Interesting article from NW Arkansas News on the Negro Leagues. Speed, power, pitching, no steroids. Definitely no HGH (who could afford HGH on their salary):
Leroy "Satchel"Paige, Josh Gibson, James "Cool Papa"Bell, Mamie "Peanut"Johnson and Effie Manley.
They are five legendary figures from Negro Baseball Leagues.
Byron Motley, an authority on the Negro Leagues, spoke Saturday at Northwest Arkansas Community College and he described the league and many of its players. Motley was the guest speaker at the colleges National TRIO Day for its upward bound program...
Negro League players made up to $ 1, 000 a month so many worked other jobs to earn money to help take care of their families, Motley said.
Power and speed without the juice:
Gibson was the mighty home-run threat in the Negro League. His total number of homeruns are not know, but Motley said it is believed that Gibson had at least 950 homers which included one season with 95 home-runs. "He (Gibson ) died the same year Jackie Robinson signed his contract to play in the Major League," Motley said. "Some say he died of a broken heart because his time to play in the Major League had passed."
Bell was the speedster and the base stealing threat, according to Motley. "They say he was so fast that if he would cut the light off and he was back in bed before the light was off," Motley said. "We do know for a fact that he wasn't on steroids."
Jesse Owens even refused to race bell, according to Motley.
The players played for the love of the game...without the juice:
"It's a piece of American history that few remember, but they paved the way for current players and for all people," Motley said. "They kept going for little or nothing to play a baseball game."
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