Poetry & Art/Pitch Black Negro League site

"A Pitch Colored Black"
by Rev. Darnell A. Carruthers

There's a trail blaz'n
through an emerald haze in
the main vein of "some folks"
ever since birth.
"These people" first praise God,
Then second the Turf....

The unquenchable thirst of victory
Is all that you see in their eyes.
As they look to the skies –
and with dusty hands block the sun,
hoping to stop the run.

For the game to them is "serious"
though it's billed as "fun."
And their hearts and eagles soar –
Searching still for a higher peak.

Ya' see,
Their skin is thick,
but their hearts are fragile
and don't take easy to defeat...

Now, there are some men
scared to rise,
And then there are those
that are scared to fall,
And as if that ain't enough –
and that ain't all.

Still, American History has forgotten
one other fact:
Before Baseball even had an umpire
– There was a Pitch Colored Black.

© 2000 Rev. Darnell A. Carruthers

"Double"
by Bryan Steverson
11-23-03

The indicator in a game that your team faced trouble,
Was when one of the battery was nicknamed Double
The writer Damon Runyon gave him this name
Double Duty was our catcher and pitcher of fame

In a doubleheader his team may call on him to pitch,
But in Game 2 he would catch as part of the switch
Caught Satch for the Crawfords as he won 5 to naught
Pitched Game 2 in a shutout, the great Gibson caught

One three great teams Double Duty would play
Some have said they were the best in their day
The Stars, the Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords of ’32
He won 38 games in three years, hitting over .300 too.

He played in Canada, Latin America, Cuba and Mexico
In a time of discrimination, they were the places to go
He had a brother named Alec, an All-Star at 3rd base
The Radcliffe’s were good, among the best of any race

Double Duty was quick, so no base would they rob
Three times he threw out the legendary Ty Cobb
He was an All-Star, MVP and manager of late
For the Crawfords in ’32 he won 19 and lost 8.

He has lived to be over 100, barely slowed by age
This centenarian pitcher who caught Satchel Paige
In may be the way he’s lived, this real Dapper Dan
It may be the social life of this true ladies man

Double Duty is older now, but good he does feel
This great Negro Leaguer from the town of Mobile
We wish him the best; he’s been a credit to the game
He deserves our vote for baseball’s Hall of Fame!
©2003, Bryan Steverson