Louis Sockalexis
Encyclopedia
Louis Francis "Chief" Sockalexis (October 24, 1871 – December 24, 1913), nicknamed The Deerfoot of the Diamond, was an American
baseball
player. Sockalexis played professional baseball
in the National League
for three seasons, spending his entire career (1897
-1899
) as an outfielder
for the Cleveland Spiders
.
A Native American
from the Penobscot tribe, Sockalexis is often identified as the first person of Native American ancestry to play in Major League Baseball
, though many conflicting reports exist. In some cases, Jim Toy, a catcher
in the early American Association
, is identified as the first person with Native American ancestry to play major league baseball. Author Ed Rice has disputed this, having found a death certificate for Toy stating his race as Caucasian, although birth records of the time are notoriously inaccurate. Also, Chief Yellow Horse
, who played in the early 1920s, is noted as the first full-blooded American Indian to have played in the major leagues.
in 1871. His grandfather was Chief of the Bear Clan. In his youth, Sockalexis' athletic talents were very noticeable. It was reported that Sockalexis could throw a baseball across the Penobscot River
from Indian Island to the shore of Old Town. Additionally, it is said that Sockalexis and his father entertained crowds at the Bangor Race Track by playing catch across the entire track.
After completing his secondary education
, Sockalexis began his college
career in 1894
at the College of the Holy Cross
. While there, he participated on the school's baseball
, football
, and track
teams. Sockalexis spent those summers playing baseball in the Trolley League along the coast of Maine. After the end of the 1895-96 baseball season, the Holy Cross baseball coach accepted a position at the University of Notre Dame
in February 1897
. When that happened, Sockalexis decided to transfer to Notre Dame. In his two season at Holy Cross, Sockalexis compiled a .444 batting average
.
In 1897, the Notre Dame baseball team played an exhibition game against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds
. In a sign of things to come, Sockalexis had to deal with taunts, racism
, and insulting chants during the game. At the same time, sports writers
in attendance insulted a delegation of Pensobscots who had come from Old Town to watch the game.
Amos Rusie
, a future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, pitched that day for the Giants; and, before the game, Rusie had promised to strike out Sockalexis. Things did not go well for Rusie as Sockalexis hit a home run
off of Rusie's first pitch.
However, Sockalexis' career at Notre Dame was short. In an event that foreshadowed future problems, the University expelled Sockalexis not long after he arrived for his problems with alcohol. Although he played exclusively as an outfielder in the majors, Sockalexis played outfield and pitcher
while at Notre Dame and Holy Cross.
. Just a month later, on April 22, Sockalexis made his major league debut. Just a few months after he was expelled from school, his drinking problems resurfaced. On July 4, 1897, Sockalexis, in an inebriated condition, jumped from the second-story window of a brothel
. He severely injured his ankle in the fall. Evidently, the injury affected his play. In the five games after the injury, he had nine hits
in 18 at bat
s. However, his fielding was not very good. From July 25 until September 12, Sockalexis played in just one game. In that game, he committed two errors. In his first season with the Spiders, Sockalexis hit for a .338 batting average with three home runs and 42 RBIs. In 66 games that season, Sockalexis also had 16 stolen base
s.
Burdened by his alcoholism
, Sockalexis played just two more seasons of major league baseball. After a mediocre 1898 campaign, in 1899, a combined ownership cartel that controlled both the Cleveland Spiders and the St. Louis Perfectos engineered a 'trade' in which all of Cleveland's best players were assigned to St. Louis -- in this way, the St. Louis team would have a shot at the pennant, while the Cleveland team would be allowed to languish. Sockalexis, no longer considered a star, was kept in Cleveland.
After playing just 7 games for what is often hailed as the worst team in major league baseball history, the Spiders released Sockalexis, and his major league career was over. Sockalexis finished his career in the minor leagues and returned to Indian Island to coach juvenile teams in . Five players whom he coached went on to play in the New England League
. However, his baseball career ended for good in .
and heart trouble in his later years. On Christmas Eve
, , Sockalexis died in Burlington, Maine
.
Although Sockalexis had a brief career, he faced many non-tangible obstacles during his time in professional baseball. It was reported that fans of the opposing teams often shouted racial slurs toward him due to his Penobscot heritage. Additionally, fans imitated war whoops and war dances in his presence. Later, when sports journalists attributed his rapid decline to alcoholism, they identified the disease as the inherent "Indian weakness".
For many years, people believed that when the Cleveland Naps
changed their name to the Indians in , the franchise did so to honor Sockalexis. However, the Indians' official media guide says that the owners solicited sportswriters to ask fans for their favorite nickname, and the name Indians was chosen. An editorial, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, in February 1915, makes absolutely clear that people in Cleveland remembered Sockalexis and the team's nickname "Indians" in 1897; the nickname had absolutely nothing at all to do with Boston Braves of 1914. Sockalexis had died two years earlier, but there was no mention of him in the announcements about the change in nicknames, although there was specific mention of him in the editorial.
In recognition of his accomplishments, the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame has elected Sockalexis. He was joined by his second cousin, marathon runner Andrew Sockalexis
, finished in second place during the 1912 and 1913 Boston Marathon
s and in fourth place at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. Sockalexis played professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
for three seasons, spending his entire career (1897
1897 in baseball
-Champions:*Temple Cup: Baltimore Orioles defeated Boston Beaneaters, 4 games to 1*National League: Boston Beaneaters-Statistical leaders:*Batting: Willie Keeler .424*Home Runs: Hugh Duffy 11*Wins: Kid Nichols 31*ERA: Amos Rusie 2.54...
-1899
1899 in baseball
-National League final standings:-Events:*May 15 - Willie Keeler, known as one of the smallest players and best bunters in baseball, drives the ball past startled left fielder Ed Delahanty of the Philadelphia Phillies for an inside-the-park grand slam and an 8–5 victory for the Brooklyn...
) as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the Cleveland Spiders
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
.
A Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
from the Penobscot tribe, Sockalexis is often identified as the first person of Native American ancestry to play in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, though many conflicting reports exist. In some cases, Jim Toy, a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in the early American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
, is identified as the first person with Native American ancestry to play major league baseball. Author Ed Rice has disputed this, having found a death certificate for Toy stating his race as Caucasian, although birth records of the time are notoriously inaccurate. Also, Chief Yellow Horse
Chief Yellow Horse
Moses J. "Chief" Yellow Horse , was an American baseball player who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, from until...
, who played in the early 1920s, is noted as the first full-blooded American Indian to have played in the major leagues.
Early life
Louis Sockalexis was born on the Penobscot Indian reservation near Old Town, MaineOld Town, Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,840 at the 2010 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on a relatively large island, though its boundaries extend beyond that...
in 1871. His grandfather was Chief of the Bear Clan. In his youth, Sockalexis' athletic talents were very noticeable. It was reported that Sockalexis could throw a baseball across the Penobscot River
Penobscot River
The Penobscot River is a river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's West Branch and South Branch increases the Penobscot's length to , making it the second longest river system in Maine and the longest entirely in the state. Its drainage basin contains .It arises from four branches...
from Indian Island to the shore of Old Town. Additionally, it is said that Sockalexis and his father entertained crowds at the Bangor Race Track by playing catch across the entire track.
After completing his secondary education
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
, Sockalexis began his college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
career in 1894
1894 in baseball
-Champions:*Temple Cup: New York Giants defeated Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 0*National League: Baltimore Orioles-National League final standings:-Events:...
at the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
. While there, he participated on the school's baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams. Sockalexis spent those summers playing baseball in the Trolley League along the coast of Maine. After the end of the 1895-96 baseball season, the Holy Cross baseball coach accepted a position at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in February 1897
1897 in baseball
-Champions:*Temple Cup: Baltimore Orioles defeated Boston Beaneaters, 4 games to 1*National League: Boston Beaneaters-Statistical leaders:*Batting: Willie Keeler .424*Home Runs: Hugh Duffy 11*Wins: Kid Nichols 31*ERA: Amos Rusie 2.54...
. When that happened, Sockalexis decided to transfer to Notre Dame. In his two season at Holy Cross, Sockalexis compiled a .444 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.
In 1897, the Notre Dame baseball team played an exhibition game against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
. In a sign of things to come, Sockalexis had to deal with taunts, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, and insulting chants during the game. At the same time, sports writers
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
in attendance insulted a delegation of Pensobscots who had come from Old Town to watch the game.
Amos Rusie
Amos Rusie
Amos Wilson Rusie , nicknamed "The Hoosier Thunderbolt", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century...
, a future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, pitched that day for the Giants; and, before the game, Rusie had promised to strike out Sockalexis. Things did not go well for Rusie as Sockalexis hit a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off of Rusie's first pitch.
However, Sockalexis' career at Notre Dame was short. In an event that foreshadowed future problems, the University expelled Sockalexis not long after he arrived for his problems with alcohol. Although he played exclusively as an outfielder in the majors, Sockalexis played outfield and pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
while at Notre Dame and Holy Cross.
Professional career
On March 9, 1897, Sockalexis signed a major league contract with the Cleveland SpidersCleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
. Just a month later, on April 22, Sockalexis made his major league debut. Just a few months after he was expelled from school, his drinking problems resurfaced. On July 4, 1897, Sockalexis, in an inebriated condition, jumped from the second-story window of a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
. He severely injured his ankle in the fall. Evidently, the injury affected his play. In the five games after the injury, he had nine hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 18 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. However, his fielding was not very good. From July 25 until September 12, Sockalexis played in just one game. In that game, he committed two errors. In his first season with the Spiders, Sockalexis hit for a .338 batting average with three home runs and 42 RBIs. In 66 games that season, Sockalexis also had 16 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s.
Burdened by his alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, Sockalexis played just two more seasons of major league baseball. After a mediocre 1898 campaign, in 1899, a combined ownership cartel that controlled both the Cleveland Spiders and the St. Louis Perfectos engineered a 'trade' in which all of Cleveland's best players were assigned to St. Louis -- in this way, the St. Louis team would have a shot at the pennant, while the Cleveland team would be allowed to languish. Sockalexis, no longer considered a star, was kept in Cleveland.
After playing just 7 games for what is often hailed as the worst team in major league baseball history, the Spiders released Sockalexis, and his major league career was over. Sockalexis finished his career in the minor leagues and returned to Indian Island to coach juvenile teams in . Five players whom he coached went on to play in the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
. However, his baseball career ended for good in .
Later life and legacy
Sockalexis suffered from tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and heart trouble in his later years. On Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, , Sockalexis died in Burlington, Maine
Burlington, Maine
Burlington is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 351 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
Although Sockalexis had a brief career, he faced many non-tangible obstacles during his time in professional baseball. It was reported that fans of the opposing teams often shouted racial slurs toward him due to his Penobscot heritage. Additionally, fans imitated war whoops and war dances in his presence. Later, when sports journalists attributed his rapid decline to alcoholism, they identified the disease as the inherent "Indian weakness".
For many years, people believed that when the Cleveland Naps
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
changed their name to the Indians in , the franchise did so to honor Sockalexis. However, the Indians' official media guide says that the owners solicited sportswriters to ask fans for their favorite nickname, and the name Indians was chosen. An editorial, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, in February 1915, makes absolutely clear that people in Cleveland remembered Sockalexis and the team's nickname "Indians" in 1897; the nickname had absolutely nothing at all to do with Boston Braves of 1914. Sockalexis had died two years earlier, but there was no mention of him in the announcements about the change in nicknames, although there was specific mention of him in the editorial.
In recognition of his accomplishments, the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame has elected Sockalexis. He was joined by his second cousin, marathon runner Andrew Sockalexis
Andrew Sockalexis
Andrew Sockalexis was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.-Early life:Sockalexis was born on January 11, 1891, in Old Town, Maine, a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation...
, finished in second place during the 1912 and 1913 Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
s and in fourth place at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
External links
- Sockalexis Socked Like Ruth, Was Faster Than Cobb, Threw a la Meusel, by Harry GraysonHarry GraysonHarry Markey Grayson was an American sportswriter. He was the sports editor of the Newspaper Enterprise Association from 1934 to 1963.-Baseball:* , February 5, 1936*, March 18, 1938...
, August 5, 1943