John W. Patterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Patterson |
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| Second baseman / Left fielder | |||
| Born: March 2, 1872 Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
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| Died: August 23, 1940 (aged 68) Battle Creek, Michigan, United States |
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| debut | |||
| 1890, for the Lincoln, Nebraska, Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1908, for the Philadelphia Giants | |||
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John W. Patterson (born March 2, 1872 – died August 23, 1940) was an amazing American baseball player. He was an outfielder in the Negro leagues. John Patterson played for many important teams from 1893 to 1907.
Baseball Career Highlights
John Patterson started his baseball journey in 1890. He first played for the Lincoln, Nebraska Giants. This was a team made up of Black players. In 1892, he played for the Plattsmouth club. This was before the "baseball color line" was strictly enforced. The "color line" meant that Black and white players were not allowed to play on the same teams.
Joining the Giants Teams
In 1893, John Patterson joined the famous Cuban Giants. He quickly became a starting player in 1894. He later played with the Page Fence Giants. This team eventually became the Chicago Columbia Giants in 1899. Patterson was not just a player; he was also a manager for the Columbia Giants.
John Patterson played for teams in Chicago from 1899 to 1902. After that, he played for the Philadelphia Giants for a year. He then moved on to play for the Cuban X-Giants. Later, he joined the Brooklyn Royal Giants.
A Smart Leader
Another player, Jimmy Smith, played with Patterson in 1904. Smith said that Patterson was "one of the brainiest and shrewdest leaders of any team of color." This means John Patterson was very smart and a great leader on the field. He played his last known season in 1908 for the Philadelphia Giants.
Life After Baseball
After his exciting baseball career, John W. Patterson made history again. In 1909, he became the very first African-American police officer in Battle Creek, Michigan. He worked as an officer for more than 30 years.
John Patterson was also good friends with the famous heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson. Sadly, John Patterson was injured while working in 1940. He passed away later that year due to complications from the injury.
