Theodore Roosevelt "Double Duty" Radcliffe
The 1932 Pittsburg Crawfords, Gus Greenlee, Owner
Oscar Charleston, Manager and Player
Walter Cannady, Best Utility Fielder
Ted Radcliffe, Pitcher and Catcher
Josh Gibson, Best Heavy Hitter
Harry Williams, Catcher
W.G. Perkins, Catcher
Bobbie Williams, Third Base
Chester Williams, Shortstop
Henry Spearman, Left Fielder
L.D. Livingston, Right Fielder
Jim Crutchfield, Center Fielder
Sam Streeter, Pitcher
Roy Kincannon, Pitcher
Roy Williams, Pitcher
Satchel Paige, Pitcher
Double Duty tagging an out at home plate
Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe
was the oldest living member of the Negro Leagues. Born: July
7, 1902, Mobile, AL Died: August 11, 2005.
At the age of 103 he still made
the effort to be in the public eye and tell his story. Ted's story
is an archtype for the great negro players who played baseball
before the integration of the game in 1947 with Jackie Robinson
being invited to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
"Double Duty" earned his
moniker by playing both pitcher and catcher for the teams he played
for. In a 1932 Negro World Series doubleheader with the Pittsburg
Crawfords playing against the Kansas City Monarchs the sportwriter
Damon Runian who provided color commentaries on baseball for newspapers
gave Radcliffe the name "Double Duty" after watching
him catch the legendary Satchel Paige for a shut out in one game
and return in the next game to pitch a shut out himself. The Kansas
City Monarchs were regarded as the top team in the South and they
challenged the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the top team of the East,
and considered one of the greatest teams in Negro League history.
The Crawfords beat the Monarchs 5 games to 1 in a best-of-nine
series, with the only Monrach win coming when Morris beat Sam
Streeter 2-1.
By Radcliffe's own accounts playing
for the 1932 Pittsburg Crawfords was one of the premiere years
of his personal experience in the Negro leagues.
The 1932 Crawfords were an outstanding
team packed with the best talent the negro league had to offer.
Four future hall of fame players were on the Crawfords in this
year including Josh Gibson, Satchel Page, Oscar Charleston and
"Double Duty".
Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe doing an interview
Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe signing
an autograph
Life cast mold being made on Duty's hands
