A White Player

[Cubsfan97]

Has a white player ever played in the Negro League? I'v eoften wondered that...maybe they wernt good enough for MLB. Was there a rule saying white players cant play in the Negroes?

[Williamsburg2599]

I wouldn't say that the Negro Leagues were any easier than the MLB.

[EvanAparra]

I would. But thats a whole different thread. I've never heard of a white player in the negro leagues.

[Mischa]

Has a white player ever played in the Negro League? I'v eoften wondered that...maybe they wernt good enough for MLB. Was there a rule saying white players cant play in the Negroes?

There was no such rule but no one really challenged it until Eddie Klepp was signed in 1946 - see
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Eddie_Klepp

[northside]

I wonder about this too, especially perhaps a dark skinned caucasian.

[Brian McKenna]

In a creative response to the majors signing their players the black leagues integrated in early 1946 when white pitcher Eddie Klepp joined the Cleveland Buckeyes in the Negro American League. White Cuban players had previously appeared on Negro league rosters. In 1950 the Chicago American Giants added white players Louis Chirban, Louis Clarizio, Al Dubetts, Frank Dyle and Stanley Mierko to their roster.

[Dalkowski110]

One could argue Ramon "Pete" Herrera, who was neither white nor black, was the first guy to be allowed to play (note how I phrased that) in the Majors (which he did...in the early 1920's) and the Negro Leagues (which he did...in the 1930's). Herrera was a light-skinned Cuban.

[JordanDL3891]

I wouldn't say that the Negro Leagues were any easier than the MLB.

I would think that to, just because in MLB, there is more ppl, it doesnt matter what color, there are more ppl so more chances to find the better player.

[Brian McKenna]

One could argue Ramon "Pete" Herrera, who was neither white nor black, was the first guy to be allowed to play (note how I phrased that) in the Majors (which he did...in the early 1920's) and the Negro Leagues (which he did...in the 1930's). Herrera was a light-skinned Cuban.

Not even close:

The following men played in the major leagues prior to Jackie Robinson’s debut and in the Negro leagues, with debut in majors noted:
Fleet Walker 1884 Weldy Walker 1884
Rafael Almeida 1911 Armando Marsans 1911
Mike Gonzalez 1912 Jack Calvo 1913
Alfredo Cabrera 1913 Angel Aragon 1914
Dolf Luque 1914 Jose Rodriquez 1916
Ricardo Torres 1920 Jose Acosta 1920
Pedro Dibut 1924 Mike Herrera 1925
Oscar Estrada 1929 Chico Hernandez 1942
Izzy Leon 1945

[Dalkowski110]

I noted that the Walker brothers weren't allowed to play in the Majors after they made their Negro League debuts (and I'm not counting Cuban Winter Ball)...

Rafael Almeida...Played in 1907 with the All Cubans, which was (surprise) an all-Cuban team.
Armando Marsans...Played two years prior to Almeida with the All Cubans, which was an all-Cuban team. He also played with a few-other all-Cuban teams in the US. However, he did appear very briefly with one of the two Cuban Stars teams in the NNL in the 1920's.
Mike Gonzalez...He would be the first to play with an MLB team and an all-black team (as opposed to a Major League team and an all-Cuban team), as he played (it had to be briefly) with the New York Lincoln Stars in 1916. He played with the Cardinals during the same season. He also spells his name as "Gonzales" in the Negro League and all-Cuban teams he plays with. That would make Gonzalez the first man allowed to play in the Majors and the Negro Leagues simultaneously.
Jack Calvo...Played with the Long Branch Cubans for two years, and that was an all-Cuban team.
Alfredo "Al" Cabrera...I can't find any record of him playing with either an all-Cuban team in the US or an all-Black team.
Angel Aragon...Same as Al Cabrera.
Dolf Luque...Played with two all-Cuban teams in the US before his MLB career.
Jose Rodriguez...Not the same Jose Rodriguez who starred with several teams in the Negro Leagues. Different birthdates, heights, and weights. See "Al Cabrera" for his career.
Ricardo Torres...See "Al Cabrera"
Jose Acosta...Pitched with the all-Cuban Long Branch Cubans in 1915.
Pedro Dibut...Did indeed pitch with the Cuban Stars (West) in 1923. The Cuban Stars, both of the teams called that, were of mixed racial composition in the Negro National League.
Mike Herrera...Oops. I thought Ramon Herrera's nickname was "Pete" (his other nickname was "Paito"). Sorry. But this is the guy I was referring to. He played two Major League seasons (1925-1926) after playing two seasons as a regular with the Cuban Stars (West). While Herrera wasn't the first, he was the first notable player to appear in both the Negro Leagues and the Majors and play well in both (Dibut had only a token appearance in both the Negro Leagues and the Majors...his primary claim to fame was his performance in the Cuban Leagues. Mike Gonzalez also only had a comparable cup of coffee playing with all-black of racially mixed teams. Armando Marsans' appearance with the Cuban Stars in 1923 must have been incredibly brief...it's not even known if he played with the East team or West team.)

Not even close:

The following men played in the major leagues prior to Jackie Robinson’s debut and in the Negro leagues, with debut in majors noted:
Fleet Walker 1884 Weldy Walker 1884
Rafael Almeida 1911 Armando Marsans 1911
Mike Gonzalez 1912 Jack Calvo 1913
Alfredo Cabrera 1913 Angel Aragon 1914
Dolf Luque 1914 Jose Rodriquez 1916
Ricardo Torres 1920 Jose Acosta 1920
Pedro Dibut 1924 Mike Herrera 1925
Oscar Estrada 1929 Chico Hernandez 1942
Izzy Leon 1945