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Warren’s Toles recalls baseball career
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Braceville native Ted Toles talks about his storied baseball career, which took him from the sandlots of Warren, to the New Castle Indians, through the minor leagues, and eventually into Negro League history, where he remains one of just a handful of players who can still make that claim. Toles, who resides in Warren, celebrates his 88th birthday today.
By Greg Gulas
WARREN
When Ted Toles sits with relatives and friends today in celebration of his 88th birthday, he will undoubtedly give thanks for a life well-lived and its longevity despite living on what he calls, “borrowed, but beautiful time.”
He’ll also pause to reflect on his baseball career; a time in his life that has taken him from the Warren sandlots, to the New Castle Indians to the minor leagues and eventually a spot in Negro League history where he remains one of just a handful of players today, nationwide who can still make that claim.
A member of two proud and storied franchises, the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Cleveland Buckeyes, his diamond career was marred by racial prejudice and a roadblock which prevented him and other people of color to advance to the major leagues.
Toles’ spirit never dampened for the game nor the many players that be played with and against in noted places like Ebbets Field (home of the old Brooklyn Dodgers), Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium (Philadelphia Phillies) and the game’s ultimate edifice, Yankee Stadium.
“I truly was blessed to be able to play the game that I loved. I got to meet many people I never would have met, from athletes to movie stars while playing in places I would never even have visited. That to me was exciting,” Toles said. “While racial prejudice has been well-documented during my era, I have no bitterness toward anyone because all I ever wanted to do was take a negative situation and turn it into a positive experience and I have lived like that my entire life.”
When Toles says he is living on borrowed time, he notes that his father died at age 43 while his mother passed away at age 52.
The father of seven children, his only daughter, Evelyn, was lost to cancer nearly two years ago this January.
“When I get sick now or feel under the weather, I just pause and reflect on how good I have had it over the years,” Toles said. “I’ve always wanted to do good things for people and that in the end is what makes me feel good most of all.”
Toles says his journey to the Negro Leagues never would have happened had Warren’s “Mr. Baseball,” Charlie Caffie, not taken an interest in him during his sandlot days.
“I’m one of the few remaining players from the old Negro Leagues because Charlie took a liking to me, encouraged me and taught me the right way to play the game,” he added. “I played for him in 1945 when he coached Warren G.C. and he made the game fun, which made everyone want to continue playing for him.”
Toles spent his first year in professional baseball playing with the Crawfords, a team that had earlier showcased the talents of no fewer than five future Hall-of-Famers, including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson and Oscar Charleston.
He later played with the Buckeyes during a three-year professional stint, however, as the Negro Leagues were breaking up (there were seven such leagues that have been documented over the years). Toles then barnstormed as a member of the Jackie Robinson All-Stars.
They took on the likes of Cleveland Indians fireballer Bob Feller and one of the era’s top independent white teams; the Honus Wagner All-Stars.
“We’d travel at night in order to get to our next destination on time. The Honus Wagner All-Stars were made up of a group of former Major League players that didn’t make it back to the show and I pitched seven innings in one game, winning 4-2,” he added. “In another game on the tour I gave up just one run in seven innings but we eventually lost, 2-1. In all, against some of the very best competition, we won seven consecutive games.
“My idols were Johnny Mize, Stan Musial, Joe “Ducky” Medwick and Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals,” Toles said. “I used to buy the old Cleveland Post so that I could read the box scores in order to catch up on what they were doing.
“I was the blessed one because I played with and against some of baseball’s all-time greats. Not bragging, but my pitching and batting statistics were comparable to the stars. I just felt like I belonged and while those making the decisions didn’t see it that way, I still had plenty of fun.”
Toles, who also played professionally in the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Athletics’ farm system, has been rewarded with his own baseball card, courtesy of Topps, Inc. and was inducted into the Ebony Lifetime Sports Hall of Fame.
He continues to appear at Major League and Minor League ballparks with other Negro League stars during their many throwback uniform games.