Legacy of the League
T. H. Hayes, Jr., the Memphis Red Sox, and the Communities that Built Negro Leagues Baseball
“We didn’t make any money… Somebody made some, but we played it – We played it for the love of the game.“
— Clinton “Casey” Jones, catcher for the Memphis Red Sox in Black Diamonds, Blues City – Stories of the Memphis Red Sox
About the Collection
This collection is a record of memory, movement, and resilience, an archive of what community leaders, businessmen, and athletes made possible during a turbulent twentieth century in America. Spanning over 200 individual items, our collection tells a story that begins on dirt fields and in city ballparks in the late 1930s, and stretches through team photographs, newspaper publications, business correspondence, magazine articles, and reunion banquets decades later. This is not just a sports collection. It’s a story about what it means to build something of your own and prove your worth in a society where many of the doors are closed.
At its heart are the players and visionaries who shaped the game and the world around it: Willie Mays, who began his career as a teenager with the Birmingham Black Barons; Reverend William Greason, whose pitching career led him from the mound to the pulpit; Dr. J. B. Martin, Memphis Red Sox owner and former president of the Negro American League; T. H. Hayes, Jr., Memphis businessman and owner of the Birmingham Black Barons. The Memphis Red Sox and Birmingham Black Barons are central to this story.
The bulk of the material in the digital archive comes from the T. H. Hayes Collection, which was donated to the Memphis Public Library by his wife, Helen M. Hayes. Hayes, a prominent Memphis businessman and director of T. H. Hayes Funeral Home, owned the Birmingham Black Barons from 1939 to 1951, during the height of the team’s success. There is also material from the library’s Negro Leagues Baseball Collection, which includes items from an individual named D. Hill and an anonymous donor.
The collection features rare material showcasing the Harlem Globetrotters Baseball Club, Chicago American Giants, Philadelphia Stars, and many others. It brings together photographs, business records, promotional posters, banquet programs, media coverage, and memorabilia to reveal the full ecosystem that made Black baseball thrive: the fans who filled the stands, the businesses that sponsored teams, and the players who crossed state lines with nothing but a glove and a name worth knowing.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Collection is a collection about excellence, but also the refusal to disappear. The refusal to let these stories fade. The Negro Leagues were never just about baseball. They were about pride, community, and the perseverance to keep going in the face of adversity. This archive is part of that legacy.
To view all of the material in the collection, click the Browse Collection button. To search by keyword, use the search box below.
Enter a keyword in the box below to search for a specific item:
Browse by Team Name
The collection contains material referencing a number of different baseball teams. To browse the collection by team name, select an organization from the list below.
explore by TOPIC
Business Behind the Leagues
Behind the scenes and off the ballfield lay a web of telegrams, contracts, schedules, and letters. This section offers a rare glimpse into the machinery that kept the leagues running. Executives like T. H. Hayes and promoters like Abe Saperstein all show up in the paperwork. Step into the business side of baseball.
The Players
Some names you’ll recognize. Others deserve to be known. From all-stars like Bill Greason and Artie Wilson to unnamed teammates in faded team photos, this section honors the men who shaped the history of baseball. Their legacies are stitched into every jersey.
Willie Mays
Willie Mays’ legendary career began as a teenager in a Black Barons uniform. This section traces Mays’ early years in the Negro Leagues, from Rickwood Field to the eyes of MLB scouts. Explore how a kid from Alabama became one of the greatest of all time and never forgot where he came from.
Game Day
Crowds packed the stands and bleachers. Uniforms pressed. Bats cracking. Game day wasn’t just a pastime, it was an event. From neighborhood fields to legendary matchups like the East-West Game, this section captures the atmosphere, energy, and spirit that made each game a spectacle of athletic prowess and community pride.
Legacy
Long after the last inning, the stories lived on in memories, in ink, and in the folds of newsletters passed hand to hand. This section brings together publications, interviews with players, and a documentary that showcases the legacy and lived experiences of Black baseball.
Additional Resources
The story of the Negro Leagues spans far beyond our local collections. Explore further by browsing the resources listed here and learn more about this important chapter in the history of America’s pastime.
PRESENTED BY:
