[Big Six]

Pittsburgh Courier, September 26, 1925

The racial integration of major league baseball has, by any standard, been as successful as we have hoped it would be. For the most part, colored players have been well-received by both white and Negro baseball fans; when colored players have been booed, it has almost always been for reasons that have everything to do with performance and nothing to do with race. White fans have cheered the exploits of men like Oscar Charleston as lustily as they applaud those of Babe Ruth.

Here is a listing of the colored men who are currently under contract to major league clubs, with short summaries of their performance during the 1925 season. The players have been listed alphabetically.

JAMES BELL, Detroit Tigers
"Cool Papa" finally managed to secure some playing time in a Tigers outfield that is chock-full of outstanding players, and the results were impressive. Bell hit .339 in 375 at-bats, with twenty-two doubles and eleven triples. He is perhaps the fastest man in the American League, stealing 42 bases and covering large amounts of ground in center field. Only twenty-two years old, Bell is a player to keep a close eye on.

OSCAR CHARLESTON, Chicago Cubs
Charleston,28, probably had a better 1925 season than any man in the game. He won the National League Most Outstanding Batter award for the third consecutive time, hitting 37 home runs, driving in 123 runs, and scoring 120 himself. He also ripped 39 doubles and 15 triples, stole 24 bases, and played strong defense in center field. "I wouldn't trade Oscar for any player in baseball," said his manager, Bill Killefer.

MARTIN DIHIGO, Boston Red Sox
This young Cuban is learning his craft in the minor leagues. At Class B, Dihigo batted .305 with twelve home runs, and batted .268 during two brief stays at New Bedford, a Class A club. Perhaps most impressively, he walks nearly twice as often as he strikes out. Dihigo, only 20 years old, has the versatility to play anywhere on the diamond. "His future is limitless," according to Red Sox pilot Bill Carrigan.

BILL FOSTER, Philadelphia Athletics
Foster is a 21-year-old lefthanded pitcher who is usually considered one of the game's two or three most promising young moundsmen. He spent most of the season at Class A, refining his ability to throw strikes. "That is all Foster needs to be a first-rate major league pitcher," commented A's manager Connie Mack.

"JUDY" JOHNSON, Boston Red Sox
Johnson, age 24, spent the entire season with Boston as a valuable utility man, playing both shortstop and third base well. He credits advice from teammate Pat O'Farrell for his strong performance during the second half of the season. Johnson had 15 hits in his last 30 at bats, and finished the season with a .344 batting average in 61 trips to the plate. "In the next few years, we'll see him really emerge as a player," stated Carrigan.

JOHN HENRY LLOYD, Philadelphia Phillies
The ageless man known as "Pop" celebrated his 41st birthday early in the season, but played like a much younger man all year long. As the Phillies' regular shorstop, Lloyd batted .288 with 39 extra base hits, scored 89 runs while driving in 70, and fielded reliably. "I could play until I'm 50," says Lloyd; don't bet he won't come close.

LEROY "SATCHEL" PAIGE, Chicago Cubs
Paige was rushed to the big leagues as an 18-year-old, and as might be expected, he endured some rough sailing. He won only two games and lost fifteen, and struggled with his control, walking 87 batters in 122 innings. "Most players his age are pitching in little one-horse towns. Paige is pitching in Chicago," Killefer pointed out. "He is going to be a good one, mark my words."

JOE ROGAN, New York Yankees
"Bullet Joe" has been unable to translate his skills into success in the major leagues. After losing 22 games with the Dodgers two years ago, he was traded across the Hudson to the Yankees, and he spent much of the year in the minor leagues. He won nine decisions at Newark, against two losses, but at age 36, time might be running out for him.

HILTON SMITH, Washington Senators
Smith is the same age as Satchel Paige, and like Paige, has a brilliant future in the game. He signed with the Senators in late July, and pitched in four minor league games with some success. Next year will provide us with a better look at his array of skills.

NORMAN "TURKEY" STEARNES, Detroit Tigers
Like Bell, the 24-year-old Stearnes is ready for full-time duty, but is finding it hard to come by in Detroit's crowded outfield. He served as the Tigers' number one pinch hitter, and was amazingly productive: a .378 batting average with eleven doubles and 20 RBI in only 82 at-bats. He also hit his first major league home run. "Stearnes is a big part of our future plans," said manager Hugh Jennings.

GEORGE "MULE" SUTTLES, New York Giants
Suttles signed with the Giants in March, and at age 24, was ready for major league duty right away. He played both left field and first base, batted .333, hit ten homers, and drove in 83 runs. "Suttles is a very polished hitter already," according to his manager, John McGraw. "And he is just going to get better."

JOE WILLIAMS, Free Agent
"Smoky Joe" is now 40, and his once formidable skills have faded. He signed a contract with Brooklyn for 1925, pitched in six minor league games, and was released. Williams is likely to retire.