Before Jackie There Was Frank

Frank Grant is acknowledged as the greatest Negro baseball player of the 19th century and is the earliest Negro League player to be elected into Cooperstown. A great fielding second baseman he also hit for average and power. It's hard to imagine the conditions he played under when he became one of the first Negro players to play in baseball's white minor leagues. Legend has it that he wore wooden shin guards while playing defense to guard against the viscous feet first slides from the racist white players.

Frank Grant