Guide to the West Coast Negro Baseball Association Collection
Guide to the West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association Collection
Collection number: MS 17
African American Museum & Library at OaklandOakland, California
- Processed by:
- Sean Heyliger
- Date Completed:
- 02/16/2013
- Encoded by:
- Sean Heyliger
Baseball
Association collection
Baseball
Association was formed on March 9, 1946 at a meeting of the High Marine Social Club at the Elks Clubhouse in Oakland, California.
The
baseball
league was spearheaded by two Berkeley firemen, Eddie Harris and David P. Portlock, who pitched the idea of forming a Negro
baseball
league on the West Coast that would use Pacific Coast League parks while teams were away. The West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association Collection includes correspondence, meeting minutes, financial records, by-laws, photographs, and ephemera related
to the creation and operation of the West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association and the Oakland Larks.
Baseball
Association Collection must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Baseball
Association collection, MS 17, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library. Oakland, California.
Biography / Administrative History
Baseball
Association was formed on March 9, 1946 at a meeting of the High Marine Social Club at the Elks Clubhouse in Oakland, California.
The
baseball
league was spearheaded by two Berkeley firemen, Eddie Harris and David P. Portlock, who pitched the idea of forming a Negro
baseball
league on the West Coast that would use Pacific Coast League parks while teams were away. Abe Saperstein, founder of the
Harlem Globetrotters, was elected president of the association with track star Jessie Owens serving as vice-president, and
David Portlock as secretary. The league consisted of six teams: San Francisco Sea Lions, Seattle Steelheads, Portland Rosebuds,
Oakland Larks, San Diego Tigers, and Los Angeles White Sox. The league's first official game was between the Oakland Larks
and the San Diego Tigers on May 12, 1946 at Fresno Midget Auto Racing Park. The league played only one season, disbanding
after the final game in July, 1946, though the Oakland Larks
baseball
team would continue to play as a barnstorming club through 1947.
Scope and Content of Collection
Baseball
Association Collection includes correspondence, meeting minutes, financial records, by-laws, photographs, and ephemera related
to the creation and operation of the West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association and the Oakland Larks. The collection was assembled by Eddie Harris, co-founder of the West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association and business manager of the Oakland Larks, and a majority of the collection is correspondence and financial records
related to the scheduling of venues and day-to-day operations of the Oakland Larks. Also included in the collection are game
day programs, newspaper clippings, and photographs of
baseball
players on the Oakland Larks, and West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association by-laws, rules and regulations, and correspondence documenting the establishment of the
baseball
league.
Baseball
Association
Series II. Oakland Larks
Baseball
Club
Series III. Photographs
Baseball
Association--History.
Baseball
team)--History.
Baseball
--California--History.
League regulations undated
Contract forms [blank] undated
Contract between Edward Harris and Harold Morris, 1946-08-05 1946-08-05
Correspondence 1945-1947
Baseball
cartoon sketch, C. Dupree, cartoonist for M.O. Magazine
1946
Oakland Larks
Baseball
Club
Series Scope and Content Summary
Correspondence
Baseball
association and other clubs
1947-1948
Rathbun, Guy L. 1946-1947
Saperstein, Abe M. 1946-1948
Sports Enterprises 1947
Financial records
Daily statement of admissions 1946
Ledgers
Oakland Larks
Baseball
Club
baseball
player payment ledger
1946
Ledgers
Notebook of Eddie Harris, General Manager of the Oakland Larks
Baseball
Club
circa 1946
Window cards [players and Oakland Larks logo] undated
West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association official score card Oakland Larks versus San Francisco Sea Lions
1946
Newspaper clippings 1946-1947
Business cards and letterhead [blank] undated
Complementary game pass undated
Oakland Larks player Johnny Allen throwing [7 copies] [001] circa 1946
Oakland Larks players (left-right): Herman Charles, Foy Scott, Johnny Allen, Alexander C. Colthirst [5 copies with negative] [002] circa 1946
Oakland Larks players with automobiles in background [9 copies] [003] circa 1946
Oakland Larks players (left-right) Speck Roberts, Joe Plate, and John Litzie [10 copies] [004] circa 1946
Oakland Larks player Smiley Clayton [8 copies] [005] circa 1946
Group photograph of Pierce Giants
Baseball
Club with fans in background [006]
circa 1945
Group photograph of California Eagles
Baseball
Club, pictured: Eddie Harris (2nd from right), Mike Redberry (top row, far left), Melvin Reid (third from left), Ike Thompson
(bottom row, far right) [007]
undated
(left-right): John Ritchey, Luke Easter, unknown, Ed Harris, Artie Wilson [008] undated
Oakland Larks pitcher Ira Wells [009] circa 1946
Meeting of the West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association, [?] [010]
1945-10-22
Meeting of the West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association, [?] [011]
1945-10-22
Meeting of the West Coast Negro
Baseball
Association [?], Byron "Speed" O'Reilly (head of table), Ike Thompson (3rd from right), Theodore Rochon (5th from the right),
Eddie Harris (6th from right), Dewey Portlock (7th from the right) [012]
1945-10-22
Artie Wilson [?] swinging bat inscribed, Best wished to a dear friend Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Harris [013] undated
Artie Wilson [?] holding bat inscribed, Yours in sport to a friend Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Harris [014] undated
Sammy Workman signing card with two unidentified men [015] undated
Sammy Workman in Oakland Larks uniform [016] undated
Group photograph of the Seattle Rainiers [017] 1953
Group photograph of the Portland Beavers [2 copies] [018] 1953
Group photograph of the High Marines Society Club [019] undated
Joe Louis wearing boxing gloves and trunks [020] 1965
Oakland Oaks player Artie Wilson [050] 1950
Willie Mays portrait inscribed, Best wishes Willie Mays [051] undated
Oakland Larks player [052] circa 1946
Remmie Renfroe catching groundball inscribed, To my fun friend Eddie Harris K.C. Monarchs 45-46-47 [053] circa 1940s
Kansas City Monarchs player, Sammie Haynes undated
Walter McCoy, Ross Davis, and Neale Henderson 2005-10-07