SAM JETHROE

Sam Jethroe was known as "the Jet" to many, a nod to his great speed. But to his first manager in the Bigs, Boston’s Billy Southworth, he was Sambo. It wasn’t easy to be the man who integrated the Braves.

The man who did it was born in 1922 in East St. Louis, Illinois. He broke into the Negro Leagues at the age of 16 as a catcher with the Indianapolis ABC’s. That was just for a cup of coffee. When he rejoined the Negro Leagues four years later in 1942, he hit the prime time, making the East-West (All Star) Game as an outfielder in his first season of full-time play.

From 1943 to 1948 Jethroe played for the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League. He was an excellent young player, pacing the league in BA twice (.393 in 1944) and steals three times (52 in 1947).

In 1945 the Boston Red Sox, bowing to media pressure, gave try-outs to Jethroe, Jackie Robinson and fellow Negro Leaguer Marvin Williams. It was just for show, the Red Sox would be the last team to integrate , with Pumpsie Green in 1959.

In 1948 Jethroe moved from the Negro Leagues to Montreal, the top farm team in the Brooklyn system. During the offseason he played with Almendares in the Cuban League, and broke the great Oscar Charleston’s Cuban stolen base record. He returned to Montreal for 1949 and lead the International League in steals with 89.

At this point he had caught the eyes of Boston management and the Braves acquired him for the 1950 season. He rewarded them right away with a Rookie of the Year campaign, highlighted by his league-leading 35 steals. He repeated his 35 steals the following season, once again to lead the league, but in 1952 he fell upon hard time and could only manage a .232 average.

His years in Boston were difficult ones. While the Braves were the third team to integrate in the National League, they didn’t give Jethroe the same support that former-Negro Leaguers in Brooklyn and New York received. His own manager assaulted him with racial slurs. He was isolated by his teammates. And many felt he wasn’t given a fair chance to overcome his difficulties in 1952.

After a good season in the minors in 1953, he was up for two games with the Pirates in 1954. He spent the next five years at Toronto in the International League, never getting another chance despite being amongst the leaders in hits and runs during that span.