May 8, 1901 – September 4, 1979
turkey stearnes
Norman Thomas "Turkey" Stearnes was an American baseball player and outfielder playing in the Negro Leagues. Turkey was elected to the Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in 2000.
career
Norman Thomas "Turkey" Stearnes was an American baseball player and outfielder playing professional baseball in the Negro National League I, Negro National League II, and the Negro American League.
He was subsequently elected into Major League Baseball's National Hall of Fame in 2000.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Norm began his career in professional baseball playing career in 1920 with the Nashville Giants, then played for the Detroit Stars, beginning in 1923.
Stearnes acquired his nickname at an early age because of what some would call an unusual running style.
In 1931, the Detroit Stars contracted Stearnes, and subsequently failed to pay him his earned salary due to the severity of the Great Depression.
This lack of income forced Norman to move from team to team, and even league to league, a trend that would continue for the rest of his career. for the remainder of his career.
He officially retired in 1942 as a member of the Kansas City Monarchs, though no statistical record exists for his play past the 1939 season.
With the Negro Southern League bring considered a major league in 1932, for just that year, owing to trouble from the other leagues to staying afloat during the length of the Great Depression.
As such, the Negro Southern League held a Championship Series match up between the Chicago American Giants vs. the Nashville Elite Giants.
Norman appeared in two games in the series, driving in five runs on seven hits.
In his final postseason series appearance in 1939, he helped lead the Kansas City Monarchs to victory over the St. Louis club with a three for five outing, driving in five RBIs.
All told, Stearnes batted a combined .417 in the series, providing the Monarchs with a beavy of offensive support.
In modern baseball circles, Stearnes is considered by baseball historians to be one of the greatest all-around players in the history of professional organized baseball.
Though, Stearnes never did received the recognition that many believe he truly deserved. This was mainly due to his humble nature and status as an African-American.
Speaking for his accomplishments as a player, Norm hit over .400 three times, leading the Negro Leagues in home runs 7 times.
He is credited with 186 combined home runs during his career playing in the Negro Leagues, the all-time record.
Since some of the Negro Leagues seasons were very short, sometimes lasting fewer than 30 games, still it remains unclear as to how many home runs Stearnes might have hit had he been playing regularly in a regular 162 game schedule..
Yet, at just 175-pounds, Stearnes was an incredibly fast baserunner despite his awkward-looking running form.
On the defensive side, Stearnes was one the best outfielders of his generation.
In 2001, Hall of Fame sportswriter and Baseball Historian, Bill James ranked Stearnes as the 25th greatest baseball player of all-time and the best left fielder in history of the Negro Leagues. [2]
Stearnes' known career statistics include an overall batting average of .349, accompanied by 186 home runs, appearing in 984 recorded games, slugging .617 in those appearances.
Turkey went on to lead all of organized Black Baseball in triples, doing so an incredible 6 times from 1923–1925, 1927, 1934, 1936.
In light of Major League Baseball announcement that several Negro Leagues from 1920-1948, would officially be counted as official ‘Major Leagues Statistics', Stearnes now shares the record for most times leading a league in triples, sharing the record with Sam Crawford.
He is one of nine players in all of Negro League baseball history to have won multiple batting titles, with only Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston having won more than Stearnes, who won twice.
Despite his long list of accomplishments playing professional baseball, Norman Thomas had to work winters in Detroit's auto plants to survive. In the offseason, he worked for a factory owned by Walter Briggs, owner of the Detroit Tigers, a team he couldn't play for because he was a black man.
Stearnes was officially inducted into Major League Baseball’s National Hall of Fame in 2000, 21 years after his passing.
His wife, Nettie Mae, a schoolteacher, who was instrumental in her husband’s success and posthumous induction, passed away in 2014.
A plaque was erected in Stearnes' honor and remains on display outside the center field gate at the Detroit Tigers home stadium, Comerica Park.
A display in Stearnes' honor is on display along the 3rd base concourse at The Corner Ballpark presented by Adient at the Historic Site of Old Tiger Stadium at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues.me time after that paper's closing in 1931.
players
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charleston played and managed in the Negro Leagues as an outfielder, first baseman and pitcher. Charleston would later become manager of the Indianapolis Clowns.
Cool Papa Bell
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
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Buck Leonard
Oscar Charelston
Satchel Paige
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Satchel Paige
Cumberland Posey
Satchel Paige
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Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
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Jackie Robinson
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Jackie Robinson is the first African American to play Major League Baseball. He broke baseball's color barrier in 1945, by signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
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Gus Greenlee
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
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Henry AAron
Roy Campanella
Candy Jim Taylor
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Candy Jim Taylor
Cristóbal Torriente
Candy Jim Taylor
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Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
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Rube Foster
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
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Larry Doby
Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
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Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
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Sol White
Josh Gibson
Ben Taylor
King Solomon "Sol" White played baseball professionally as an infielder, manager and league executive. White is considered to be one of the pioneers of the Negro Leagues.
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
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Biz Mackey
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
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Nat Strong
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
Nathaniel Strong was a Negro Leagues sports executive, businessman, team owner and founding member of the Negro National League I,
Monte Irvin
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Monte Irvin flourished as one of the early African-American players in MLB, making 2 World Series appearances for the New York Giants, playing along side Willie Mays.
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Norman Turkey Stearnes played professionally in the Negro Leagues, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Willie Mays
Turkey Stearnes
Steel Arm Taylor
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Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
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Buck O'Neil
Steel Arm Taylor
Martín Dihigo
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Martín Dihigo
Steel Arm Taylor
Martín Dihigo
Martín Magdaleno Dihigo Llanos called The Immortal, was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played in the Negro Leagues and Latin American leagues from 1923 to 1936.