Major League Baseball has over 150 years of rich history, full of memorable moments, amazing accomplishments, and a huge number of legends and superstars, many of whom are immortalized in the Hall of Fame. It would be an easy assumption to make that since the beginning of professional baseball, most if not all of the greatest baseball players America produced earned an opportunity to play Major League Baseball. Sadly, that is not the case. Beginning in 1890, as baseball was becoming the country’s National Pastime, league owners struck what would become known as the “Gentleman’s Agreement,” a non-formal consensus between owners that no team would draft or sign a black player. This reprehensible act led to the color barrier in Major League Baseball, which lasted well over 50 years.

During that time, Major League Baseball was not truly a league of the best of the best, as many of the best players in the country played in the Negro Leagues and never got a chance to play in what was supposedly the top level of baseball. It wasn’t until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 that the league truly become a representation of the best baseball players available. This led the way to Negro League players like Hank Aaaron and Willie Mays going on to have phenomenal MLB careers. However, today’s presentation will count down the 10 greatest Negro League players who never got the chance to play Major League Baseball. Before starting the list, it should be noted that in 2020, MLB officially recognized seven professional Negro Leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948 as the Major Leagues, meaning some of these players stats are now official MLB stats. Nevertheless, during their careers, they were denied the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues despite having obvious Major League talent.

#10 Willie Wells, SS

Just as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays were getting their careers started, Willie Wells was wrapping his up. He played for 21 years in the Negro Leagues and according to former big leaguer Monte Irvin, “You should have seen Willie Wells play shortstop; as good as Ozzie Smith and a better hitter.” Despite his incredible hitting ability – a .330 career batting average with a league-leading .411 mark in 1930 – Wells was mainly known for his amazing defense. While playing in Mexico, his athleticism and acrobatic ability at shortstop earned him the nickname “El Diablo” – “The Devil.” He could also hit for power, leading his league in homers 3 times. He had an OPS over 1,000 for 7 straight years and led the league in steals twice, making him a true 5-tool player. He made 8 All Star teams during his Negro League career and also became a player-manager late in his career. Wells passed away in 1989, 8 years before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

#9 Ben Taylor, 1B

One of the earliest stars of the game, Ben Taylor’s career began in 1908, before the National Negro League was formed. He played wherever he could and became known as “Old Reliable” for his ability to consistently come through in clutch situations and drive in runs while playing nearly perfect defense at first base. Like Ted Williams, he was a naturally talented hitter who took it to the next level by taking a scientific approach to the game. He studied pitchers, worked on his mechanics, and became one of the best, consistently hitting over .300 every season. Taylor was also a true gentleman - soft-spoken and well-respected. Buck Leonard said: “I got most of my learning from Ben Taylor. He helped me when I first broke in with his team. He had been the best first baseman in Negro baseball up until that time, and he was the one who really taught me to play first base.” He died at age 64 in 1953 and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

#8 Andrew “Rube” Foster, P/Manager/Executive

Rube Foster makes this list not only because of his playing career, but also for an amazing career as a manager and top executive who is credited as the founder of the Negro Leagues. Although not all of his stats were recorded, Foster was considered one of the top pitchers in baseball in the early 20th Century. After his playing career, he was a great manager, winning over 700 games and setting high standards for his players, ensuring top personal conduct and professionalism. In 1920, Foster organized the National Negro Leagues, which flourished under his leadership. His hard work and tireless effort to make this league a success is what allowed the players on this list and many others to have the opportunities they had to play ball in front of thousands of people, earn a decent salary and for many, become Hall-of-Famers despite never playing in the Major Leagues. Foster had a nervous breakdown in 1926 and died in 1930. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

#7 Smokey Joe Williams, P

One of the most feared pitchers in the game for over 20 years, Smokey Joe Williams was an absolute legend. The stories about his insane velocity were told for years. In one particular game in 1930, Williams struck out 27 batters over 12 innings while allowing a single hit. Ty Cobb said he was a “sure 30-game winner in the Major Leagues.” Anecdotes about Williams include several no-hitters, catchers having to be replaced mid-game due to a swollen catching hand, and victories in exhibition games against great pitchers such as Walter Johnson and Grover Cleveland Alexander. He even once threw a no-hitter against the 1917 New York Giants in a barnstorming exhibition. Shortly before he passed away in 1951, after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Williams said “The important thing is that the long fight against the ban has been lifted. I praise the Lord I’ve lived to see the day.” Williams was elected to the Hall of fame in 1999.

#6 Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, OF

One of the most underrated players of all time, Turkey Stearnes played 18 years in the Negro Leagues and retired with a .349 batting average. He led his league in home runs 6 times and won the batting title twice, including a .390 average in 1929. He had an unorthodox stance and running style which led to his nickname, Turkey, but according to Negro Leaguer Jim Canada, “He hit the ball nine miles. He was a show. People would go to see him play.” He was also a premiere defender and the perfect example of a 5-tool talent, with a throwing arm that made runners very hesitant to try to advance an extra base. "That man could hit the ball as far as anybody," Cool Papa Bell said. "And he was one of our best all-around players. He could field, he could hit, he could run. He had plenty of power." Stearnes passed away in 1979. According to his daughter, he was never bitter about not playing in the Major Leagues and appreciated every moment he got to play ball. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.

#5 James “Cool Papa” Bell, OF

One of, if not the fastest runner to ever play the game, Cool Papa Bell was the definition of electric. The story went that he could turn a light switch off and be in bed before it was dark. Bell was switch-hitting contact hitter who knew the strike zone extremely well and was always looking to find a way to get on base where he could utilize his insane speed. Bell had a career batting average of .325 and led the league in stolen bases 7 times. Once the league instituted an All-Star Game in 1933, he made 8 All Star Teams in 8 years, despite being in his thirties by this point. In his final season, 1946, Bell hit .400 in 120 at bats for the Homestead Grays, one year before Jackie Robinson’s Major League debut. Cool Papa Bell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974 and passed away in 1991 at the age of 87.

#4 Jon Henry “Pop” Lloyd, SS

Considered the best shortstop in Negro League history, Pop Lloyd played for 25 years and regularly hit well above .300 and was a rare combination of power and small-ball. Lloyd could hit for power when the situation dictated it, but he could also bunt and use the entire field to his advantage. He was a fantastic base-runner as well, stealing bases not just with pure speed but through knowing the situation and studying the opposing pitchers. Throughout most of his career, stats were not kept permanently, but from 1921 to 1929 – age 37 to 45 – he hit .349 with a .400 on-base percentage and 59 stolen bases. That was during his twilight years as a player. Lloyd simply had one of the best baseball IQ’s in the history of the game and, with this knowledge, went on to become a fantastic manager. “Pop Lloyd was the greatest player, the greatest manager, the greatest teacher,” said Bill Yancey, a shortstop who played with him. “He had the ability and knowledge and, above all, patience. I did not know what baseball was until I played under him.” In 1977, 13 years after he passed away, Pop Lloyd was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

#3 Walter “Buck” Leonard, 1B

A staple in the Homestead Grays batting lineup throughout the 30’s and 40’s, Buck Leonard had an amazing career that included 13 All Star Selections and an unreal .345 career batting average. He was one of the best pure hitters to ever pick up a bat and led the league in a variety of offensive categories multiple times including home runs, doubles and RBIs along with every offensive percentage statistic that you can think of. In 1938, he hit .420 with a .500 on-base percentage and unreal 1,240 OPS, all of which unsurpisingly led the league. Leonard was also a stellar defensive first baseman. His talent was so insane that when the color barrier was finally broken, despite his age of 45 years, he was still offered an MLB contract. Knowing he couldn’t play at his best anymore, Leonard declined and retired. Leonard passed away in 1997 but not before being elected into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

#2 Oscar Charleston OF/1B

Oscar Charleston OF/1BAccording to the great Buck O’Neil, Oscar Charleston was like “Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Tris Speaker rolled into one.” During the 1920’s, no one was better. Charleston regularly hit over .400, including insane batting averages of .433 in 1921 and .427 in 1925. He also hit for massive power during a time when home runs were not the norm. He led the league in home runs 5 times, including 20 bombs in 1925, which was unheard of at the time due to the much shorter Negro League schedule. Charleston could also fly and regularly stole at least 20 bases per season during his prime. He was an excellent defender and used to play center-field very shallow due to his confidence that he was fast enough to catch anything hit over his head. There is no doubt he would have been an absolute superstar in the Major Leagues. Charleston was elite in everything he did on a baseball field and even went on to become a great manager. He passed away in 1954 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1976.

#1 Josh Gibson C

The man, the myth, the legend himself – Josh Gibson was a spectacular talent who could hit the ball like no other. “Josh was a better power hitter than Babe Ruth, Ted Williams or anybody else I’ve ever seen,” said former Cleveland Buckeye pitcher and manager Alonzo Boone. “Anything he touched was hit hard. He could power outside pitches to right field. Shortstops would move to left field when Josh came to the plate.” Gibson was quickly hailed “The Black Babe Ruth,” and some fans who watched both play, decided it was more accurate to call Ruth “The White Josh Gibson.” From 1933 to 1938 he led the league in home runs and RBIs every season. In 1943, Gibson drove in 109 runs in just 69 games. His home run totals may not look amazing, but one has to take into account the much shorter Negroe League seasons. In 1937, for instance, Gibson hit 20 home runs in 39 games. That is the equivalent of hitting about 85 home runs throughout the course of a normal MLB season. His batting average was also ridiculous, easily topping .400 on multiple occasions. In 1943, he hit .433. Gibson has been said to have hit nearly 800 home runs throughout his career, although most of them were hit in barnstorming exhibitions and various other leagues. In his official career, he still had a home-run to at bat ratio that rivals the greatest power hitters of all time, and if he had ever been given the chance, there is no doubt Josh Gibson would have been one of the greatest MLB power-hitters to ever live. Oh, and by the way, he was also a phenomenal catcher with an arm that was both powerful and accurate. Tragically, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1942 and eventually died of a stroke in 1947. Gibson became the 2nd Negro League player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

And there you have it for 10 of the greatest Negro League players who never got a chance to play Major League Baseball. There are many others as well, and some who did get a brief chance to play in MLB such as the great Satchel Paige, which is why he wasn’t on the list. Thank you so much for checking out this video and feel free to mention some players I may have missed in the comments section below. Have a wonderful day and we’ll talk to you in the next one.

The Greatest Negro League Players Who NEVER Played MLB...

Erik Reyes