Articles by Tony McClean

HBCU Football Roundup: Week No. 1
As usual, several teams from the CIAA and SIAC got their first "hard knocks" of the 2010 season in this past weekend. The rest of the teams and league will begin in earnest this coming weekend.

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Power Personified
Widely known as one of the Negro League's greatest power hitters (twice leading the league in home runs), George "Mule" Suttles also consistently hit for a high average. In his 21 seasons as an active player he compiled a .321 career batting average.

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The Pride of San Pedro de Macoris
A shortstop who also played third base, Horacio "Rabbit" Martinez played 13 seasons in the Negro Leagues with the New York Cubans (1935-36, 1939-47) and the Cuban All-Stars (1937-38). Along the way, he established himself as one of the best shortstops in his era.

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The 'Black Prince' of Boxing
When Jack Johnson won the world's heavyweight champion in 1908, he became the first African-American to wear the crown. While Johnson was the first, there were several blacks before him who weren't given the opportunity.

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A Great Beginning, A Tragic Ending
He was born in the state of Alabama. A state that has given us such Hall of Famers as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. Lyman Bostock Jr. could have been mentioned in the same breath.

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'Let There Be Light!!!'
The historic contest would come five years before Major League Baseball played its first night game. On May 24, 1935, the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 at Crosley Field.

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A Beltway Tradition
While the Philadelphia A's had their famous "$100,000 Infield" during that era, the Black Sox's infield of first baseman Jud Wilson, second baseman Frank Warfield, shortstop Dick Lundy, and third baseman Oliver Marcelle formed baseball's "$1,000,000 Infield".

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Paving The Way For Us All
He used his position to protest segregation in professional sports. Smith played a significant, if not central, role in the desegregation of professional baseball in 1946.

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The Original 'Mr. October'
The five-time All-Star third baseman (including one start at short) played on four pennant-winning clubs with the Homestead Grays and was a .315 career hitter.

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The wrong side of history??
As Alex Rodriguez approaches 600 career homers, BASN looks back on a previous feature that says he won't catch Barry Bonds as the majors all-time home run king.

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