OSCAR CHARLESTON

Oscar Charleston is widely considered the finest all-around player in Negro League history. He led his hometown Indianapolis ABCs to the 1916 Black World Series championship. Charleston was a powerful hitter and breathtakingly fast baserunner who, according to one contemporary, could "actually smell where the ball was going to be hit.” A barrel-chested, left-handed batter who hit for both average and power, Charleston revolutionized outfield defensive play by positioning himself in shallow center field and going back on a long-hit ball. In 1932, he became player-manager of the Pittsburgh Crawfods, joining fellow future Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Judy Johnson.

G918 AB3317 R854 H1210 2B241 3B80 HR143 RBI853 AVE.365

Images courtesy of Dick Perez