The ep26 My Friend Joe Louis

Hello there. This is Jimmy Powers coming your way with another story from the tumult and the shouting. Hi, this is Jimmy Powers coming your way transcribed. I've covered many events when it comes to sports.

However, I don't go back nearly as far as Grant Rice as he recalls some of the first of the early-day Negro football players and fighters too. So with a sharp salute to the evergreen spirit of Granny, I take up the Grantlin Rice story as he wrote it in his autobiography, The Tumald and the Shouting, and read from his narrative in first person.

It is seldom remembered today, but actually, two Negroes played in the big leagues back in 1884 when I was but four years old. They were brothers, and their names were Walter, Weldy Walker, and Moses Fleetwood Walker, a now-felder and a catcher, respectively.

Both signed with Toledo of the American Association, then a major league. As president of the Brooklyn Dodgers during World War II, Branch, Ricky sent his scouts to survey the field of Negro baseball talent. Reports were good, in some cases glowing.

And the glowingest reports of all centered about a next-all-American-rated half-back from UCLA named Jackie Robinson. Branch signed Robinson in 1946 to a Montreal contract where Robbie burned up the International League at Bat on the base paths and around second base where he immediately was acclaimed a defensive star. Robbie's promotion to the majors was earned in one short season and in

1947 rookie Robinson led the Dodgers to a pennant. Following Ricky's lead in In Brooklyn, Cleveland was quick to follow in the American League. Outfielder Larry Dobe was the boy, and what a ballplayer he's been.