Minor League Baseball has announced the launch of “The Nine,” a new, Black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport. It’s named for the number Jackie Robinson wore during his only season playing in MiLB with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946. The Albuquerque Isotopes will look back at the rich history of Black ballplayers in the Duke City by highlighting the Top Nine over various eras.

P/2B Bud Fowler – 1888

Bud Fowler played professional baseball all over the United States, usually only one year at a time due to the color of his skin. Fowler integrated baseball in New Mexico in 1888, playing for a team in Santa Fe, the only year of the New Mexico Baseball League, and also co-owned a barber shop at the Plaza. Historians estimate he played for more than a dozen leagues and Fowler himself said “22 different states and in Canada.” In 1909, the Berkshire Eagle wrote, “For 16 years he was a pitcher and for 12 years a second baseman, and he never wore a glove, taking everything that came his way with bare hands. He was considered the equal of any man who ever covered the position.” Fowler will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2022.

1B/C/OF Bill Pettus – 1902-03, 1906

Bill Pettus skirted the so-called “gentlemen’s agreement” for many years, playing baseball in 1902 and 1903 in Albuquerque, the only Black player on an otherwise all-White team. Pettus was manager and team captain in 1905 for a team made up of 10 Mexicans and 2 Blacks. They went 48-1 that season. After a year as the only Black player on teams in Oakland and San Francisco, Pettus returned to Albuquerque in 1906. He caught for the Santa Fe Salmon Grays in 1907. Pettus also made money boxing and working the coal mines near Madrid, NM. He accumulated a .330 lifetime batting average over 12 years in the Negro Leagues for teams in Kansas City, Brooklyn, New York and Philadelphia.

OF/1B William Guice – 1953-54

William Lee “Bill” Guice attended high school in Alabama, where was a three-sport star, and served four years in the Air Force. Guice was one of three Black players on the 1953 pennant-winning Albuquerque Dukes team. Guice was unstoppable, compiling a .351 batting average, 32 doubles, 18 triples, 23 home runs and 145 RBIs in 139 games. He slugged .602, posted a 1010 OPS and was a West Texas-NM League All Star. The Chicago Cubs purchased his contract after the season and he played two more years in the minors, but a career-ending knee injury forced him to retire. Guice and his wife, Gladys, moved to Limo, Ohio. He worked the rest of his life at General Motors and the Teledyne Ohio Steel Foundry, and remained an active ballplayer and bowling in community leagues.

1B/OF Herbert Simpson – 1952-54

One of the biggest trailblazers for integrating baseball in the West, Herbert Harold “Briefcase” Simpson was one of the last links to Negro League Baseball when he died in 2015. Simpson integrated the Class-A Western International League in 1952, when he played at Spokane, then integrated the Class-C West Texas-New Mexico League when his contract was sold to the Dukes. Simpson played three years in Albuquerque and was one of the most popular players. His best season was 1953, when he slashed .372/.475/.563, as the Dukes won the league title. Dukes owner Cy Fausett invited Simpson to marry his high school sweetheart, Sophie Harris, at home plate before a game at Tingley Field in 1954. When Simpson injured his right ankle, the Dukes donated 10 percent of the proceeds from a game to help offset his medical bills.

LHP Grover Blacksher – 1953-54

A few days after graduating from El Cerrito High in Northern California, pitcher Grover Blacksher was signed by the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League and assigned to the Albuquerque Dukes in the West Texas-NM League. At age 18, Blacksher nearly threw a no-hitter for the Dukes on Sept. 13, 1953, giving up one hit in the eighth inning of a 5-0 win over Lubbock. That was Game 2 of the playoff series against Lubbock. Two weeks later, Blacksher was on the mound for the pennant-clinching victory over Clovis. A diminutive lefty who was listed at 5’7, 150 pounds, Blacksher was a consistent pitcher for the Dukes for two seasons.

RHP Reggie Lee – 1956

The Dukes were affiliated with the New York Giants in 1956 and played in the Class-A Western League. One of their pitchers was born James Reginald Lee in 1933 in Philadelphia. As a player, he went by Reggie Lee and he was a workhorse for the Dukes. Lee started 25 games and went the distance 10 times. Lee compiled an 11-9 record and 4.14 ERA. In an era when strikeouts were rare, Lee whiffed 183 batters in 176 innings (and also walked 115). Lee also hit one home run. Lee played two more seasons of minor league baseball before his professional playing career ended.

OF Willie Crawford – 1966-67

Los Angeles native Willie Crawford was clocked at 9.7 seconds in the 100-yard dash, making him a highly recruited running back for college. But two days after graduating from high school in 1963, Crawford signed with the Dodgers for $100,000. This was before the draft and the “Bonus Baby Rule” meant that Crawford had to spend time in the majors immediately, so Crawford make his debut at age 17 in 1964, and got a pinch-hit single in the 1965 World Series. Crawford played for Double-A Albuquerque in 1966 and 1967. The latter year he led the team to a first-place finish. Crawford was sixth in average (.305), seventh in homers (21) and eighth in OPS (888). He played 14 years in the major leagues and was a starting outfielder on the Dodgers 1974 World Series team.

RHP Leon Everitt – 1967

In an era before pitch counts and innings were monitored closely for young pitchers, Leon Everitt had the type of season in 1967 that would never occur now. At age 20, in his second full season of pro ball, Everitt made 30 starts, went the distance 16 times, tossed two shutouts, and compiled 222 innings. Everitt was 15-13 with a 3.45 ERA, and the Dodgers thought so highly of him, he was included on their roster for a Goodwill Tour to Japan that offseason. McBean reached the majors in 1969 with the expansion San Diego Padres, where he pitched in five games, but that proved to the final season of his career.

OF Von Joshua – 1968, 1972, 1988-92

Von Joshua crosses over a lot of significant markers in the Duke City’s baseball history. In 1968, he played for the Double-A Albuquerque Dodgers in the final season at Tingley Field. In 1972, he played for the Albuquerque Dukes in the first season as a Triple-A affiliate. Joshua won the PCL batting title that year with a .337 average, while adding 47 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases. He played 10 years in the major leagues, then turned to coaching, and returned to Albuquerque again as the Dukes hitting coach from 1988-92. Joshua was inducted into the Albuquerque Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Other The Nine Articles:

The Nine: Isotopes Era (2003-Current)

The Nine: Triple-A Dukes Era (1972-2000)

Minor League Baseball has announced the launch of “The Nine,” a new, Black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport. It’s named for the number Jackie Robinson wore during his only season playing in MiLB with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946. The Albuquerque Isotopes will look back at the rich history of Black ballplayers in the Duke City by highlighting the Top Nine over various eras.

1B Ryan Howard — 2017

When news broke that Ryan Howard was attempting a comeback, that he signed with the Colorado Rockies, and was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque, the initial thought was disbelief. Really? The three-time All-Star first baseman, the 2005 Rookie of the Year, the 2006 Most Valuable Player, the slugger with 382 home runs is really coming to the Isotopes? Yes, it was true. Howard made his Isotopes debut on August 13, 2017. He played in 16 games over the last three weeks, and while his batting average was only .192, seven of his 10 hits were for extra bases, including a walk-off home run to defeat Reno on August 30.

Manager Glenallen Hill – 2015-19

Once or twice a year, Glenallen Hill stepped into the batting cage at Isotopes Park, and with an effortless swing, launched balls out of the ballpark and into the CNM Parking Lot. It was a reminder of the feared slugger who blasted 182 home runs over 13 years in the majors, including one onto the Rooftops across the street from Wrigley Field. Hill’s job with the Isotopes was manager, however, and his calm demeanor was appreciated by Triple-A players whose careers are often at a crossroads. Hill nearly guided the Isotopes into the playoffs in 2016 and 2017, and always had a knack for finding a creative way to tell players they were going to The Show.

Hitting Coach Franklin Stubbs – 1983-85, 2013-14

The baseball life of Franklin Stubbs went full circle when the Dodgers made him their hitting coach at Triple-A Albuquerque for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. As a player, Stubbs was a former first-round pick by the Dodgers in 1982 and played parts of three seasons with the Dukes from 1983-85. Stubbs etched his name into the baseball history books on June 2, 1983, when he hit four home runs in one game at the old Albuquerque Sports Stadium. After his playing career ended, Stubbs took to mentoring younger players as a coach. Stubbs’ star pupil in 2014 was Joc Pederson, the Pacific Coast League’s Most Valuable Player.

1B John Lindsey – 2010

“Big John” was a baseball lifer who played 21 seasons of professional baseball, appearing in 2,277 games and accumulating 9,213 plate appearances. His best season came in 2010, at age 33, when Lindsey slashed .353/.400/.657 for the Isotopes. Lindsey just missed a batting title by percentage points, but that .353 average remains the best in Isotopes history. Lindsey added 41 doubles and 25 home runs, drove in 97 RBIs, and was rewarded with his only callup to the Major Leagues in September. The only thing bigger than Lindsey’s potent bat was his constant smile. Isotopes fans voted him their “Fan Favorite” by the end of the season.

OF Trayvon Robinson – 2011, 2014

It seemed like destiny that Trayvon Robinson would play for the Dodgers organization. He attended Crenshaw High in Los Angeles, the same as Darryl Strawberry. His last name was the same as Jackie, the trailblazer whose uniform is retired by all MLB teams. The Dodgers selected Trayvon in the 10th round and his five-tool prowess was on display in 2011, when he was selected to the PCL All-Star Game, hit 26 home runs, drove in 71 runs, compiled a .938 OPS and elegantly chased down flyballs in the spacious Isotopes Park outfield. Robinson returned to the Topes in 2014 and was ecstatic to catch the ceremonial first pitch thrown by Petie Gibson, the grandson of Hall of Famer Josh Gibson, on Negro League Tribute Night.

OF Tony Gwynn, Jr. – 2012-13

The first time Tony Gwynn Jr. played at Isotopes Park was during his collegiate years at San Diego State, when his Hall of Fame father was the head coach. Tony has another family connection to the Duke City. His uncle, Chris Gwynn, played for the Dukes from 1987-89. As a Topes player, Tony left his biggest mark in Albuquerque during Game Four of the 2012 playoffs, when the Topes trailed, 10-3, in the seventh inning and were facing elimination. Gwynn’s go-ahead, three-run homer capped a nine-run rally that sent the ballpark into delirium. Gwynn hit an even .300 in 2013, and compiled a .393 on-base percentage, with his discerning eye. But fans also recall the numerous catches Gwynn made on the unique “Topes Slope” in center field.

CF Matt Kemp – 2012-13

Some rehab assignments are more famous than others. When Kemp came to Albuquerque in 2012, he was coming off a runner-up finish in the Most Valuable Player voting, a Gold Glove award in center field, a Silver Slugger, and he’d come tantalizingly close to joining the “40/40 Club” with 39 home runs and 40 stolen bases. On May 27-28, Kemp put on a show, going a combined 5-for-7 with a home run in each game and five RBIs. He returned later in 2012 and again in 2013 on rehab assignments, adding demand at the box office and electricity in the stands.

SS/2B Dee Strange-Gordon – 2011-13

Before he was a two-time All Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner in the Major Leagues, Gordon terrorized Topes opponents with his speed and hand-eye coordination for the Isotopes. He first arrived at Triple-A in 2011 as a shortstop, hit .333, scored an astounding 51 runs in 70 games, and was successful on 30-of-34 stolen bases, a pace of 118 runs and 69 steals for a 162-game season. After the Dodgers traded for Hanley Ramirez, Gordon was back with the Topes late in the 2012 season and helped them reach the playoffs. Then, in 2013, Gordon made the successful conversion to second base, led the league with 49 stolen bases, and compiled a 20-game hitting streak before returning to the majors for good.

OF Wynton Bernard – 2021

Even before he arrived in Albuquerque, outfielder Wynton Bernard knew all about the city, the food, and the sports facilities. His older brother, Walter, was all All-Conference defensive back for the University of New Mexico football team, and family outings to the Duke City were a regular occurrence. On the diamond, Bernard joined Lindsey and Robinson in getting selected “Fan Favorite” by Isotopes fans in 2021. Bernard wowed fans with his speed, once scoring a game winner on a shallow flyball to left field once, and scored from second base on a groundout to the pitcher. The highlight was making a circus catch, falling down on The Hill in center field, then waving and blowing kisses to the fans while still seated.

https://www.krqe.com/sports/local-sports/isotopes-outfielder-wynton-bernard-has-childhood-ties-to-lobo-football/

Check back to www.abqisotopes.com throughout February as we celebrate the most prominent Black players in the Duke City’s history from the Isotopes era (2003-current), the Dukes Triple-A era (1972-2000) and the Early Years (1888-1971)