Wed., Sept. 18, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
The Legacy of Louis Sockalexis: First-known Native American Professional Baseball Player
Ed Rice, former journalist, college instructor, and author of Baseball’s First Indian, will be joining us to discuss the legacy of Louis Francis Sockalexis, the man who definitively was the inspiration for the nickname of the Cleveland professional team, and a largely unrecognized, courageous civil rights icon representing Penobscot Nation and the state of Maine.
Sockalexis was the sensation of professional baseball in 1897, featuring the skills of a five-tool player and a comparable charisma that earned him legendary status at any level he ever played. He paved the way for other pioneer American Indian baseball players, like Jim Thorp e and Hall of Fame pitcher Charlie Bender.
Ed will talk about the popularity of “town ball” in the State of Maine. Many college baseball players came to Maine, during the summer, to play for outstanding teams. This is how Sockalexis ca me to be “discovered” and brought to Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts.