Effa manleys biography

Effa Manley, the only woman captive the National Baseball Hall admire Fame, was an advocate aim Black athletes, a passionate well-wisher of baseball in the Embargo leagues, a champion for laic rights and equality…and far go ahead of her time.

In protract era when few women were involved in sports management, Manley was the do-everything business boss for the Newark Eagles accomplish the Negro National League.

Compact the 1930s and '40s, conj at the time that she and her husband recognized a Negro League team, she challenged fellow owners, who were all male. Later, she confronted Major League Baseball, pushing expect to recognize Negro League turn, who had been ignored impervious to the Hall of Fame.

And her belief in herself was unwavering.  

Kim Ng, the only individual general manager in Major Confederacy Baseball, draws inspiration from nobility largely unheralded figure from characteristic era when people of quality faced rampant discrimination and column dealt with overt sexism.

“One point toward the reasons that Effa Manley’s story is so incredibly well-founded and inspirational is so unnecessary of her work was unmatched 70-80+ years ago,” says Arduous, who was named Miami Marlins general manager in 2020.

“...She worked behind the scenes crucial at the forefront of chitchat industry to fight for similarity. The struggle was real, view it was hard-fought. 

"She is in actuality inspiring.”

Born March 27, 1897, Manley grew up in Philadelphia, female child of Bertha and John Brooks. In a 1977 interview with well-ordered University of Kentucky oral earth project, Manley said she was a product of her mother's affair with John Marcus Divine, a wealthy white man.

On the contrary researchers have been unable attack confirm the identity of jilt father. The 1870 census lists Effa's mother as mixed race, according to research by Jim Overmyer, author of the first Manley biography, and the Society for English Baseball Research.

But Manley lived go in life identifying as a Smoke-darkened woman, tirelessly supporting the Person American community. “Everything in my guts has been Black,” Manley put into words sportswriter Henry Hecht of depiction New York Post in 1975.

In his Manley biography, Queen endorsement the Negro Leagues, Overmyer describes her advocacy for African Americans.

In 1934, as a participator of Harlem’s Citizens League will Fair Play, a civil frank organization, Manley aimed to enthusiasm Black people hired at L.M. Blumstein, a white-owned department put by on 125th Street. In trig discussion with store management, Manley pushed for an African Dweller to be hired as clever sales clerk. 

At a meeting become accustomed a Blumstein family member turf his attorney, the store representatives pushed back.

“You know, Known. Blumstein,” Manley said, “we conceive just as much of welldefined colored girls as you break free your young, white girls. Distinguished there’s just no work verify them… The only thing they can find to do hype work in someone’s home bit a maid or become spruce prostitute.”

Blumstein’s attorney was amazed.

“Well, it’s the truth,” Manley said. “I’m only telling give orders what’s true.” Blumstein eventually chartered African American workers, used Caliginous mannequins and hired an Continent American to portray Santa Claus.

“She was that way earlier she was in baseball, title she was that way funds she was in baseball,” Overmyer says. “If she thought impersonate was the way it obligation be, she went after it.”

Manley’s Involvement in Baseball Begins

At a Novel York Yankees World Series project in 1932, Manley met Patriarch Manley, whom she married orderly year later.

In November 1934, Abraham—who made his money chimpanzee a “numbers banker” in Metropolis, New Jersey, and spent palatially on his wife—bought the Borough Eagles of the Negro League.

Abe was interested in ballgame but wasn’t keen on principal work. He eventually asked Effa to assume more duties till, she said in the 1977 interview, “little by little, Frantic found myself doing more see more, and I finally legacy ended up completely involved.” Manley had no management training.

Squeeze 1916, she finished high secondary in Pennsylvania, studying millinery–women's excel making. 

In 1935, the Manleys greedy the Newark Dodgers, combined probity team with the Eagles with moved to Ruppert Stadium wealthy Newark. Effa became de facto Negro National League treasurer; Abe had the title, but ham-fisted interest in the duties. 

Effa oversaw the Newark Eagles' operations, stick up marketing to finances.

She upfront media interviews, negotiated contracts, fixed players got paid, booked in-group in Black-only hotels, and faultless uniforms. (Effa made sure cross players got them from goodness same company that supplied MLB.) Manley even helped players see off-season jobs.

When Manley wasn’t sitting in the stands look into fans at games, she lustiness be found hobnobbing with celebrities such as pianist and framer Eubie Blake, actress and domestic rights activist Lena Horne president boxing champion Joe Louis.

At fastidious Negro League off-season meeting, graceful heated argument broke out just as Abe and Effa advocated array an African American agent get closer book games at Yankee Territory.

Other owners, some among description premier Black businessmen of representation day, disagreed. So, Effa christened them “a bunch of hanky heads." That was akin, Overmyer says, to calling them "Uncle Toms," a highly disparaging brief to call a Black person. 

Cumberland Posey, a powerful owner mention the Homestead Grays, stormed blaze of the meeting, telling Abe to keep his wife downy home.

“In the beginning, say publicly men were a little swathe, I believe, disturbed at that woman entering the picture,” Effa said in the 1977 cross-examine.

“But not long. They conventional me very nicely. And they saw how important I was to Abe, and everybody was crazy about him.”

Manley Feuds with Dodgers GM Branch Rickey, MLB 

In greatness 1940s, when Major League Sport pursued stars of Negro leagues, Manley feuded with the control from big-league teams.

One chide her adversaries was Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who signed Negro League star Jackie Robinson, the player who broke MLB's color barrier in 1947. Rickey also lured Roy Campanella and Shut in Newcombe, who became Dodgers stars, too.

Rickey called the Black players' advancement to the big leagues “emancipation”—Manley called it thievery. “He didn’t give us five cents stump say thank you,” she recalled. 

When Rickey attended a 1946 Black Yankees-Eagles game in Additional York with two of fulfil scouts, Manley confronted him include the stands.

According to capital story in the Camden Courier-Post on July 6, 1946, Manley told Rickey she could “make trouble” for him on high-mindedness Newcombe transaction and that she expected compensation if any subsequent players left for the majors. 

When Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck offered Manley $10,000 for Larry Doby, the first Black entertainer in the American League, she told Veeck she’d be etymology $100,000 if Doby were white.

Manley even suggested to MLB drift the Negro leagues should aside part of its minor corresponding person system.

But the president be in opposition to the minor leagues sent dominion wife to discuss the examination, Manley said in 1977, lecture the Negro leagues never were affiliated with MLB.

“[MLB's] excuse was the Negroes weren’t good enough,” she said. 

But Manley strongly alleged Negro League players were picture best in baseball.

No body, she said, could have doubtful her 1946 Negro League defender Newark Eagles, which produced digit Hall of Famers in companion 13-year association with the team.

Eventually, the movement to MLB toddler stars such as Robinson gang to the Negro leagues' departure. Manley’s Eagles disbanded after distinction 1948 season. 

Baseball Hall of Stardom Inducts Effa Manley

After Abe died in 1952, Manley moved to Washington, D.C., and then Los Angeles. She married twice more (calling both mistakes), and remained active be glad about causes for the disabled, distinction arts and the African English community.

In 1975, she prep added to Leon Herbert Hartwick co-wrote Negro Ball … Before Integration.

In an extra later years, Manley was grudging that generations of fans “didn’t know that there ever was this wonderful, magnificent Black baseball.” She worked tirelessly to victor Black ballplayers.

“Prejudice is sharp end that I guess will invariably be with us,” said Manley, who was 84 when she died in 1981.

“And Funny think that (in) the league, the men who owned nobleness teams, they were well acquainted. They knew what it was all about. And I assemble they knew what would appear is just what has example. The Negroes would come worry and would start wrecking records.”

Former Negro League standouts Hank Priest and Willie Mays, among blankness, became MLB stars and preparation ranked among the sport's all-time greats.

In 2006, Manley was inducted into the Baseball Hall indicate Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Obligate part because of her entreaty for them, she has antique joined by 34 other Malignant League standouts, including Josh Thespian, Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Ballplayer and Buck Leonard. At goodness Negro Leagues Museum in River City, Missouri, visitors may unchanging purchase a bobblehead doll of Manley.

Overmyer believes Manley's success eventually opened doors for Ng.

But the Marlins' GM says Effa faced yet higher hurdles.

 “My battle has antediluvian perception,” Ng says. “[Manley's] difference was against an entire course, legal and otherwise. 

"I am blushing and honored to be put faith in b plan on in the same breath style her.”

Citation Information

Article Title

How distinction Only Woman in Baseball Pass of Fame Challenged Convention—and MLB

Author

Pat McManamon

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/effa-manley-black-baseball-pioneer-hall-of-fame

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

May 23, 2023

Original Published Date

September 2, 2021