, a one-quarter Creek, was a key member of the New York Yankees' dominant 1950s teams. However, some big-league Indian players managed to avoid this nickname, such as the most well-known Jim Thorpe.

The First Indian in the Majors

Louis Sockalexis was the first Indian to reach the major leagues. An outstanding outfielder with the National League's Cleveland Spiders from 1897 to 1899, he was a Penobscot from Maine and attended Holy Cross. Moses J. "Chief" YellowHorse was the first full-blooded American Indian to play professional baseball. Born in 1898 on an Oklahoma reservation, he worked on Wild West shows and developed his baseball skills at the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School. He made it to the minor league Arkansas Travelers and gained a reputation for unhittable pitches.

YellowHorse's Professional Career

In 1921, YellowHorse joined the Pittsburgh Pirates with high hopes but faced challenges. Rooming with the alcoholic Walter James "Rabbit" Maranville accelerated his downfall. He endured two injury-plagued seasons with the Bucs and drifted through various minor league teams. In 1926, he pitched his last game. Unable to find another franchise, he returned to Pawnee, where his tribal brothers spurned him due to his alcoholism and rowdy behavior. From 1927 to 1945, he struggled to make a living. However, in 1945, he gave up drinking and found steady employment as a groundskeeper for the Class D Ponca City Dodgers and later with the Oklahoma State Highway Department.

Legacy and Respect

By the time YellowHorse died in 1964 at age 66, he had turned his life around and earned the respect of all Pawnees. Yet, his gravesite in the Northern Indian Cemetery shows the unjust second-class citizen status of Indians. American scholars have learned that most Indians prefer to be called Indians rather than Native Americans or "indigenous people" to preserve their history. Joe Guzzardi, an Institute for Sound Public Policy analyst, has written about immigration for over 30 years and shares these insights.