Hey! All right so February has arrived, and all month long on the first floor of the Grand Central branch, we’ll be showcasing various books pertaining to the Negro Leagues. We’ll also have a daily spotlight on Negro Leaguers who have been elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s all interesting stuff to read about, so do be sure to stop down and check out a book on the subject. Now while we’ll be highlighting certain ballplayers whose numbers and accomplishments have deemed them worthy of a bronze plaque in Cooperstown, let’s not forget baseball also has its share of individuals who’ve left a mark on the game without enshrinement. That being said, ever heard of Toni Stone?

St. Paul, Minnesota native Marcenia Lyle “Toni” Stone was the first of three women to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues. Ever the tomboy, Stone (who was a second baseman) played baseball all throughout her youth on local boys teams. Stone’s career officially got underway in 1949 when she signed  with the San Francisco Sea Lions, a semi-pro barnstorming team. She subsequently had stints with the New Orleans Black Pelicans and the New Orleans Creoles, before finally being approached by Syd Pollack, then owner/promoter of the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. Now here’s the thing about the Clowns, they’re commonly regarded as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball. They played believable baseball, but there were a lot of “comedy routines” mixed in, giving the crowd both an athletic and amusing performance. The Clowns were actually the first team to tender Hank Aaron his first professional contract in 1951. But after dominating the Negro League pitching (as a shortstop no less!), Aaron’s contract wound up being sold to Major League Baseball’s Boston Braves three months later. The rest was history.

But anyway, Stone’s scrappy style of play piqued the interest of Pollack in 1953, who felt that having a woman play ball for his team would both keep the Clowns “publicity stunt” reputation intact, as well as put fans in the seats. Stone agreed to terms with Indianapolis, and thus became the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues. Her time there however was not long; she spent the 1953 season with the Clowns, and the 1954 season with the Kansas City Monarchs before hanging up her cleats. Regrettably, it was always a struggle for Stone amongst her male teammates and coaches. She rarely played (her primary reason for retiring) and had a lot of abuse thrown her away on account of her gender. Stone wasn’t allowed to change in the locker room, and was even humiliated by Pollack when he asked her to play in a skirt, a request she refused. Following her baseball career, Stone became a nurse and lived out her days in Oakland, California before passing away of heart failure in 1996.

Even with all of the hardships Stone faced, there was plenty of skill on display within her brief professional career. She collected a hit off the legendary Satchel Paige at one point. She also opened up the door for two other female ballplayers in the Negro Leagues, Mamie Johnson and Connie Morgan. Stone simply made history, and was rewarded in 1985 when she was inducted into the Women’s Sports Foundation’s International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. Her story is a fascinating one. You can read all about her journey here, and for more Negro League literature, please visit our catalog.