Earl Battey
*On this date, in 1935, Earl Battey was born. He was a Black Major League Baseball player and teacher.
From Los Angeles, CA., in 1953, his mother Esther signed a commitment letter for him to become a free agent with the Chicago White Sox. He played in Chicago for four years before moving on to the Washington Senators; they became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. From 1961 through 1966, the durable Battey played in 805 of the Twins' first 970 games despite injuries. Besides a persistent bad knee, several dislocated fingers, and a goiter problem (at times, he ballooned to 60 pounds over his listed weight), he endured. Battey twice had cheekbones broken by pitched balls and wore a special helmet after 1962.
He was an insightful man off the field, understanding racial segregation in ways years ahead of today’s views. Battey honored the lingering segregation of the Minnesota Twins in 1962 over separate hotel accommodations for Black and white players. That year, this still happened at their southern baseball spring training facilities. He was not on the bandwagon of the desegregation efforts of the (then) Minnesota State Commission Against Discrimination (SCAD).
When interviewed by them, he said that pending integration robbed Black businesses (hotels, restaurants, etc.) of income and excluded Black kids from access to Twin players who were Black. He also noted that most of the white players hung out at the Black businesses anyway, and thus, something valuable in the name of Black culture and ownership would be undermined.
Also, as a player in Game Three of the 1965 World Series, he ran into a neck-high crossbar in Dodger Stadium while chasing a foul pop. He played the remainder of the series even though he could barely speak or turn his head. A three-time Gold Glove winner, Battey topped all MLB catchers in 1962 with a.280 BA, threw out 24 runners, and picked off 13. He had career highs of 26 home runs and 84 RBIs in 1963. He was the top vote-getter on the 1965 AL All-Star squad.
After he retired in 1967, his next stop was to give back to the community. He worked in New York City as a recreation specialist with young, disturbed boys, a position he held for 12 years. In 1980, Battey fulfilled his promise to his mother by enrolling at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He took 34 credits a semester and coached the Wildcats' basketball team there. By finishing his undergrad studies in two and half years, Battey was accorded Summa Cum Laude honors.
After graduating from Bethune-Cookman College, he became a high school teacher and baseball coach in Ocala, Florida. On June 16, 2002, Battey enjoyed his family reunion. This event had over 700 members show up, including his 90-year-old mother. Earl Jesse Battey Jr. died of cancer on November 15, 2003.
