Black Baseball Pioneers: Frank Grant
Those who saw Frank Grant play knew he was one of the finest ballplayers of baseball’s formative years during the nineteenth century. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 2006, Grant was a “quick, agile, skilled second baseman” who was nicknamed “The Black Dunlap”,
Those who saw Frank Grant play knew he was one of the finest ballplayers of baseball’s formative years during the nineteenth century. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 2006, Grant was a “quick, agile, skilled second baseman” who was nicknamed “The Black Dunlap”, a reference to Fred Dunlap, one of the best-fielding white second basemen of the 1880s.
Ulysses Franklin “Frank” Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on August 1, 1865 – less than four months after General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. As best as Brian McKenna from the Society for American Baseball Research can determine, he was the ninth child of Franklin and Frances Grant, although his father passed away when baby frank was only four months old.
Frances worked for a local white family, the Perrys, and Frank’s older sisters were waitresses in a restaurant to help support the family. He grew up playing baseball with his older brother Clarence and with some of the Perry children.
Grant played baseball in high school and like many players of the day, got his professional start playing for a local semi-pro team in western Massachusetts in 1884. The next year, Grant played for a team in Plattsburgh, New York, who played contests against other teams in the Upper Hudson Valley and Capital Region.
Despite a stocky, 5-foot-7 frame, observers and contemporary news accounts noted how aggressive he was defensively and how well he moved after balls. This was an era where errors were extremely high because, among many factors, fields were not meticulously manicured and players did not wear gloves. The value of a strong fielder like Grant was extremely high.
This was also the time where baseball’s color line was being established, but not fully entrenched as it would become in the coming decades. In 1884 two black players, Moses Fleetwood Walker and his brother Weldy Walker, played for Toledo in the American Association (a Major League at the time), but a group led by Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) star Cap Anson agreed to no longer sign black players to Major League clubs. It wasn’t until Jackie Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 that another Black player would play in a white Major League.
But while Major League teams did not sign black players, Minor League clubs did so as far as the early 1890s. Grant was one of five black players known to have played for otherwise white Minor League teams at the time. Occasionally teams tried to pass him off as Spanish, Italian, or Native American, but he was largely acknowledged as a black player.
Grant played for a Meriden, Connecticut team in the Eastern League in 1886 before moving over to the Buffalo Bisons of the International League for three seasons. He dealt with racial taunts from fans, and attempts by the IL to formally ban black players by being one of the top players in the league. In 1887, he hit .353 and led the IL with 11 home runs and 49 extra-base hits. He also hit for the cycle in one game, and stole home twice in another.
Buffalo would also occasionally play exhibition games against National League and American Association teams, and Grant held his own in those contests, drawing praise from press accounts.
However, in 1889 racism and Grant’s request for his salary to be $250 per month (the same as 1888) led to Buffalo allowing him to leave, and he latched on with the Cuban Giants, the best all-black team of the era.
From there he played baseball for different black teams for another 16 years, suiting up for the Cuban Giants, Page Fence Giants, New York Gorhams, Cuban X-Giants, Philadelphia Giants and Brooklyn Royal Giants. The last known games he played were in 1907 for Brooklyn, when he would have been 42, although the 1910 census lists his occupation as “baseball player”.
After his baseball career was over, Grant lived out the rest of his life as a waiter for a catering company in New York City. He died on May 27, 1937 at age 71. He was buried in East Ridgelawn Cemetary in Clifton, New Jersey, and his grave was unmarked until 2011.
Baseball Reference has data for 224 games played by Grant for white Minor League clubs, and the incomplete data shows a lifetime batting average of .337 and a .487 slugging percentage. His statistics with black barnstorming clubs are unknown, though without a doubt he wowed crowds wherever he went across the northeast, and especially throughout New York.
A contemporary press account on record at the Baseball Hall of Fame says it best: “Were it not for the fact that he is a colored man, he would without a doubt be at the top notch of the records among the finest teams in the country.”
Futher Reading:
- SABR Bio Project: Frank Grant by Brian McKenna. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/frank-grant/.
- Baseball Hall of Fame. https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/grant-frank
Gades Greatness: Counting down top 12 moments of 2024, #3-1
For the final piece of the year, we have finally hit the final three moments in our countdown of the top 12 moments of the 2024 Hudson Valley Renegades season. We've already seen record-breaking performances, unbelievable catches, memorable finishes, and dominant stretches. Without further ado, let's get into the top
Gades Greatness: Counting down top 12 moments of 2024, #6-4
As we have hit the final month of the 2024 calendar, the time has come for our annual review of the Top 12 moments from the previous Hudson Valley Renegades season. We have already gone through half of the top 12 list, which means we start to hit the home
Gades Greatness: Counting down top 12 moments of 2024, #9-7
As we have hit the final month of the 2024 calendar, the time has come for our annual review of the Top 12 moments from the previous Hudson Valley Renegades season. The 2024 season was one of the most-memorable seasons in the 30 years of Renegades baseball, so much so
Gades Greatness: Counting down top 12 moments of 2024, #12-10
As we have hit the final month of the 2024 calendar, the time has come for our annual review of the Top 12 moments from the previous Hudson Valley Renegades season. The 2024 season was one of the most-memorable seasons in the 30 years of Renegades baseball, so much so
Top Of The Heap: Former Renegade Stephen Vogt named 2024 AL Manager of the Year
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Nov. 21, 2024) -- Former Hudson Valley Renegades player Stephen Vogt has been announced as the 2024 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In his first season as a Major League Manager, Vogt led the Cleveland Guardians to a 92-69
Fall Stars: Martin, Durbin leave their mark on Arizona Fall League
Throughout the fall, former Renegades players have continued playing baseball in the prestigious Arizona Fall League, with Garrett Martin, Antonio Gomez, Jackson Fristoe, Harrison Cohen, Ben Cowles and Caleb Durbin making their names known among some of the top prospects in the sport. The team they played for, the Salt
How 'Bout Them Apples?: Renegades announce Big Apples alternate identity
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Nov. 15, 2024) – The Hudson Valley Renegades, the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are pleased to announce the Hudson Valley Big Apples, an all-new alternate identity for the team to begin in the 2025 season. The Big Apples is an identity centered on celebrating
Solid As A Roc: Riggio ignited crowds in Hudson Valley
Dirtbag. If you were to have 2024 Renegades infielder Roc Riggio describe himself in a word, that would be his choice. Outside of baseball, that might not sound like a compliment, but in baseball it is the ultimate compliment for a player like Riggio. It means you play hard, are
All Set: Renegades announce 2025 game times and fireworks shows
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Nov. 7, 2024) – The Hudson Valley Renegades, the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced their game start times and fireworks show dates for the 2025 South Atlantic League season today. Following the success of earlier, fan-friendly start times in 2024, the Renegades are
Fast Carr: Kyle Carr navigated ups and downs in first pro season
A version of this article originally ran in the August edition of Renegades Magazine, which can be read in its entirety here. It has been an up-and-down first professional season for Kyle Carr. The Yankees third-round pick in 2023 struggled early in the season to find the form he displayed
Renegades Magazine: Q&A with RHP Trent Sellers
A version of this article originally ran in the August edition of Renegades Magazine, which can be read in its entirety here. This version includes some extra questions not in the original piece. One of the biggest breakout players in the Yankees minor leagues this year was Trent Sellers. In
Reyz of Hope: Eric Reyzelman forged breakout campaign in 2024
A version of this story appeared in the July issue of Renegades Magazine, which can be read here. It has been updated to reflect the end of the season. The baseball journey of Eric Reyzelman has been far from easy. From Tommy John surgery as a teenager to missing nearly
Making Magic: 2024 Renegades season one for the history books
The 2024 Hudson Valley Renegades 30th anniversary season will go down as one of the greatest in the team’s history with record-setting performances, eye-popping plays and a visit from 12 athletes from across the globe. While it would be impossible to capture everything from this past season at once, let’s
Heading West: Flores, Martin highlight Renegades alumni to participate in Arizona Fall League
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 25, 2024) – The New York Yankees and the Arizona Fall League today announced that six former Hudson Valley Renegades players and one coach have been selected to participate in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. The six players include RHP Harrison Cohen (2023-24) INF Ben Cowles
Schlittin' Fire: Cam Schlittler named SAL Pitcher of the Year, All-Stars announced
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 19, 2024) – Hudson Valley Renegades pitchers Trent Sellers and Cam Schlittler were named 2024 South Atlantic League All-Stars at starting pitcher today as Minor League Baseball (MiLB) announced the league awards and All-Star teams for the High-A classification. Schlittler was named Pitcher of the Year
Renegades come up just short of title in 4-1 Game 3 loss
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 18, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades came up just short of a South Atlantic League championship, falling to the Bowling Green Hot Rods 4-1 in a deciding Game 3 at Heritage Financial Park and dropping the best-of-three series 2-1. Both teams were held scoreless through
Martinez's grand slam keeps Renegades championship hopes alive
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 17, 2024) — Behind a grand slam from Omar Martinez, the Hudson Valley Renegades kept their championship hopes alive with a 6-2 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods in Game 2 of the South Atlantic League Championship Series on Tuesday night at Heritage Financial Park.
Renegades fall 5-1 in SAL Championship Series opener
Bowling Green, Ky. (Sept. 15, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades fell to the Bowling Green Hot Rods 5-1 in Game 1 of the South Atlantic League Championship Series on Sunday afternoon at Bowling Green Ballpark. The Renegades trail the Hot Rods 1-0 in the best-of-three series. Roc Riggio started
Renegades crowned SAL North champs again in 2024
Greensboro, N.C. (Sept. 13, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades were crowned champions of the South Atlantic North Division on Friday night for the second straight year, taking down the Greensboro Grasshoppers 4-1 in a deciding Game 3 at FNB Field. Hudson Valley has now reached the league championship series
Renegades fall 3-1 in Game 2 of North Division Series
Greensboro, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades fell to the Greensboro Grasshoppers 3-1 on Thursday night at First National Bank Field. The loss evened up the best-of-three North Division Championship Series at 1-1, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 on Friday. Greensboro got on the board in the
Five-run seventh aids Renegades in dominant 6-0 win
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 10, 2024) — After leading Minor League Baseball with 19 shutouts in the regular season, the Hudson Valley Renegades pitching staff dominated in a 6-0 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers in Game 1 of the SAL North Division Series. The Renegades lead the best-of-three series 1-0.
Playoff Fever: Renegades host Greensboro on Tuesday to start 2024 SAL Championship quest
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 9, 2024) – The Hudson Valley Renegades, the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, begin their quest for the 2024 South Atlantic League Championship on Tuesday night as the North Division Championship Series gets underway at Heritage Financial Park. The Renegades host the First Half
Renegades complete regular season with dominant 8-1 win
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 8, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades finished their regular season on a high note on Sunday afternoon at Heritage Financial Park, defeating the Asheville Tourists 8-1 for their seventh win in their last eight games. Josh Grosz continued his dominant form in his last regular
'Gades have 11-game home win streak snapped in 8-4 loss
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 7, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades set a franchise record by striking out 21 Asheville Tourists batters on Saturday night in an 8-4 loss at Heritage Financial Park. The defeat snapped an 11-game home winning streak for the Renegades. After a one hour, 27-minute rain
Bullpen continues dominance as 'Gades win sixth in a row
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 6, 2024) — The Hudson Valley Renegades continued their hot streak at Heritage Financial Park with a 5-0 victory over the Asheville Tourists on Friday, their 11th straight home win and sixth in a row overall. Hudson Valley recorded their 19th shutout of the season, which