fbpx
Wikipedia

Neil Robinson (baseball)

December 18, 2023

Cornelius Randall Robinson (July 31, 1907 – July 23, 1983), known professionally as Neil Robinson, was a professional major league baseball player in the segregated Negro leagues. Also known by the nicknames Neil (Neal) and Shadow, he primarily played as a center fielder in the 1930s and 1940s, but as a semipro player he also alternated between a shortstop, third baseman, and a left fielder. For the majority of his twenty-three year career, Robinson played for the Memphis Red Sox. Prior to being acquired by Memphis, he played one season for the Homestead Grays and several seasons with the Cincinnati Tigers.

Neil Robinson
Center fielder
Born: Cornelius Randall Robinson
(1907-07-31)July 31, 1907
Birmingham, Alabama
Died: July 23, 1983(1983-07-23) (aged 72)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Negro league baseball debut
1934, for the Homestead Grays
Last appearance
1952, for the Memphis Red Sox
Career statistics
Batting average.303
Home runs29
Teams
Negro leagues
Career highlights and awards
  • 9× All-Star (1938–1941, 1943–1945, 1948)

Throughout his career, he was known as a power hitter and ranks as the greatest hitter in the history of Memphis Red Sox franchise.[1] Robinson won back-to-back Negro American League home run titles in 1939 and 1940 and appeared in nine Negro League East-West All Star Games. In the history of the East-West All Star Game, Robinson ranks as one of the Midsummer Classic's greatest hitters rivaling Mule Suttles, Josh Gibson, and Ted Strong. He also played several exhibition games against white Major League Baseball players throughout his career.

Although his number of plate appearances were limited, Robinson's ability to put the baseball in play against his white counterparts exceeded his career statistics against that of Negro league opponents. In 2006, he was selected as one of ninety-six candidates to be considered for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame by The Committee on African American Baseball. Despite not being selected, elite hitting and longevity made Robinson one of the great Negro league players with an extended career in the Deep South.

Early life edit

Robinson was born in Birmingham, Alabama on July 31, 1907, to Cornell Robinson and Flora Fitzpatrick.[2][3] The middle child of three, Robinson grew up in the small community of Opelika. His father Cornell worked as a porter in Alabama and nearby Columbus, Georgia.[4] In Opelika, Robinson learned to play baseball at a very young age. When asked by a reporter about his fielding abilities during a semipro game, Robinson remarked that he had, “been practicing how to throw a ball since I was old enough to carry a bat.”[5] In 1919, Cornell Robinson passed away.[6] Shortly after his death, Robinson's mother moved the family and her mother north to Gary, Indiana.[7] The Robinson children all found work in the booming industrial town. Neil and his brother John worked as laborers while their younger sister, Florida, found worked as a maid.[7] During their time in Gary, Neil and John were introduced to Gary's industrial baseball teams and their opponents in Chicago. By 1928, both brothers were playing on semipro barnstorming teams.[8]

Baseball edit

Semi-Pro edit

Robinson and his brother played for the Illinois Giants in the spring of 1928.[8] The Giants, based out of the Chicago area, were a barnstorming team that traveled through Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.[9] By June of that year, the brothers were playing for the Fox Jewelry Colored Giants based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.[10] Robinson would play for the Fox Giants through 1929.[11] In 1930 the brothers moved south and both signed with the Lexington Hard Hitters.[12] Robinson would also play several games for the Lockland Valley Tigers that year, but for the majority of the season he was a member of the Hard Hitters.[13][14] In 1931 Neil played for both the Gary, Indiana Steel City Giants and the Gray Grasselli Giants.[15][16] He returned to Grand Rapids playing for the Fineis Oils Giants in 1932[17] and the Pere Marquette Giants in 1933.[18]

During his time in Grand Rapids and Lexington, Robinson was known for both his hitting and fielding. Robinson was selected as part of a Grand Rapid All-Star team on three occasions to play major league teams. He took part in exhibition games against the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, and St. Louis Cardinals. In twelve at bats, he had five hits.[19][20][21]

Homestead Grays edit

In 1934, Robinson was hired by Cumberland Posey to play for the Homestead Grays. He replaced outfielder Vic Harris who was now a member of the Pittsburgh Crawfords.[22] Robinson's batting average at the end of the 1934 season was .241.[23] 1934 was his only season with the Grays. A drinking problem that would plague Robinson throughout his career led to his dismissal from the team.[24][25]

Cincinnati Tigers edit

Robinson played with the Cincinnati Tigers from 1935 to 1937.[26][27] In 1935 and 1936, the Tigers were a member of the Indiana-Ohio League[28] and associate with both the Negro National League and the Negro Southern League.[27] In 1937, the Tigers joined the newly formed Negro American League.[29] Robinson would develop into a power hitter while playing in Cincinnati. In 1936 he batted .419 and in 1937 his average was .301.[26] In 1936, Robinson reportedly hit the longest home run in the Sherwood Oval. The ball “hit the 472-foot sign on about three bounces.”[30] He finished the 1936 season with 34 home runs against all levels of competition.[31]

Memphis Red Sox edit

At the end of the 1937 season, despite their success on the field, the Cincinnati Tigers disbanded. The Memphis Red Sox, also founding members of the Negro American League, acquired Robinson and several other players from the Tigers as the 1938 season started.[32][33] Robinson remained with the Red Sox for fifteen years until his retirement in 1952. During that time he was the team's top player and biggest attraction.[34] From 1938 to 1948 he was Memphis’ leading hitter with 167 RBIs and a batting average of .299.[35] Over the 38-year history of the Memphis Red Sox, Robinson was the greatest hitter the team would ever have on its roster.[35]

 
Neil Robinson's jersey during his time with the Memphis Red Sox.

The new talent that Memphis acquired from the former Tigers, including Robinson, had an immediate effect on the team. The Red Sox were in first place at the end of the first half of the 1938 season which earned them a spot in league championship series against the Atlanta Black Crackers.[36] In the abbreviated two-game series Robinson led the Red Sox offense by going four for four with a walk, two home runs, five RBIs.[26][36]

Robinson played in his first East-West All Star game in 1938. His inside the park home run scored three runs and led the West to a 5–4 victory over the East.[37]

In 1939 Robinson continued to hit the baseball out of park for the Red Sox. This led the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper to dub him the “negro home run artist.” Neil hit twenty-five home runs against league teams in both barnstorming games and official league games. He hit fifty-four home runs against all levels of competition.[24] While Robinson's batting average dropped to .275,[23] another home run at the East-West All Star game helped lead the West to victory.[38]

Between 1940 and 1948, Robinson batted greater than .300 over a season four more times.[23] In 1943, Robinson's boyhood home of Gray, Indiana held a “Neil Robinson Day.”[39] The game was between the East Chicago Giants and the Chicago Brown Bombers at E. J. Block Stadium in East Chicago. Robinson played center field for the East Chicago Giants who won 6–1.[39] The following year “Neil Robinson Day” was celebrated at Wrigley Field.[40] The Memphis Red Sox played a double header against the Kansas City Monarchs.[40] Robinson marked the occasion by hitting a home run off of the Monarchs pitcher Satchel Paige.[41] The Red Sox won both games.[42] Earlier that year, on the south side of Chicago, Robinson hit a grand slam at Comiskey Stadium against the Chicago American Giants.[43]

At the end of the 1948 Negro American League season, Robinson played with the Kansas City Royals. The Royals were a collection of the Negro League All-Stars including Satchel Paige, who was now a member of the Cleveland Indians.[44] The Royals played a team of Major League All-Stars headed by Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Lemon.[44] The Kansas City Royals won three of the six games they played against Lemon's All-Stars. Robinson had three hits in nine at bats and a total of four RBIs.[45]

In 1951, the last full year that Robinson played baseball, Howe News Bureau listed his batting average as .416 in the early part of June.[46] Robinson was again voted to attend the East-West All-Star game, but due to injuries he was unable to play.[47] Robinson finished the year batting hitting .344.[47] During the postseason, he played as part of a Negro League All-Star team against Roy Campanella's Major League All-Stars.[48]

Basketball edit

Robinson played semipro basketball in both the winter of 1930 and 1931 for Gilkerson's Union Giants.[49] He played as one of the teams Forwards and was called “Shadow” by his teammates, a nickname that was given to him due to his quickness on the court.[50] The team also included olympian Sol Butler and Harlem Globetrotter founder Tommy Brookins.[49][51]

Later life and death edit

Robinson lived in Cincinnati until his death on July 23, 1983.[52][53]

References edit

  1. ^ "Memphis Red Sox Team History - Seamheads Negro Leagues Database". www.seamheads.com. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  2. ^ Year: 1930; Census Place: Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0054; FHL microfilm: 2340737. URL:https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/10613386:6224(Accessed : 7 March 2021)
  3. ^ ‘Cornelius Randall Robinson’ (1940). Draft Registration Card for Cornelius Robinson.Draft Card serial number: 1533. Draft Registration Cards for Puerto Rico, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947. 367 boxes. NAI: 7644748. Records of the Selective Service System, 1926–1975, Record Group 147. National Archives and Records Administration, St Louis, Missouri.
  4. ^ Year: 1910; Census Place: Opelika Ward 4, Lee, Alabama; Roll: T624_21; Page: 22A; Enumeration District: 0162; FHL microfilm: 1374034
  5. ^ "Notes On The Game". The Ludington Daily News. 6 June 1932. p. 4.
  6. ^ Year: 1920; Census Place: Opelika, Lee, Alabama; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0165; FHL microfilm: 113407382. URL:https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/113407382:6061 (Accessed : 13 November 2023)
  7. ^ a b Polk's Gary Indiana City Directory 1923. Indianapolis, Indiana: R. L. Polk and Company. 1923. p. 406.
  8. ^ a b "La Vendors IN Win Over Ill. Giants". The Times (Munster, IN). 23 April 1928. p. 22.
  9. ^ Sandman, Jeff (2012-02-14). . Benzie Record Patriot. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  10. ^ "Postum Divides Double Header Sunday at Grand Rapids". Battle Creek Enquirer. 18 June 1928. p. 10.
  11. ^ "Postum Takes Blushing Exit from Local Baseball Picture". Battle Creek Enquirer. 16 September 1929. p. 10.
  12. ^ "Hard Hitters Sign Players". The Lexington Herald. 14 February 1930. p. 10.
  13. ^ "Hard Hitters Rout Visitors". The Lexington Herald. 28 April 1930. p. 5.
  14. ^ "Hard Hitters Lose to Sox, 3-2". The Lexington Herald. 21 May 1930. p. 11.
  15. ^ "Assumptions Invade Home of Gray Nine". The Times (Munster, IN). 26 June 1931. p. 31.
  16. ^ "Nashville Elites Defeat Grasselli". The Times (Munster, IN). 3 June 1931. p. 10.
  17. ^ "Elks Drop Pair to Fineis Giants". Lansing State Journal. 5 July 1932. p. 11.
  18. ^ "Grand Rapids Ball Club Trims Mariners, 16 to 1". The Ludington Daily News. 20 June 1933. p. 6.
  19. ^ "Tigers show fans how games are won". The Grand Rapid Press. 21 May 1929. p. 20.
  20. ^ "Grand Rapids boys beat champion A's". The Grand Rapid Press. 18 August 1931. p. 15.
  21. ^ "Grand Rapids Team Defeats Cardinals". The Grand Rapid Press. 1 September 1931. p. 21.
  22. ^ Posey, Cum (28 April 1934). "Cum Posey's Pointed Paragraphs". The Pittsburgh Courier. p. 15.
  23. ^ a b c "Neil Robinson – Seamheads Negro Leagues Database". www.seamheads.com. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  24. ^ a b McBee, Kurt (August 2001). They Also Played the Game: A Historical Examination of the Memphis Red Sox Baseball Organization, 1922–1959 (PhD Dissertation). The University of Memphis.
  25. ^ Riley, James (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0786709596.
  26. ^ a b c "Neil Robinson Seamheads Profile". seamheads.com. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  27. ^ a b "New Players to Show". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 19 April 1935. p. 18.
  28. ^ "Kautshys Will Meet Middletown Armcos in Series Contest". Palladium Item. 25 September 1935. p. 8.
  29. ^ "In Negro League". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 16 May 1937. p. 20.
  30. ^ "Tigers Harmless, Greys Discover". Times Union. 18 August 1936. p. 13.
  31. ^ "Negro Nines Under Local Arcs Sunday". Dayton Daily News. 13 June 1937. p. 44.
  32. ^ "StackPath" (PDF). www.cnlbr.org. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  33. ^ "The Tigers' Tale | History | Hall of Fame". MLB.com. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  34. ^ Irvin, Monte (2007). Few and chosen : defining Negro leagues greatness. Phil Pepe. Chicago, Ill.: Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-57243-855-2. OCLC 72353463.
  35. ^ a b "Memphis Red Sox Team History – Seamheads Negro Leagues Database". www.seamheads.com. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  36. ^ a b Plott, William J. (2019). Black baseball's last team standing : the Birmingham Black Barons, 1919–1962. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4766-7788-0. OCLC 1066259528.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  37. ^ Washington, Chester (27 August 1938). "Memphis Star Real Hero as West Wins". The Pittsburgh Courier. p. 16.
  38. ^ Lester, Larry (2001). Black baseball's national showcase : the East-West All-Star Game, 1933–1953. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-8000-9. OCLC 45951683.
  39. ^ a b "Giants play 2 with Marzanos". The Hammond Times. 12 September 1943. p. 13.
  40. ^ a b "Negro Ace to Face Memphis Red Sox Today". Chicago Tribune. 30 July 1944. p. 21.
  41. ^ "Socked Homer off Stachel". The Knoxville Journal. 26 August 1944. p. 6.
  42. ^ "Mathis Defeats Paige in Duel as Memphis Wins 2". Chicago Tribune. 31 July 1944. p. 16.
  43. ^ "Chicago Giants, Memphis Divide". Chicago Tribune. 5 July 1944. p. 20.
  44. ^ a b "Kansas City Royals Arrive Sat". California Eagle. 30 September 1948. p. 16.
  45. ^ The Negro leagues were major leagues : historians reappraise black baseball. Todd Peterson. Jefferson, North Carolina. 2020. ISBN 978-1-4766-6514-6. OCLC 1089013757.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  46. ^ "Negro American League Moguls to Meet in Chicago, June 14–15". Alabama Tribune. 8 June 1951. p. 7.
  47. ^ a b "Ed Steele is Top East Vote-Getter". The Pittsburgh Courier. 4 August 1951. p. 14.
  48. ^ "5,000 Fans Due to see Majors, Minors at the Disch". The Austin American. 1 November 1951. p. 18.
  49. ^ a b "Crack Colored Team to Meet Speedies Today". The Herald and Review. 11 January 1931. p. 8.
  50. ^ "Giants Win at New Hampton". Mason City Globe-Gazette. 6 February 1931. p. 14.
  51. ^ "Savoy Big Five | The Black Fives Foundation". The Black Fives Foundation | Make History Now!. 2009-03-09. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  52. ^ ‘Cornelius R Robinson’ (1983). Certified copy of death certificate for Cornelius R. Robinson, 23 July 1983.Registrar's Certificate No. 058945. Ohio Department of Health. URL: https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=5763&h=3940760&indiv=try(Accessed : 7 March 2021)
  53. ^ ‘Cornelius Robinson’ (1983). Social Security Death Index entry for Cornelius Robinson, July 1983.Social Security Administration; Washington D.C. URL: https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=3693&h=52640647&indiv=try(Accessed : 7 March 2021)

External links edit

  • Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats and Seamheads
  • Negro League Baseball Museum

December 18, 2023
neil, robinson, baseball, cornelius, randall, robinson, july, 1907, july, 1983, known, professionally, neil, robinson, professional, major, league, baseball, player, segregated, negro, leagues, also, known, nicknames, neil, neal, shadow, primarily, played, cen. Cornelius Randall Robinson July 31 1907 July 23 1983 known professionally as Neil Robinson was a professional major league baseball player in the segregated Negro leagues Also known by the nicknames Neil Neal and Shadow he primarily played as a center fielder in the 1930s and 1940s but as a semipro player he also alternated between a shortstop third baseman and a left fielder For the majority of his twenty three year career Robinson played for the Memphis Red Sox Prior to being acquired by Memphis he played one season for the Homestead Grays and several seasons with the Cincinnati Tigers Neil RobinsonCenter fielderBorn Cornelius Randall Robinson 1907 07 31 July 31 1907Birmingham AlabamaDied July 23 1983 1983 07 23 aged 72 Cincinnati OhioBatted RightThrew RightNegro league baseball debut1934 for the Homestead GraysLast appearance1952 for the Memphis Red SoxCareer statisticsBatting average 303Home runs29TeamsNegro leaguesHomestead Grays 1934 Cincinnati Tigers 1935 1937 Memphis Red Sox 1938 1952 Aguadilla Baseball Club 1939 1940 Career highlights and awards9 All Star 1938 1941 1943 1945 1948 Throughout his career he was known as a power hitter and ranks as the greatest hitter in the history of Memphis Red Sox franchise 1 Robinson won back to back Negro American League home run titles in 1939 and 1940 and appeared in nine Negro League East West All Star Games In the history of the East West All Star Game Robinson ranks as one of the Midsummer Classic s greatest hitters rivaling Mule Suttles Josh Gibson and Ted Strong He also played several exhibition games against white Major League Baseball players throughout his career Although his number of plate appearances were limited Robinson s ability to put the baseball in play against his white counterparts exceeded his career statistics against that of Negro league opponents In 2006 he was selected as one of ninety six candidates to be considered for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame by The Committee on African American Baseball Despite not being selected elite hitting and longevity made Robinson one of the great Negro league players with an extended career in the Deep South Contents 1 Early life 2 Baseball 2 1 Semi Pro 2 2 Homestead Grays 2 3 Cincinnati Tigers 2 4 Memphis Red Sox 3 Basketball 4 Later life and death 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editRobinson was born in Birmingham Alabama on July 31 1907 to Cornell Robinson and Flora Fitzpatrick 2 3 The middle child of three Robinson grew up in the small community of Opelika His father Cornell worked as a porter in Alabama and nearby Columbus Georgia 4 In Opelika Robinson learned to play baseball at a very young age When asked by a reporter about his fielding abilities during a semipro game Robinson remarked that he had been practicing how to throw a ball since I was old enough to carry a bat 5 In 1919 Cornell Robinson passed away 6 Shortly after his death Robinson s mother moved the family and her mother north to Gary Indiana 7 The Robinson children all found work in the booming industrial town Neil and his brother John worked as laborers while their younger sister Florida found worked as a maid 7 During their time in Gary Neil and John were introduced to Gary s industrial baseball teams and their opponents in Chicago By 1928 both brothers were playing on semipro barnstorming teams 8 Baseball editSemi Pro edit Robinson and his brother played for the Illinois Giants in the spring of 1928 8 The Giants based out of the Chicago area were a barnstorming team that traveled through Illinois Indiana and Michigan 9 By June of that year the brothers were playing for the Fox Jewelry Colored Giants based out of Grand Rapids Michigan 10 Robinson would play for the Fox Giants through 1929 11 In 1930 the brothers moved south and both signed with the Lexington Hard Hitters 12 Robinson would also play several games for the Lockland Valley Tigers that year but for the majority of the season he was a member of the Hard Hitters 13 14 In 1931 Neil played for both the Gary Indiana Steel City Giants and the Gray Grasselli Giants 15 16 He returned to Grand Rapids playing for the Fineis Oils Giants in 1932 17 and the Pere Marquette Giants in 1933 18 During his time in Grand Rapids and Lexington Robinson was known for both his hitting and fielding Robinson was selected as part of a Grand Rapid All Star team on three occasions to play major league teams He took part in exhibition games against the Philadelphia Athletics Detroit Tigers and St Louis Cardinals In twelve at bats he had five hits 19 20 21 Homestead Grays edit In 1934 Robinson was hired by Cumberland Posey to play for the Homestead Grays He replaced outfielder Vic Harris who was now a member of the Pittsburgh Crawfords 22 Robinson s batting average at the end of the 1934 season was 241 23 1934 was his only season with the Grays A drinking problem that would plague Robinson throughout his career led to his dismissal from the team 24 25 Cincinnati Tigers edit Robinson played with the Cincinnati Tigers from 1935 to 1937 26 27 In 1935 and 1936 the Tigers were a member of the Indiana Ohio League 28 and associate with both the Negro National League and the Negro Southern League 27 In 1937 the Tigers joined the newly formed Negro American League 29 Robinson would develop into a power hitter while playing in Cincinnati In 1936 he batted 419 and in 1937 his average was 301 26 In 1936 Robinson reportedly hit the longest home run in the Sherwood Oval The ball hit the 472 foot sign on about three bounces 30 He finished the 1936 season with 34 home runs against all levels of competition 31 Memphis Red Sox edit At the end of the 1937 season despite their success on the field the Cincinnati Tigers disbanded The Memphis Red Sox also founding members of the Negro American League acquired Robinson and several other players from the Tigers as the 1938 season started 32 33 Robinson remained with the Red Sox for fifteen years until his retirement in 1952 During that time he was the team s top player and biggest attraction 34 From 1938 to 1948 he was Memphis leading hitter with 167 RBIs and a batting average of 299 35 Over the 38 year history of the Memphis Red Sox Robinson was the greatest hitter the team would ever have on its roster 35 nbsp Neil Robinson s jersey during his time with the Memphis Red Sox The new talent that Memphis acquired from the former Tigers including Robinson had an immediate effect on the team The Red Sox were in first place at the end of the first half of the 1938 season which earned them a spot in league championship series against the Atlanta Black Crackers 36 In the abbreviated two game series Robinson led the Red Sox offense by going four for four with a walk two home runs five RBIs 26 36 Robinson played in his first East West All Star game in 1938 His inside the park home run scored three runs and led the West to a 5 4 victory over the East 37 In 1939 Robinson continued to hit the baseball out of park for the Red Sox This led the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper to dub him the negro home run artist Neil hit twenty five home runs against league teams in both barnstorming games and official league games He hit fifty four home runs against all levels of competition 24 While Robinson s batting average dropped to 275 23 another home run at the East West All Star game helped lead the West to victory 38 Between 1940 and 1948 Robinson batted greater than 300 over a season four more times 23 In 1943 Robinson s boyhood home of Gray Indiana held a Neil Robinson Day 39 The game was between the East Chicago Giants and the Chicago Brown Bombers at E J Block Stadium in East Chicago Robinson played center field for the East Chicago Giants who won 6 1 39 The following year Neil Robinson Day was celebrated at Wrigley Field 40 The Memphis Red Sox played a double header against the Kansas City Monarchs 40 Robinson marked the occasion by hitting a home run off of the Monarchs pitcher Satchel Paige 41 The Red Sox won both games 42 Earlier that year on the south side of Chicago Robinson hit a grand slam at Comiskey Stadium against the Chicago American Giants 43 At the end of the 1948 Negro American League season Robinson played with the Kansas City Royals The Royals were a collection of the Negro League All Stars including Satchel Paige who was now a member of the Cleveland Indians 44 The Royals played a team of Major League All Stars headed by Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Lemon 44 The Kansas City Royals won three of the six games they played against Lemon s All Stars Robinson had three hits in nine at bats and a total of four RBIs 45 In 1951 the last full year that Robinson played baseball Howe News Bureau listed his batting average as 416 in the early part of June 46 Robinson was again voted to attend the East West All Star game but due to injuries he was unable to play 47 Robinson finished the year batting hitting 344 47 During the postseason he played as part of a Negro League All Star team against Roy Campanella s Major League All Stars 48 Basketball editRobinson played semipro basketball in both the winter of 1930 and 1931 for Gilkerson s Union Giants 49 He played as one of the teams Forwards and was called Shadow by his teammates a nickname that was given to him due to his quickness on the court 50 The team also included olympian Sol Butler and Harlem Globetrotter founder Tommy Brookins 49 51 Later life and death editRobinson lived in Cincinnati until his death on July 23 1983 52 53 References edit Memphis Red Sox Team History Seamheads Negro Leagues Database www seamheads com Retrieved 2023 11 18 Year 1930 Census Place Grand Rapids Kent Michigan Page 7A Enumeration District 0054 FHL microfilm 2340737 URL https www ancestry com discoveryui content view 10613386 6224 Accessed 7 March 2021 Cornelius Randall Robinson 1940 Draft Registration Card for Cornelius Robinson Draft Card serial number 1533 Draft Registration Cards for Puerto Rico 10 16 1940 03 31 1947 367 boxes NAI 7644748 Records of the Selective Service System 1926 1975 Record Group 147 National Archives and Records Administration St Louis Missouri Year 1910 Census Place Opelika Ward 4 Lee Alabama Roll T624 21 Page 22A Enumeration District 0162 FHL microfilm 1374034 Notes On The Game The Ludington Daily News 6 June 1932 p 4 Year 1920 Census Place Opelika Lee Alabama Page 8A Enumeration District 0165 FHL microfilm 113407382 URL https www ancestry com discoveryui content view 113407382 6061 Accessed 13 November 2023 a b Polk s Gary Indiana City Directory 1923 Indianapolis Indiana R L Polk and Company 1923 p 406 a b La Vendors IN Win Over Ill Giants The Times Munster IN 23 April 1928 p 22 Sandman Jeff 2012 02 14 Black History Month How the press treated the black barnstorming baseball clown teams in West Michigan Benzie Record Patriot Archived from the original on 2022 08 19 Retrieved 2021 03 17 Postum Divides Double Header Sunday at Grand Rapids Battle Creek Enquirer 18 June 1928 p 10 Postum Takes Blushing Exit from Local Baseball Picture Battle Creek Enquirer 16 September 1929 p 10 Hard Hitters Sign Players The Lexington Herald 14 February 1930 p 10 Hard Hitters Rout Visitors The Lexington Herald 28 April 1930 p 5 Hard Hitters Lose to Sox 3 2 The Lexington Herald 21 May 1930 p 11 Assumptions Invade Home of Gray Nine The Times Munster IN 26 June 1931 p 31 Nashville Elites Defeat Grasselli The Times Munster IN 3 June 1931 p 10 Elks Drop Pair to Fineis Giants Lansing State Journal 5 July 1932 p 11 Grand Rapids Ball Club Trims Mariners 16 to 1 The Ludington Daily News 20 June 1933 p 6 Tigers show fans how games are won The Grand Rapid Press 21 May 1929 p 20 Grand Rapids boys beat champion A s The Grand Rapid Press 18 August 1931 p 15 Grand Rapids Team Defeats Cardinals The Grand Rapid Press 1 September 1931 p 21 Posey Cum 28 April 1934 Cum Posey s Pointed Paragraphs The Pittsburgh Courier p 15 a b c Neil Robinson Seamheads Negro Leagues Database www seamheads com Retrieved 2021 07 23 a b McBee Kurt August 2001 They Also Played the Game A Historical Examination of the Memphis Red Sox Baseball Organization 1922 1959 PhD Dissertation The University of Memphis Riley James 1994 The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues New York Carroll amp Graf ISBN 0786709596 a b c Neil Robinson Seamheads Profile seamheads com Retrieved January 20 2021 a b New Players to Show The Cincinnati Enquirer 19 April 1935 p 18 Kautshys Will Meet Middletown Armcos in Series Contest Palladium Item 25 September 1935 p 8 In Negro League The Cincinnati Enquirer 16 May 1937 p 20 Tigers Harmless Greys Discover Times Union 18 August 1936 p 13 Negro Nines Under Local Arcs Sunday Dayton Daily News 13 June 1937 p 44 StackPath PDF www cnlbr org Retrieved 2021 08 07 The Tigers Tale History Hall of Fame MLB com Retrieved 2021 09 07 Irvin Monte 2007 Few and chosen defining Negro leagues greatness Phil Pepe Chicago Ill Triumph Books ISBN 978 1 57243 855 2 OCLC 72353463 a b Memphis Red Sox Team History Seamheads Negro Leagues Database www seamheads com Retrieved 2021 09 07 a b Plott William J 2019 Black baseball s last team standing the Birmingham Black Barons 1919 1962 Jefferson North Carolina ISBN 978 1 4766 7788 0 OCLC 1066259528 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Washington Chester 27 August 1938 Memphis Star Real Hero as West Wins The Pittsburgh Courier p 16 Lester Larry 2001 Black baseball s national showcase the East West All Star Game 1933 1953 Lincoln University of Nebraska Press ISBN 0 8032 8000 9 OCLC 45951683 a b Giants play 2 with Marzanos The Hammond Times 12 September 1943 p 13 a b Negro Ace to Face Memphis Red Sox Today Chicago Tribune 30 July 1944 p 21 Socked Homer off Stachel The Knoxville Journal 26 August 1944 p 6 Mathis Defeats Paige in Duel as Memphis Wins 2 Chicago Tribune 31 July 1944 p 16 Chicago Giants Memphis Divide Chicago Tribune 5 July 1944 p 20 a b Kansas City Royals Arrive Sat California Eagle 30 September 1948 p 16 The Negro leagues were major leagues historians reappraise black baseball Todd Peterson Jefferson North Carolina 2020 ISBN 978 1 4766 6514 6 OCLC 1089013757 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link CS1 maint others link Negro American League Moguls to Meet in Chicago June 14 15 Alabama Tribune 8 June 1951 p 7 a b Ed Steele is Top East Vote Getter The Pittsburgh Courier 4 August 1951 p 14 5 000 Fans Due to see Majors Minors at the Disch The Austin American 1 November 1951 p 18 a b Crack Colored Team to Meet Speedies Today The Herald and Review 11 January 1931 p 8 Giants Win at New Hampton Mason City Globe Gazette 6 February 1931 p 14 Savoy Big Five The Black Fives Foundation The Black Fives Foundation Make History Now 2009 03 09 Retrieved 2021 12 07 Cornelius R Robinson 1983 Certified copy of death certificate for Cornelius R Robinson 23 July 1983 Registrar s Certificate No 058945 Ohio Department of Health URL https search ancestry com cgi bin sse dll dbid 5763 amp h 3940760 amp indiv try Accessed 7 March 2021 Cornelius Robinson 1983 Social Security Death Index entry for Cornelius Robinson July 1983 Social Security Administration Washington D C URL https search ancestry com cgi bin sse dll dbid 3693 amp h 52640647 amp indiv try Accessed 7 March 2021 External links editCareer statistics and player information from Baseball Reference and Baseball Reference Black Baseball stats and Seamheads Negro League Baseball Museum Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Neil Robinson baseball amp oldid 1185917797, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.