Johnny Wright (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny Wright |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: November 28, 1916 New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Died: May 4, 1990 (aged 73) Jackson, Mississippi |
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| debut | |||
| 1937, for the Newark Eagles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1947, for the Homestead Grays | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 41–20 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.09 | ||
| Strikeouts | 302 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Richard Wright (born November 28, 1916 – died May 4, 1990) was a talented baseball pitcher. He played in the Negro leagues, which were professional baseball leagues for African-American players. He also played briefly in the minor leagues in 1946.
Wright was on the same team as Jackie Robinson, the Montreal Royals. This happened when baseball was starting to allow Black players. Many people thought Wright might be the first to break the color barrier. However, he was sent back to the Negro leagues.
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Playing in the Negro Leagues
Johnny Wright was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a right-handed pitcher, about 5 feet 11 inches tall. He started playing professional baseball at age 17 in 1936. His first team was the New Orleans Zulus. This team was known for entertaining fans as much as for playing serious baseball.
In 1937, Wright joined the Newark Eagles. This was a major team in the Negro National League. He also played for other teams like the Atlanta Black Crackers and Pittsburgh Crawfords. From 1941, he played for the famous Homestead Grays.
The Homestead Grays were one of the best teams in Negro league history. They won nine championships in a row! Some of the greatest players ever were on the Grays. These included Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Buck Leonard.
In 1943, the Grays won their first Negro World Series. Johnny Wright was a key pitcher for the team. That year, he achieved the pitching "Triple Crown." This means he led the league in wins, ERA (how few runs he allowed), and strikeouts. He won 18 games and only lost 3. He also had a great ERA of 2.54.
People said Wright was a very fast pitcher with excellent control. He also had a sharp curveball. Some even said he threw harder than the legendary Satchel Paige.
After the 1943 season, Wright joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He continued to play baseball for Navy teams. In 1945, he had a great record of 15 wins and 4 losses for the Brooklyn Naval Air Base team. He also pitched well in a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Later in 1945, he rejoined the Grays and helped them in the Negro World Series.
Chance in the Minor Leagues
In late 1945, Branch Rickey, who ran the Brooklyn Dodgers, made a big announcement. He said that Jackie Robinson had signed a contract to play in organized baseball. This was a huge step towards allowing Black players into the major leagues.
On January 29, 1946, Rickey announced that Johnny Wright had also signed. This made Wright the second African-American player officially signed during this time. Some people thought Wright had actually signed even earlier.
Some believed that Rickey wanted Wright to be a friend and companion for Robinson. This would help Robinson deal with the challenges of being one of the first Black players. However, many people also thought Wright was a very good pitcher. A famous Black sports writer, Sam Lacy, said Wright was a "realist" who could handle tough situations. Monte Irvin, a Hall of Famer who played with Wright, said Wright's curveball was good enough for the major leagues.
On March 4, 1946, Wright joined Robinson at spring training in Florida. They both wore the uniform of the Montreal Royals. This team was a minor league team for the Dodgers. On March 17, 1946, Robinson played in his first exhibition game. Wright was also on the team's active roster that day. This was an important step in breaking baseball's color barrier.
During spring training, Wright had some tough games. He struggled with his control, walking many batters. When the season began, both Robinson and Wright played for the Montreal Royals. Wright had a few appearances as a relief pitcher. He sometimes struggled with his control.
On May 14, Wright was sent to a lower-level team called the Trois Rivieres Royals. The Dodgers then brought in another Black pitcher, Roy Partlow, to replace Wright in Montreal. Partlow also later joined Wright at Trois Rivieres.
Wright did well with the Trois Rivieres Royals, winning 12 games and losing 8. He even won the final game of their championship series. After the season, he played in exhibition games with Jackie Robinson's "All-Star" team.
Jackie Robinson later wrote about Wright in his autobiography. He said that Wright was a good pitcher but might not have had the right personality for the intense pressure of those early days. Robinson felt that Wright struggled with having to control his temper when facing insults.
Back to the Negro Leagues and Retirement
Johnny Wright returned to the Homestead Grays in 1947. He was chosen for the All-Star team that year and won eight games. He retired from baseball after the 1948 season.
After baseball, Wright moved back to New Orleans. He worked for a company called National Gypsum Company. He rarely talked about his baseball career. Many of his co-workers probably didn't even know he was a professional baseball player. A former teammate, Wilmer Fields, said Wright was a "happy-go-lucky person who was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Johnny Wright passed away in 1990.
Images for kids
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Johnny Wright
