Black Aces

File:Don Newcombe 1955.png, the first Black Ace]]

Following the desegregation of MLB in the late 1940s, and continuing through the establishment of the MLB draft in 1965, it was common for major-league teams to convert African-American pitchers into position players rather than allowing them to continue pitching.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/ostler/article/Pass-it-on-Norris-wants-to-keep-Aces-legacy-2590750.php|title=Pass it on -- Norris wants to keep Aces' legacy alive|first=Scott|last=Ostler|date=31 May 2007|website=SFGate}} Through the 1950s, only two African-American pitchers were 20-game winners—Don Newcombe and Sam Jones. In 1965, they were joined by Bob Gibson and Mudcat Grant; the latter being the first African-American 20-game winner in American League history. One African-Canadian pitcher, Ferguson Jenkins and one African-American Earl Wilson, also accomplished the feat during the 1960s. Since then, there have been several additions to the list of such pitchers—referred to as Black Aces—three in the 1970s, three in the 1980s, one in the 2000s, and two in the 2010s.

In the mid-2000s, surviving members of the group organized to promote their successes and encourage the development of future black players.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/kroichick/article/The-Black-Aces-Book-profiles-13-pitchers-who-2540299.php|title=The Black Aces / Book profiles 13 pitchers who changed perceptions|first=Ron|last=Kroichick|date=28 February 2006|website=SFGate}} In 2007, The Black Aces: Baseball's Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners was published, authored by Grant. Some black pitchers from Latin America, notably Cuban-born Luis Tiant (a 20-win pitcher four times in his career), have expressed disappointment that they were not included.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-tiantnew21sep21,0,3848268.story?page=1&coll=sfla-sports-front|title=Topic Galleries – South Florida |website=Sun-Sentinel.com}} Meanwhile, Canadian-born Ferguson Jenkins is included as a Black Ace (Jenkins traces his ancestry on his mother's side to escaped U.S. slaves).{{cite web |url=http://www.whoswhoinblackcanada.com/2010/12/13/fergie-jenkins-jr/ |title=Ferguson Jenkins Jr. |work=Who's Who in Black Canada |access-date=July 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225210640/http://www.whoswhoinblackcanada.com/2010/12/13/fergie-jenkins-jr/ |archive-date=February 25, 2011 |via=Wayback Machine}}

In February 2007, during an event to honor Black History Month, President George W. Bush honored book author Grant and three of his fellow Black Aces (Jenkins, Mike Norris, and Dontrelle Willis) at the White House.{{cite web |title=President Bush Celebrates African American History Month |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070212-5.html |website=georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov |publisher=The White House |access-date=December 29, 2018 |date=February 12, 2007}} During the 2007 MLB season, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum had a traveling exhibit honoring the Black Aces.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/New-problem-for-Geren-when-DL-ranks-thin-2590868.php|title=New problem for Geren when DL ranks thin|first=Rusty|last=Simmons|date=30 May 2007|website=SFGate}} The Black Aces were celebrated at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum during that season.{{Cite web |url=http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070524&content_id=1983712&vkey=pr_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak |title=A's honor Vida Blue, Mike Norris, Dave Stewart and Jim "Mudcat" Grant |access-date=2012-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418183514/http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070524&content_id=1983712&vkey=pr_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak |archive-date=2015-04-18 |url-status=dead }}

Three members of the Black Aces, Gibson, Jenkins and Sabathia, are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Grant's book, published in 2007, listed 13 pitchers as Black Aces.{{cite book |title=The Black Aces: Baseball's Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners |first1=Jim "Mudcat" |last1=Grant |authorlink1=Mudcat Grant |first2=Tom |last2=Sabellico |first3=Pat |last3=O'Brien |publisher=Aventine Press |date=2007 |isbn=978-1593304881}} Subsequently, two African-American pitchers have also won 20 or more games in a single MLB season. Thus, there are currently 15 pitchers considered Black Aces, as listed in the following table.{{cite news |url=https://mlbbro.com/2021/04/25/what-is-a-black-ace-cc-sabathia-blesses-david-price-with-some-brotherly-drip/ |title=What Is A Black Ace? {{!}} CC Sabathia Blesses David Price With Some Brotherly Drip |first=DA |last=Gambler |website=mlbbro.com |date=April 25, 2021 |accessdate=February 18, 2024}}

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Category:Pitching (baseball)

Category:Lists of African-American people

Category:Lists of Major League Baseball players