Making Baseball History
J.L. Wilkinson "a little white man from Algona, Iowa"
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| J. L. Wilkinson |
Despite being referred to as "a little white man from Algona, Iowa" James Leslie (J.L.) Wilkinson from Algona, Iowa changed baseball history for African Americans and for all lovers of baseball. Wilkinson established a "all-nations" team of baseball players in the early 1900s and eventually became an owner and promoter of the Kansas City Monarchs. The league wanted 100% minority owned but Wilkinson won out and became an active owner-promoter. His efforts changed professional baseball forever.
James Leslie (J.L.) Wilkinson from Algona, Iowa established his own baseball team in the early 1900s. Despite being white Wilkinson wanted to promote a diversity of players - his Algona Brownies was a group of ball players that were Black, Latino, White, Asian, and Native American. Eventually Wilkinson became involved in origins of the Negro League and despite the league's desire for all African American ownership, Wilkinson became a owner of the Kansas City Monarchs and was responsible for executing the generator purchase to make possible the first night game in professional baseball, in 1930, and it featured Wilkinson's KC Monarchs (some history books may cite a Crosley Field game in 1935 but they are wrong).
Wilkinson changed baseball forever -- and in 1945 Wilkinson was the first owner to sign a four-sport athlete and all American from UCLA to a Negro League Baseball contract. His name: Jackie Robinson.
And when Wilkinson allowed Robinson to sign a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers - he was part of changing baseball history again. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962; it wasn't until 2006 that Wilkinson found a spot as a hall of famer.
Most of us know of Jackie Robinson's color barrier breaking days with the Dodgers, and there have been many books written about him. But there was another Robinson that was a great athlete as well - and for many years he missed the acclaim he should have received. Jackie Robinson would have celebrated his 100th birthday this past Wednesday (January 31, 2019) but he had an older brother named Matthew "Mack" Robinson who was a great athlete in his own right and earned the silver medal in the Olympics .4 of a second behind the renowned gold medal winner Jessie Owens. Mack received little or no acclaim when he returned to the USA while the 3rd place winner Martinus Osendarp returned to the Netherlands a hero - but when the Nazi's invaded he joined and later in his life expressed remorse for that decision but his hero status was diminished for the rest of his life.
Meanwhile Mack Robison attended college and returned home to Pasadena. Mack Robinson is a member of the University of Oregon Hall of Fame and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, holds a silver Olympic medal.
