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Another Negro Leaguer passes away
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"Prince" Joe Henry
Having been a Negro League historian for almost 20 years, I've gotten used to hearing that another of my heroes has passed away. The Negro Leagues were in their heyday in the 1940s, so most Negro League veterans are about the same age as World War II vets.
Last week, one of the players who starred after integration, "Prince" Joe Henry, died at the age of 78 in East St. Louis, Illinois. Though he didn't play when the league was in its prime, Henry was a unique player with some big league ability.
Henry played with the Indianapolis Clowns, the team that also sent Hank Aaron to the Majors. The Clowns combined great baseball with comedy, much like the Harlem Globetrotters, and played more games, in more towns, than any other professional team in history.
Though some may view the Clowns style as degrading--and it wasn't for all players--they did spread happiness and baseball all over the United States.
Henry grew up in Brooklyn, Illionois (aka Lovejoy), which is considered the oldest “black town” in the United States, as it was populated almost exclusively by blacks--it’s still more than 98% African-American.
Henry, a fine third baseman, was a fan favorite because of the flair with which he played, and one odd habit: on routine grounders, Henry would field the ball, sprint toward first, then stop and throw the ball to first just in time. In reality, Henry did this to make the throw shorter, but to fans it appeared he was trying to beat the runner to first!
Henry often played while wearing a tuxedo and tails, and also claims to have originated the idea of standing at home plate and admiring a long homerun long before Reggie Jackson ever thought of such a thing.
Unfortunately, Henry’s story after retiring as a player has been bittersweet. When the Major Leagues finally started paying Negro Leaguers a pension for time served in the late 1990s, Henry was denied any money because the small amount of money he collected from social security exceeded his $1000 per month expenses, by a few dollars.
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