In 1937, Homestead Grays owner Cumberland Willis “Cum” Posey Jr. set out to name the all-time Negro League all-stars–his “All-Americans”– in The Pittsburgh Courier; six years later he expanded his “All-American” team and conceded that picking an all-time Negro League team was a nearly impossible task:
“Due to the changes in umpiring, parks, baseballs, ownership, in the last three decades, it is merely a guess when any of us attempt to pick an all-time All-American club. Under any system we would hesitate to put ourselves on record as picking the club without placing some of the boys from the islands on the team. We know some star players from Cuba, who played Negro baseball in the US and they cannot be ignored.”
Cum Posey
Posey said no team would be complete without considering pitchers Jose Mendez, Eustaquio “Bombin” Pedroso, and Juan Padron, shortstop Pelayo Chacon, outfielders Cristobal Torriente and Esteban Montalvo and “(Martin) Dihigo, probably the greatest all-around player of any decade.”
Cristóbal Torriente
“If one could be a spectator at an argument between those closely associated with baseball—fans, players, owners—he would be surprise at the differences of opinions.
“Ted Page, who is now manager of Hillvue Bowling Alley (in Pittsburgh), and was formerly one of the star players of Negro baseball was mentioning one of the players of former years. Ted contends (Chester) Brooks, one of the few West Indian (Brooks was said to hae been born in Nassau, Bahamas, but several sources, including his WWII Draft Registration and death certificate list his place of birth as Key West, Florida) players ever on the roster of an American baseball club was one of the real stars of all time. Brooks, formerly of the Brooklyn Royal Giants, was probably the most consistent right hand hitter in the history of Negro baseball. When the Homestead Grays were at odds with everyone connected with Negro Organized Baseball we tried to get Brooks on the Grays club.”
Chester Brooks
In his 1937 picks, Posey placed Brooks on his all-time all-star team as “utility” outfielder.
The 1937 team:
Manager: C. I. Taylor
Coaches: Rube Foster, Sam Crawford, and Chappie Johnson
Catchers: Josh Gibson and Biz Mackey
Pitchers: Smokey Joe Williams, Dick Redding, Pedroso, Bullet Rogan, Satchel Paige, Dave Brown and Willie Foster
First Base: Ben Taylor and Buck Leonard
Second Base: Sammy Hughes
Third Base: Jud Wilson
Shortstop: John Henry Lloyd
Left Field: Torriente
Center Field: Oscar Charleston
Right Field: Pete Hill
Utility: Infield: Dick Lundy; Outfield: Brooks
Posey added several players for consideration in 1943, many who were largely forgotten by then:
Pitchers: Mendez, Padron
Catcher: Bruce Petway, Wabishaw “Doc” Wiley
First Base: Leroy Grant, George Carr, Eddie Douglas
Second Base: Frank Warfield, Bingo DeMoss, George Scales, John Henry Russell, Frank Grant
Bingo DeMoss
Third Base: Connie Day, Judy Johnson, Ray Dandridge, Dave Malarcher, Henry Blackmon, Walter Cannady, Billy Francis, Bill Monroe
Shortstop: Willie Wells
Posey concluded:
“Too many outfielders to mention. You have Dihigo, (Pee Wee) Butts, (Sam) Bankhead, Cannady (and) Monte Irvin to play in any position and nine hundred ninety-nine others. Our personal preference for manager is C.I. Taylor, but what about Rube Foster?”
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