Hidden Figures: Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson #BlackHERstoryMonth 7/28 (Patreon)

Born in 1935, Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson broke barriers as one of three women to play baseball in the Negro Baseball League and as the only woman pitcher. Johnson grew up playing baseball in South Carolina, where she was born, and later on in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey with friends and relatives. She integrated the Long Branch Police Athletic Club (PAL) in New Jersey, where she played as the lone Black player and woman on the all-white male team. 

After being rejected from trying out for the All-American Girls Professional League because of her race, she was spotted playing by a Negro League scout and encouraged her to try out. She made the Indianapolis Clowns, where she played for three seasons (1953-1955)  and emerged as one of the top pitchers in the league, meeting and playing against great Black players like Hank Aaron and Satchell Paige. After retiring in 1955, she went on to become a medical nurse for 30 years and coach of youth baseball. She currently coaches and manages a Negro League Baseball memorabilia shop out of Maryland.

Despite 35 Negro League players and the entire all-white, All-American Women's League being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, neither Johnson nor the other two women players in the Negro League, Toni Stone and Connie Morgan, have been inducted.

#HiddenFigures #BlackHERstoryMonth

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Links: 

'Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson, Pitching Pioneer:'

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1164167

'Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson, A Strong Right Arm:'

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/mamie-peanut-johnson-strong-right-arm

Mamie "Peanut" Johnson - Negro League Baseball Players Association Bio:

http://www.nlbpa.com/the-athletes/johnson-mamie---peanut

'Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, National Visionary:'

http://www.visionaryproject.org/johnsonmamie/

Mamie “Peanut” Johnson:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/johnson-mamie-peanut-1932

'Black women have long history in professional baseball:'

http://ourweekly.com/news/2016/mar/10/black-women-have-long-history-professional-basebal/

'Fans Seek to Name D.C. Ballfield After Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson of Negro Leagues:'

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/03/AR2009060301498.html

'Mamie (Peanut) Johnson, the only female pitcher in the history of the Negro Leagues, watches Mo’ne Davis hurl shutout in opener of Little League World Series:'

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/coffey-mamie-peanut-johnson-watches-mo-davis-hurl-shutout-opener-league-world-series-article-1.1905448

'Breaking Gender Barriers in the Negro Leagues:'

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/sports/baseball/13pitcher.html

'BASEBALL HISTORY FILLED WITH WOMEN’S HISTORY:'

http://baseballhall.org/discover/baseball-history-fill-with-womens-history

Mamie Johnson (Wikipedia):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamie_Johnson

National Baseball Hall of Fame: Put Mamie Johnson in the Hall of Fame:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/national-baseball-hall