Leroy Grant Explained

Leroy Grant
Position:First baseman
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Birth Date:1889 4, mf=yes
Birth Place:Houston, Texas
Death Place:Logansport, Indiana
Debutyear:1911
Debutteam:Chicago American Giants
Finalyear:1924
Finalteam:Cleveland Browns
Teams:

Leroy Grant (April 15, 1889  - May 7, 1951) was a Negro leagues first baseman for several years before the founding of the first Negro National League, and in its first few seasons.

Grant started playing for the Chicago American Giants at the age of 22, then went to Cuba during the Winter to play for the Club Fé team. He returned to play a few seasons for the Lincoln Giants until another Winter Baseball season put him on the Breakers Hotel team, which played against the Royal Poinciana Hotel team made up mostly of Indianapolis ABCs players during the winter of 1915 and 1916.

After that, Grant went back to his first team, the Chicago American Giants playing most of his seasons with them until 1922, then appearing sporadically for the team again until 1924.

In 1917, 28 year-old Grant registered for the WWI Draft. He lists his current occupation as "Base Ball Player" for Rube Foster. His current home address is listed as 3022 South State Street in Chicago. And he is listed as single with no dependents.[3]

Grant received votes listing him on the 1952 Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the Negro leagues' best players ever.[4]

External links

and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats and Seamheads

Notes and References

  1. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1Wcncq5-bHdazhYRFdYT0U4QXc/edit "Lincoln Giants Win First Two Games in Championship Series" Indianapolis Freeman, Indianapolis, Indiana, Saturday, August 2, 1913, Page 4, Columns 3 and 4
  2. http://johndonaldson.bravehost.com/pdf/01662.pdf "Palm Beach Weekly Review" Indianapolis Freeman, Indianapolis, Indiana, Saturday, February 19, 1916, Page 5, Columns 5 to 7
  3. http://negroleagues.bravehost.com/pdf/002281.pdf "WWI Draft Registration card for Leroy Grant" Precinct 12, Ward 2, Chicago, Illinois, June 5, 1917
  4. http://johndonaldson.bravehost.com/a.html "1952 Pittsburgh Courier Poll of Greatest Black Players"