Charlie Grant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charlie Grant |
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Grant in 1896
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: August 31, 1874 Cincinnati |
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| Died: July 9, 1932 (aged 57) Cincinnati |
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| debut | |||
| 1896, for the Page Fence Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1916, for the Cincinnati Stars | |||
| Teams | |||
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Charles Grant Jr. (born August 31, 1874 – died July 9, 1932) was a talented baseball player. He was a second baseman in Negro League Baseball. He played for 20 years with some of the best teams. Grant almost played in Major League Baseball. This was in 1901 when a manager tried to pass him off as a Native American.
Early Life and Baseball Start
Grant was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Charles, trained horses. His mother's name was Mary. Charlie was a good fielder. He was about average height and weighed around 160 pounds. He hit the ball with his right hand.
In 1896, Charlie joined the Page Fence Giants. He replaced two star players. His team, the Page Fence Giants, won a championship that year. They beat the Cuban X-Giants in a series. The games were played in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
The Page Fence Giants team broke up in 1899. Grant then moved to the Columbia Giants in Chicago. He even became the captain of the Columbia Giants for a while.
The "Tokohama" Story
In 1901, Charlie Grant was working at a hotel. This was in Hot Springs, Arkansas. John McGraw, a famous baseball manager, saw Grant playing baseball. McGraw thought Grant was very talented. He believed Grant could play in the major leagues.
At that time, African American players were not allowed in Major League Baseball. Grant had light skin and straight hair. So, McGraw decided to try something tricky. He tried to pass Grant off as a Cherokee man. He gave Grant a new name: Charlie Tokohama.
The plan started to fall apart in Chicago. Grant had played there before. His African American friends held a big party for him. They even gave him flowers. This made people suspicious.
Chicago White Sox President Charles Comiskey soon found out. He said "Tokohama" was really Charlie Grant. Grant tried to keep up the disguise. He said his father was white and his mother was Cherokee. But McGraw eventually gave up. Grant went back to the Columbia Giants. He never got to play in the major leagues.
Later Baseball Career and Life
After the "Tokohama" incident, Grant continued playing. He played for the Cuban X-Giants in 1903. In 1904, he joined the Philadelphia Giants. His team won the championship in 1906.
Charlie Grant was part of a famous infield. This was in 1905 with the Philadelphia Giants. He played with Sol White, Home Run Johnson, and Bill Monroe. Many people thought they were one of the best infields in Negro League history.
He played for several other teams. These included the Lincoln Giants and Cincinnati Stars. His last season was in 1916.
Charlie Grant passed away in 1932 due to an accident. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. His grave is near another famous baseball player, Miller Huggins.
