From the Chicago Tribune:
He was 6 years old when the Cubs last won the World Series. And he was 15 when the White Sox last captured it all.That should help long-suffering Chicago baseball fans put into perspective the remarkable life span of Theodore Roosevelt "Double Duty" Radcliffe, believed to have been the oldest living former Negro leagues baseball player. He succumbed to cancer at his South Side home Thursday at the age of 103.
He was an all-star catcher and pitcher in the Negro leagues for half a century, including a stint with the Chicago American Giants in 1934, 1941-43 and again in 1949-50. He played in Negro leagues All-Star games in front of 50,000 people at the old Comiskey Park. He also played in an exhibition game at Wrigley Field in 1945, the year the Cubs went on to win the National League pennant.
"I played against Andy Pafko and all of them," Radcliffe said two years ago. "Some of them were better than others, you know that. The boy who played third base . . . what was his name? Stan Hack? He was good. And Andy Pafko was a good ballplayer."
Radcliffe, who played for more than 30 Negro leagues teams in 36 years, is estimated to have had more than 4,000 hits and 400 home runs while batting .303, according to biographer Kyle P. McNary. He also won about 500 games and had 4,000 strikeouts. He later became a manager.
The article tells a marvelous story. Here, too, is the obit from ESPN.
Good bye Double Duty. Thank you for playing and loving my favorite game so beautifully.
Posted by: Sox Fan at August 12, 2005 11:37 AMRest in Peace
Blessings to those who knew you well and will surely miss you
WW
4,000 hits and 500 games?
They really don't make them like that any more
Posted by: Dan in London at August 12, 2005 06:19 PM4,000 hits and 500 games?
Oh, I did that once.
Old Double Duty was a good man, though. I had dinner with him and Bill Veeck one night in Chicago back in the '60s. Double Duty ate the whole 72-oz. steak, so he got it for free, then he ordered everything on the dessert menu and borrowed Veeck's peg leg to pick the gristle out of his teeth.
Later Veeck let us in to fool around on the field at Old Comiskey. Back then, Veeck actually kept a bull steer in the bullpen. While I was throwing pitches to Radcliffe, Veeck opened the gate and flipped on the exploding scoreboard--which spooked the bull but good. You shoulda seen ol' Double Duty's face when he saw that bull come chargin' for him down the 3B line. He lit out towards Rightfield with the bull bearing down on him even as they passed 1st base. But Theo was fast, I tell you. He and the bull circled the field three times, and Theo was so fast, by the third lap Theo got so far in front that he'd actually come around *behind* the bull again. No lie. I stand before you as the walking truth.
Heading into home plate, Double Duty jumped up to grab the steer by the horns and wrestled it into submission on the ground. Sitting on top of that bull, he vowed that it would be his dinner tomorrow. Well, Veeck wouldn't give up his bull, but he promised to take Double Duty to some special spaghetti & lasagna place where they could get into a poker game in back. They let me tag along too, and that was quite a night, but that's another story for another time.
Rest in peace, Double Duty. Save a place at the table for me.
Posted by: frightwig at August 12, 2005 07:25 PMFrightwig, how do you get to meet such cool people?
Posted by: mk at August 13, 2005 04:31 AMMy good personal friend Sid hooks me up.
Posted by: frightwig at August 13, 2005 01:48 PM