Black Aces facts for kids
The Black Aces are a special group of black pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB). To be a Black Ace, a pitcher must have won at least 20 games in a single season. This term comes from a book written by Mudcat Grant, who was also a famous pitcher and a member of this group.
After baseball became open to players of all races, many African American pitchers were often asked to play other positions instead. Not many were allowed to keep pitching. Mudcat Grant was the first African American pitcher to win 20 games in the American League. Two members of the Black Aces, Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins, are even in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Black Aces group works together to celebrate their achievements. They also want to encourage more young black players to become pitchers. Some black pitchers from Latin America, like Luis Tiant, who won 20 games four times, have wished they could be part of this group too. Ferguson Jenkins is a Black Canadian, and his family has roots in the U.S.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum once had a special traveling exhibit about the Black Aces. The group was also honored at McAfee Coliseum in 2007.
Famous Black Aces Pitchers
Here are the pitchers who Mudcat Grant described as Black Aces:
| # | Number of 20-win seasons |
|---|---|
| Seasons | Seasons when the pitcher won 20 games |
 |
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| Pitcher | # | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Vida Blue | 3 | 1971 (24–8), 1973 (20–9), and 1975 (22–11) |
| Al Downing | 1 | 1971 (20–9) |
| Bob Gibson |
5 | 1965 (20–12), 1966 (21–12), 1968 (22–9), 1969 (20–13), 1970 (23–7) |
| Dwight Gooden | 1 | 1985 (24–4) |
| Mudcat Grant | 1 | 1965 (21–7) |
| Ferguson Jenkins |
7 | 1967 (20–13), 1968 (20–15), 1969 (21–15), 1970 (22–16), 1971 (24–13), 1972 (20–12), 1974 (25–12) |
| Sam Jones | 1 | 1959 (21–15) |
| Don Newcombe | 3 | 1951 (20–9), 1955 (20–5), 1956 (27–7) |
| Mike Norris | 1 | 1980 (22–9) |
| J. R. Richard | 1 | 1976 (20–15) |
| Dave Stewart | 4 | 1987 (20–13), 1988 (21–12), 1989 (21–9), 1990 (22–11) |
| Earl Wilson | 1 | 1967 (22–11) |
Other Amazing African-American Pitchers
Here are other African-American pitchers who have also won 20 games in a season:
| Pitcher | # | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Dontrelle Willis | 1 | 2005 (22–10) |
| CC Sabathia | 1 | 2010 (21–7) |
| David Price | 1 | 2012 (20–5) |
