Neale Henderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neale Henderson |
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| Born: June 24, 1930 Fort Smith, Arkansas |
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| Died: December 24, 2018 (aged 88) San Diego, California |
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Neale Henderson (born June 24, 1930 – died December 27, 2018) was a talented American baseball player. People often called him "Bobo". He played as a shortstop in the Negro leagues. Henderson was a right-handed batter and thrower.
He was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In 1941, his family moved to San Diego, California.
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A Star in High School
In San Diego, Neale Henderson became a great athlete at San Diego High School. He was excellent in several sports. These included baseball, football, and track and field.
He helped his baseball team win three championships. He played as an infielder. Henderson also led his football team to two championships. He was the starting quarterback. He was the first African-American quarterback to achieve this in the Coast League.
Playing in the Negro Leagues
Henderson's journey with the Negro leagues began very early. When he was just seven years old in 1937, he was a batboy for the Kansas City Monarchs. This was during a game against the Homestead Grays in Fort Smith.
After finishing high school in 1949, Henderson signed with the Abilene Ikes. This team was a farm team for the Monarchs. He moved up to the main Kansas City Monarchs team in 1950. He switched to outfield to make room for another player, Ernie Banks, who was a shortstop.
Henderson was a good outfielder for the Monarchs for two seasons. He also played for the Kansas City Travelers from 1951 to 1953. This was an independent team managed by the famous player Cool Papa Bell.
Serving His Country
Neale Henderson's baseball career ended when he joined the U.S. Army. This happened during the Korean War. While in the Army, he continued to play baseball and football. He played for teams at Camp Roberts in California and Fort Lewis in Washington.
After leaving the Army, he worked for 39 years. He was a supervisor at a company called General Dynamics.
Honored for His Legacy
In 2008, Major League Baseball held a special event. They had a special draft for surviving Negro league players. This was a way to honor these players. They had been kept out of the Major Leagues because of their race.
Hall of Fame player Dave Winfield came up with the idea for this draft. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon also helped make it happen. The event took place before the regular 2008 MLB Draft. Each MLB team chose a former Negro League player. Henderson was drafted as a shortstop by the Baltimore Orioles.
In 2014, Henderson was honored again. This time it was at Petco Park during African American Heritage Night. After the ceremony, he gave a TV interview. He talked about his experiences playing in the Negro leagues.
Neale Henderson passed away in 2018 in San Diego, California. He was 88 years old.
