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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are honored to recognize Joe Black, whom in
41952 became the first African-American pitcher to win a World
5Series game; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Joe Black was born on February 8, 1924, one of 6
7children raised by his parents, Martha and Joseph Black; he was
8an American right-handed pitcher in the Negro Leagues and in
9Major League Baseball, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers,
10Cincinnati Redlegs, and Washington Senators; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Joe Black was a native of Plainfield, New Jersey;
12he starred at Plainfield High School and attended Morgan State
13University on a football scholarship, graduating in 1950; he
14later received an honorary doctorate from Shaw University; he
15was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and appears
16prominently in Roger Kahn's classic book, The Boys of Summer;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, Joe Black helped the Baltimore Elite Giants of the
19Negro Leagues win 2 championships in 7 years; he and Jackie
20Robinson pushed for a pension plan for Negro League players and
21was instrumental in the inclusion of players who played before
221944; he then played for a year in the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor

 

 

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1league system; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The Dodgers promoted Joe Black to the major
3leagues in 1952 at the age of 28, 5 years after teammate Jackie
4Robinson broke baseball's color barrier; he was a roommate and
5friend of Jackie Robinson while with Brooklyn, and was dominant
6coming out of the bullpen; he was chosen Rookie of the Year
7after winning 15 games and saving 15 others for the National
8League champions; Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen brought him out
9of the bullpen and started him 3 times in 7 days in the 1952
10World Series against the New York Yankees; he won the opener
11with a 6-hitter over Allie Reynolds, 4-2; and
 
12    WHEREAS, After Joe Black's baseball career ended, he
13remained in baseball through his affiliation with the
14commissioner's office where he consulted with players about
15making good career choices; he also returned to Plainfield, New
16Jersey to teach health and physical education at Hubbard Junior
17High School; he later became the first African-American
18Vice-President of Transportation with Greyhound in Phoenix,
19Arizona; he was a founder and board director of the Baseball
20Assistance Team and worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks in
21community relations after they joined the National League; he
22was a regular in the Diamondbacks' dugout during batting
23practice and in the press box; in his spare time, he also wrote
24a syndicated column, "By The Way" for Ebony magazine and an

 

 

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1autobiography, Ain't Nobody Better Than You; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Joe Black is heralded for his achievements in
3baseball; the Arizona Fall League honors his legacy by naming
4its MVP award the "Joe Black MVP Award" and the NAACP awarded
5him a Lifetime Achievement Award; in 1957, he became the first
6African-American player on the Washington Senators, and
7Washington, D.C.'s current team, the Nationals, annually
8present the "Joe Black Award" to a Washington-area organization
9that promotes baseball in African-American communities; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Joe Black was raised by his parents to have strong
11family valued and work ethic; he passed on those principles to
12his 2 children, Joseph Frank Black and Martha Jo Black; his
13daughter, Martha Jo, named after his mother, continues his
14baseball legacy and currently works for the Chicago White Sox;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, Joe Black passed away on May 17, 2002 from
17prostate cancer at the age of 78; his impact and leadership on
18the baseball, corporate, and entertainment communities will
19never be forgotten; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22honor Joe Black for being more than a Dodger; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Martha Jo Black as a symbol of our remembrance and
3respect for Joe Black's leadership.