Interview with George L. Jefferson, May 23, 1981

Partial Transcript: You mentioned you, you carried fourteen...

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about some of the other players he knew when he played for the Negro Leagues.

Keywords: "Toothpick" Jones; Alonzo Bloom; Chet Brewer; Eugene Brimmer; Frank Causewell (??); Johnny Kines; Sam Jones; Willy Jefferson

Subjects: Baseball players; Negro leagues.; Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Tell me a little bit what it was like as far as traveling was concerned, both in the North and the South.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about what it was like to travel when he was playing for the Cleveland Buckeyes. He especially stresses the difficulties posed by segregation, and how the team was often inconvenienced by it when traveling in the South.

Keywords: Buses; Equipment; Food stamps; Grocery stores; North; Oklahoma; Rations; Restaurants; Schedules; Secretaries; South; Towns; Traveling; Valets; Whitecastle; Wilbur Hayes

Subjects: Birmingham (Ala.); Cleveland Buckeyes (Baseball Team); Negro leagues.; Segregation

Partial Transcript: Who managed the team?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about some of the rules that the team had and how they were enforced. He also talks about his salary when he was playing for the Negro Leagues and compares it to his salary as a Minor League player.

Keywords: Apartment buildings; Curfews; Hotels; Personality; Quincy Trouppe; Respect; Roommates; Salaries; Training rules; Traveling; Wilbur Hayes (??)

Subjects: Baseball managers; Baseball--Management; Minor league baseball.; Negro leagues.

Partial Transcript: Let me talk to you just about some of the ball players that you played against. You probably played with some of them...

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about some of the players he played with and against, especially those who played for the Washington Homestead Grays.

Keywords: Buck Leonard; Cards; First base; Funerals; Josh Gibson; Judy Johnson; Luke Easter; Personality; Sal (??) Park (Philadelphia, Pa.); Trains; Venezuela; Vic Power

Subjects: Baseball players; Negro American League.; Negro National League.; Washington Homestead Grays (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Uh, Roy Partlow?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about fellow player Roy Partlow. He also describes the sometimes antagonistic relationship he (Jefferson) had with Jackie Robinson. He shares his opinions on why Robinson was best suited to break the "color line", even though he was not necessarily the best Negro League player.

Keywords: "Color line"; Buck O'Neil; College students; Cubans; Infield; Jesse Williams; Oklahoma; Panama; Personality; Roy Partlow; Short stops; Silvesteria (??) (Baseball team); Sorrell; UCLA; University of California Los Angeles; Venezuela; Willie Wells

Subjects: Baseball players; Langston University; Major League Baseball (Organization); Negro Leagues.; Pitchers (Baseball); Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972

Partial Transcript: How 'bout Ted Paige?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about more of the baseball players he knew while he was playing for the Negro Leagues.

Keywords: Al Smith; Attitude; Bob Boyd; Curve balls; Dave Hoskins; Davenport; Elston Howard; Eugene Brimmer (??); Fastballs; First basemen; Gene Baker; Hank Thompson; Joe Green; Josie Herd (??); Mexican League; Outfielders; Quincy Trouppe; Ratcliff; Ted Page; Third base; Third basemen

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Brown, Willard; Dandridge, Ray; Kansas City Monarchs (Baseball Team); Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Profesional; St. Louis Browns (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: The first black ballplayer I remember for Detroit was Jake Wood.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson discusses several more players. He also talks about ways of settling arguments between players, and some of the card games that they played as a way to pass the time during long trips.

Keywords: Arguments; Blackjack; Card games; Cards; Curve balls; Dave Pope; Drinking; High school sports; Jake Wood; Jim Gilliam; Pinochle; Piper Davis; Sam Jethroe; Short stops; Smoking; Willie Mays

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Birmingham (Ala.); Outfielders (Baseball); Philadelphia Stars (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: How 'bout Roy Campanella?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about Roy Campanella, the Bankhead brothers, Larry Doby, and several other baseball players. He also talks about Effa Manley, who was the sole owner of the Newark Eagles after her husband died.

Keywords: Bob Thurman; Curve balls; Dan Bankhead; Defense plan; Draft; Draft boards; Fastballs; Fred Bankhead; Humor; Passports; Sam Bankhead; Second basemen; Secretaries; Short stops; Venezuela

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Birmingham (Ala.); Campanella, Roy, 1921-1993.; Catchers (Baseball); Doby, Larry; Manley, Effa, 1897-1981; Outfielders (Baseball); Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Um, how 'bout Monte Irvin?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about Monte Irvin, and tells why he (Jefferson) did not participate in the East-West All Star Game. He discusses how Robinson's breaking the "color line" raised his hopes that he would be able to break through as well, but states that a major injury that he suffered made that impossible.

Keywords: "Color line"; Batting averages; Clavicle bones; East-West All Star Game; First base; Montreal (Quebec); Panama; Pitching; Sam Jethroe

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Irvin, Monte, 1919-; Pitchers (Baseball); Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Wounds and injuries.

Partial Transcript: The um, Pittsburgh Courier, um, did the, did the players get the Pittsburgh Courier to look at a lot?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about some of the outstanding black players who played in the Major Leagues right after the organization was desegregated. He also talks about some of the barnstorming that he did.

Keywords: Barnstorming; Horses; Newspapers; Racing; Rookie of the year; Sam Jethroe; Walt Dropo

Subjects: American League (Major League Baseball); Campanella, Roy, 1921-1993.; Doby, Larry; Major League Baseball (Organization); Minor league baseball.; National League (Major League Baseball); Newcombe, Donald; Paige, Satchel, 1906-1982; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Rookie baseball players

Partial Transcript: ... black ball players were signed started to go down, didn't it?

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about the living conditions in Venezuela when he played there, as well as the food and the language. He describes being approached by a scout from the Mexican League, and tells why he was unable to accept his offer.

Keywords: Attendance; Bull fights; Butter; Caracas (Venezuela); Children; Food; Fruit; Hotels; Languages; Marriage; Mexican League; Passports; Salaries; Scouts; Soup; Spanish; Spanish language; Winter ball; Wives

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Profesional; Negro leagues.; Segregation

Partial Transcript: The team folded, the Buckeyes folded in 1950.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about where he played after his team, the Cleveland Buckeyes, went under. He also talks about the team's payroll and the players' salaries.
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Keywords: Careers; Cleveland Buckeyes (Baseball team); Mike Hannabino (??); Olean; Payrolls; Pitching; Quincy Trouppe; Salaries; Sam Jethroe; Youngstown

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Major League Baseball (Organization); Negro leagues.; Paige, Satchel, 1906-1982; Pitchers (Baseball); Wounds and injuries.

Partial Transcript: Buddy Kerr was another one of the...

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about some of the Major League players he has known, and describes both their personalities and playing abilities.
[There is loud music in the background]

Keywords: Alcoholics; Alvin Dark; Baseball player trades; Baseball trades; Billy Southworth; Bob Addis; Bob Elliott; Buddy Kerr; Children; Connie Ryan; Del Crandall; Eva (??) St. Clair; Gene Mauch; Harvey Haddix; Home runs; Johnny Logan; Max Circon (??); Mexican League; Old timers' games; Personality; Puerto Rico; Sibby Sisti; Sid Gordon; Texas; Tommy Holmes; Walker Cooper

Subjects: Baseball managers; Boston Braves (Baseball Team); Catchers (Baseball); Cleveland (Ohio); Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Profesional; New York Giants (Baseball Team); Olmo, Luis, 1919-; Outfielders (Baseball); Pitchers (Baseball); Stanky, Eddie, 1916-1999

Partial Transcript: You, um, when, in that last season, um, I guess would be '52...

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about the work that he did with several younger players after he himself was no longer playing.

Keywords: Billy Brueton; George Crow; Secretaries; Spring training; Training; Traveling secretaries

Subjects: Aaron, Hank, 1934-; Baseball players

Partial Transcript: The following is an unrehearsed interview with Mr. George L. Jefferson, for the A.B. Chandler...

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson tells how he signed with the Cleveland Buckeyes. He states that he was the youngest player on the team at that time, having just graduated from high school.
[there is loud background music]

Keywords: Baseball teams; Brothers; Curve balls; Ernie Wright; Fastballs; Oklahoma City (Ok.); Pitching; White Elephants; Willie Jefferson

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball players; Baseball team owners; Cleveland Buckeyes (Baseball Team); Major League Baseball (Organization); Negro leagues.; Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Uh, undoubtedly you batted against Satchel Paige.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson describes what it was like to bat against Satchel Paige. He also tells more about what it was like to play for the Cleveland Buckeyes, and his record as a player during those years.

Keywords: Baseball fans; Batters; Crowds; Fans; Fastballs; League Park (Cleveland, Ohio); Pitches; Pitching; Records; World Series

Subjects: Birmingham Black Barons (Baseball Team); Cleveland (Ohio); Cleveland Buckeyes (Baseball Team); Negro leagues.; Paige, Satchel, 1906-1982; Pitchers (Baseball); Washington Homestead Grays (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Um, you lived in Erie.

Segment Synopsis: Jefferson talks about some of the stadiums he played in and shares which were his favorites. The interview concludes abruptly.

Keywords: Baseball games; Baseball parks; Buffalo (N.Y.); Buses; Erie (Ohio); First base; Kansas City (Mo.); Pitches; Pitching; Sam Jethroe; Traveling

Subjects: Catchers (Baseball); Cleveland Buckeyes (Baseball Team); Negro leagues.; Outfielders (Baseball); Paige, Satchel, 1906-1982; Pitchers (Baseball)