Dan Bankhead

[tonypug]

I was listening to an audio tape of an early 1950 game between the Dodgers and Giants. Dan Bankhead started for the Dodgers that day. Red Barber mentioned that Bankhead was the first black pitcher in major league history when he pitched in 1947. That is something I didn't realize. According to baseball-reference.com Bankhead was purchased by the Dodgers, from Memphis of the Negro American League on August 24,1947,and pitched in relief four times with one save.He didn't get back to the majors until 1950, when he had a decent season with the Dodgers. He went 9-4 with 3 saves in 41 games. In 1951 he appeared in just seven games, went 0-1 and never appeared in the major leagues again. He was also a decent hitter in 1950, batting 231,39 at bats and 9 hits. Does anyone remember him, or why he had such a short major league career?

[VIBaseball]

Tony, even though this was well before my time, the thing that jumped to mind immediately from my reading was that Bankhead was a very strong hitter. Too bad he died so young, aged just 54 in 1976.

Here is your answer, from the very interesting book "Crossing the Line: Black Major Leaguers, 1947-1959":

"In July [1950] Bankhead developed a stiff shoulder, and an exam revealed that a dislocation when he was 17 had calcified. The shoulder injury was one explanation for Bankhead's quick fall from a starting spot [#3 in the rotation behind Newcombe and Roe] to the minor leagues. Others speculated that Bankhead was too timid to make it in the majors, an explanation Rickey himself had fueled. Bankhead had his own explanation -- financial pressure brought on by an inability to find an apartment in Brooklyn that would accept children. He and his family stayed at an expensive hotel suite, which ate up most of his salary. 'Nobody with an apartment would let me bring in my kids,' he said. 'Nobody wanted them. But I did.'

After a dismal start in 1951, Bankhead was shipped to Montreal where he pitched until being sold by the Royals to the Escogido Lions of the Dominican Republic League in the summer of 1952. [Note: for a few years there, they played summer ball, not winter, in the DR.] In August, Bankhead was player-manager for the Lions when he was at the center of a nasty incident. He slid in hard on Estrellas Elephants catcher Luis Rosario, and on his way back to the dugout, Rosario fired a ball at Bankhead and missed. Bankhead whirled, spotted Rosario's mask, picked it up, and hit him on the head with it, opening a gash that needed three stitches and sparking a melee on the field. When the dust settled, Bankhead was out cold and on his way to jail. A few weeks later he was fired."

[tonypug]

Thanks VI, that answers some questions for me.I also noticed that his bases on balls total was quite high, which may be another reason.

[Shayes Rebellion]

I was listening to an audio tape of an early 1950 game between the Dodgers and Giants. Dan Bankhead started for the Dodgers that day. Red Barber mentioned that Bankhead was the first black pitcher in major league history when he pitched in 1947. That is something I didn't realize. According to baseball-reference.com Bankhead was purchased by the Dodgers, from Memphis of the Negro American League on August 24,1947,and pitched in relief four times with one save.He didn't get back to the majors until 1950, when he had a decent season with the Dodgers. He went 9-4 with 3 saves in 41 games. In 1951 he appeared in just seven games, went 0-1 and never appeared in the major leagues again. He was also a decent hitter in 1950, batting 231,39 at bats and 9 hits. Does anyone remember him, or why he had such a short major league career?
You love listening to games from when Walter O Malley owned the Dodgers right? Thats because he is a baseball god.

[donzblock]

You love listening to games from when Walter O Malley owned the Dodgers right? Thats because he is a baseball god.
Mr. SR, you have so much brilliance to contribute to this forum. Keep up the great work, and please remember to share the fruits of your research with us always.

[DODGER DEB]

You love listening to games from when Walter O Malley owned the Dodgers right? Thats because he is a baseball god.

YOU are completely off topic here, since your response has NOTHING to do with the discussion on DAN BANKHEAD.

As I stated on the thread you started here on OUR Forum, if all you are looking to do is cause trouble, it would be very wise for you to move it elsewhere.

c.

[Paulmcall]

Remember the kid in grade school who acted up to get attention?
I think we have him in our midst.:ughh

[VIBaseball]

I remembered we had a thread on Dan Bankhead, though not that it had gone astray.

Anyway, I was checking facts tonight for something else I was researching, with the help of the Professional Baseball Players Database CD.

I was astonished to discover that Dan soldiered on in Mexico until the age of 46! Check out the batting stats too -- he was always a strong hitter.

This is a part of the old Dodger's life worth investigating more.

[The Real McCoy]

I believe Bankhead joined a, relatively, long list of hitters, but a very short list of pitchers who hit a home run in their first major league at bat.

[EbtsFldGuy]

Though I was not even 8 when he pitched for the Dodgers, I remember Dan, and liking him.

Glad he got to stay on in baseball in some capacity, but I wish it could have been for Brooklyn.

Died way too young.

R.I.P., Dan

[musial6]

Dan was an ex-Marine.

http://www.nlbpa.com/bankhead__dan.html

[musial6]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12200025

[The Real McCoy]

[QUOTE=musial6]Dan was an ex-Marine/QUOTE]

With all due respect, there's no such thing.

[musial6]

http://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/history/players/bankheadd.html

[musial6]

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4181/is_20061010/ai_n16768277

[musial6]

http://www.bayou.com/~brooklyn/trivia.html

[Flatbush Flock]

I was listening to an audio tape of an early 1950 game between the Dodgers and Giants. Dan Bankhead started for the Dodgers that day. Red Barber mentioned that Bankhead was the first black pitcher in major league history when he pitched in 1947. That is something I didn't realize. According to baseball-reference.com Bankhead was purchased by the Dodgers, from Memphis of the Negro American League on August 24,1947,and pitched in relief four times with one save.He didn't get back to the majors until 1950, when he had a decent season with the Dodgers. He went 9-4 with 3 saves in 41 games. In 1951 he appeared in just seven games, went 0-1 and never appeared in the major leagues again. He was also a decent hitter in 1950, batting 231,39 at bats and 9 hits. Does anyone remember him, or why he had such a short major league career?

Red Barber was wrong about Bankhead being the first Black pitcher in Major League history. According to Baseball Reference, Satchel Paige's first appearance was July, 1947. I'm pretty sure, though that Bankhead was the first Black pitcher in the National League.

[musial6]

Red Barber was wrong about Bankhead being the first Black pitcher in Major League history. According to Baseball Reference, Satchel Paige's first appearance was July, 1947. I'm pretty sure, though that Bankhead was the first Black pitcher in the National League.

Paige's debut occurred on July 9, 1948.
Bankhead was the first.

[JamesWest]

Paige was the first in the AL.

[Flatbush Flock]

Paige's debut occurred on July 9, 1948.
Bankhead was the first.


I apologize--I misread 1948 for 1947. Even better since it's another Brooklyn Dodger breakthrough

[strummer]

For those of you interested in Dan Bankhead, The Museum of the City of New York is presenting (opens in June, 2007, I believe) an exhibition on the 50th anniversary of the great NYC baseball decade, 1947-1957. I am informed that they have made contact with the family of Dan Bankhead and the exhibit will include many of the items he saved from his days with the Brooklyn Dodgers. It is to be a large exhibit running through the summer, with much stuff from the Dodgers and also. I guess, stuff from the other two baseball teams playing in NYC at that time.

[strummer]

There is a new book, "The Soul of Baseball" by Joe Posnanski, based upon traveling and talking with Buck O'Neil. Bankhead is discussed at pp. 143-44, 150-53.

Buck O'Neil seems to think Bankhead would have been a great major league pitcher but he was too intimidated by what he thought would happen if he threw inside to a white player, or worse, hit him. He was the first black pitcher in the majors, so somebody had to have proven that the white players could live with it, before Bankhead would throw inside. O"Neil compares him to Saitchel Paige, favorably with regard to pitching talent, but Satchel became a man of the world and Bankhead was always from Alabama and always thought of what would happen from an Alabama frame of reference.

Bankhead's son claims that his father told him he busted up his own chance for a no-hitter on purpose because it was not yet time for a balck pitcher to pitch a nio-hitter.

[DODGER DEB]

I never heard that story about Dan Bankhead, strummer.

Sounds like an interesting read; one which will add a little more to OUR incredible history.Too bad a little of OUR Jackie (in 1947) didn't rub off on him.

Thanks for sharing it with US.

c.

[VIBaseball]

I am working on a longer profile of Dan Bankhead for a SABR project to gather bios on all the '47 Dodgers. It's been fun pulling all the facts together, though I still have some way to go.

I came upon a terrific quote of his, and maybe someone here can tell me its true origin. There are several accounts, the two main ones being Dave Anderson in the Times saying that it was Bankhead to Jackie. One other source said that Vin Scully may have been the one to hear it first.

Anyway, the line is:

"Robinson, you are not only wrong...you are loud wrong."

[dodger dynamo]

I to have heard V.S tell this story, not sure what the context was, a bad call call or some other disagreement, according to Scully, In the locker room, Bank head looked down over his glasses and said "you're not just wrong you're loud wrong." what happened to precipitate Jackie's comments, what those comments were, was not discussed. This Is on a video clip of scully himself remembering the incident.

[strummer]

Dan Bankhead's son was involved with many items from his father that were exhibited at the NYC Museum's Glory Days exhibiit. He was heard to comment that his father was a much better pitcher than his record shows. That because he was the first black pitcher, he was cautioned about pitching too inside to white players which might start a riot. So he concentrated on only using the outside two-thirds of the plate and therefore was not as effective as he could have been.

I can understand the first black pitcher being concerned about that. But Satchel Paige ws not too long after Bankhead, a matter of months, I think, and he didn't sem to have the same trouble. Of course, Satchel was not too concerned about anything.

I wonder if VIBaseball will be touching on this issue in his longer profile of Bankhead?

[tonypug]

Bankhead had a decent 1950 season,although still giving up way to many bases on balls. After the 1950 season O'Malley took over ownership.Under O'Malley the Dodgers seemed to be careful about how many blacks were on the team.That was one of the reasons cited for the loss of Roberto Clemente.Don Newcombe was with the Dodgers by then, and perhaps the thinking was, that was enough blacks on the pitching staff at that time. It was said that the reason Newcombe was not brought to the Dodgers sooner was Rickey was concerned that if Newcombe knocked batters down, it could cause problems.Based on that, it wouldn't be a shock if Bankhead was told not to knock batters off the plate.

[VIBaseball]

Yes, Bankhead's apparent reluctance to pitch inside is a theme I touch on. I found a great Buck O'Neil quote on this in the Joe Posnanski book mentioned on another Bankhead thread (which I believe you posted, strummer).

I have written to Don Newcombe. With luck I will hear from him, and I intend to ask him this question. I want to know if he buys the idea about Bankhead, and I can also find out if it was a factor in Newk's own career.

[Ralph Zig Tyko]

Bankhead had a decent 1950 season,although still giving up way to many bases on balls. After the 1950 season O'Malley took over ownership.Under O'Malley the Dodgers seemed to be careful about how many blacks were on the team.That was one of the reasons cited for the loss of Roberto Clemente.Don Newcombe was with the Dodgers by then, and perhaps the thinking was, that was enough blacks on the pitching staff at that time. It was said that the reason Newcombe was not brought to the Dodgers sooner was Rickey was concerned that if Newcombe knocked batters down, it could cause problems.Based on that, it wouldn't be a shock if Bankhead was told not to knock batters off the plate.
I disagree. The Dodgers continued to bring blacks into the majors on a most regular basis [Gilliam, Neal]under O'Malley, even after the LA move [Wills,T&W Davis, Lopes]. They didn't in any way want to loose Roberto Clemente and tried hard to hide him. A [shrewder than O'Malley] Branch Rickey did the fat slob [not you, Bruce] in.
As for Bankhead not throwing inside, it went along with the Jackie Robinson "turn the other cheek policy" for his first two years. Bad timing for Don.

[tonypug]

I disagree. The Dodgers continued to bring blacks into the majors on a most regular basis [Gilliam, Neal]under O'Malley, even after the LA move [Wills,T&W Davis, Lopes]. They didn't in any way want to loose Roberto Clemente and tried hard to hide him. A [shrewder than O'Malley] Branch Rickey did the fat slob [not you, Bruce] in.
As for Bankhead not throwing inside, it went along with the Jackie Robinson "turn the other cheek policy" for his first two years. Bad timing for Don.I didn't mean they stopped bringing in blacks. The black players they brought in, were expected to be starters or front line pitchers.Bankhead didn't seem to fit the bill as a front line starter.It was quite a while before teams started bringing up blacks as back up players or second tier pitchers.

[Ralph Zig Tyko]

I didn't mean they stopped bringing in blacks. The black players they brought in, were expected to be starters or front line pitchers.Bankhead didn't seem to fit the bill as a front line starter.It was quite a while before teams started bringing up blacks as back up players or second tier pitchers.
Understood now, and from that standpoint, I couldn't agree more.

[VIBaseball]

No luck with Don Newcombe as yet, and there are a couple of other details I'd still like to get, but overall I was content to move ahead and get this posted to the SABR BioProject:

http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=2407&pid=567

Hope it makes for interesting reading. :cap:

[VIBaseball]

I disagree. The Dodgers continued to bring blacks into the majors on a most regular basis [Gilliam, Neal]under O'Malley, even after the LA move [Wills,T&W Davis, Lopes].

It's funny, I never really thought of Lopes as being African-American when he was a player. He is of Cape Verdean descent, and as this link shows, this community is an unusual mix of Portuguese and African, based on the colonial history of the islands.

http://onedroprule.org/about349.html

I saw another article recently, though, where Lopes commented on the prominent young African-American stars for both the Rays and Phillies. He clearly identifies with the African part of his heritage.

[metrotheme]

As stated earlier, Bankhead suffered from a lack of control, an arm injury and a fear to throw inside. He hit Wally Westlake during his first appearance in the Majors. Possibly he was a bit gun shy after the fact?