Charlie Roy facts for kids

Robert Charles Roy (1884–1950) was a professional baseball player. He was a pitcher in the Major Leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1906. Before joining the Phillies, he played baseball at special schools for Native American students. These schools were the Morris Industrial School for Indians and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

After his time with the Phillies, Roy played for some smaller, "minor league" teams. He stopped playing professional baseball after the 1907 season. Later in his life, Roy moved to Idaho. There, he worked at a school on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation until he passed away. His brother, Luther Roy, was also a professional baseball player.

Roy's Baseball Journey

Charles Roy was a member of the White Earth Ojibwe tribe. He grew up on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. When he was a young teenager, he started attending the Morris Industrial School for Indians. While there, he became a very important player on the school's baseball team.

Charles shared that he learned how to pitch from his older brother, Louis Roy. This was because the team did not have enough money to hire coaches.

Carlisle Indian Industrial School

After finishing at Morris in 1904, Charles went to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. He studied there in 1905 and 1906. Charles was the captain of the Carlisle baseball team. He was also the star pitcher. This school team was famous for producing other professional baseball players. Some of these players included Chief Bender, Frank Jude, Chief Johnson, and the famous athlete Jim Thorpe. The school newspaper even called Charles "the best college pitcher in the country today."

Joining the Major Leagues

In the fall of 1905, the Cincinnati Reds baseball team tried to sign Roy. However, the superintendent of his school, Major William Allen Mercer, replied. He said that Charles was visiting his home reservation. The superintendent also mentioned that Charles did not plan to play professional baseball for at least two more years.

But in May 1906, the Philadelphia Phillies were able to sign Roy. He made his first appearance in a Major League game in June 1906. At that time, he was twenty-one years old.

After the Phillies

Charles Roy's time with the Philadelphia Phillies was short. He played in only eight games and pitched for a total of sixteen innings. Most of his playing time was as a relief pitcher. This means he came into the game after the starting pitcher. His contract with the Phillies ended at the close of the 1906 season.

In 1907, he played for minor league teams. These teams included the Newark Sailors, the Wilmington Peaches, and the Steubenville Stubs.

Life After Baseball

After the 1907 baseball season, the Boston Red Stockings team wanted Roy to play for them. However, he decided not to join them. A newspaper, The Washington Post, wrote about his choice. They said Roy felt he had enough of the National League. He preferred to return home rather than play for the team.

Charles Roy had strong religious beliefs. He explained that he would "never again sign a contract which required him to work on the Sabbath." This meant he did not want to play on Sundays.

Later in his life, Roy went back to the White Earth Indian reservation. He then joined the U.S. Army during World War I. After the war, he moved to Idaho. There, he worked on an evangelical Christian mission. Eventually, he settled in Blackfoot, Idaho. He became the main dairyman at the Indian industrial school located on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.