WAUKESHA – Dennis “Bose” Biddle, who pitched for the Negro League Chicago American Giants in the 1950’s, will speak at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha on Thursday, October 17, at noon in the Commons Conference Room 101. Both his presentation and the exhibit of artifacts in the library on campus are open to the public at no charge. The exhibit will remain in place until November 1.
After explaining “The True History of Negro League Baseball,” Biddle will throw out the first ball in a softball game sponsored by the campus student African-American Union at 1:30 p.m.
Struggling to gain historical recognition befitting the contribution made by the Negro League players, Biddle is on a campaign to disseminate the story while there are still living players to assure its veracity. The youngest among those players, Biddle earned fame in his two seasons with the Chicago American Giants and signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1955. He broke his leg in spring practice and ended his major league baseball career before it started.
Instead he moved his family to Milwaukee and earned a degree from UW-Milwaukee in education and counseling. Now retired from social work, he devotes himself to developing a positive reputation for Negro League players who otherwise would be forgotten. He was instrumental in erecting the Negro Wall of Fame at the new Miller Park and has been negotiating with major league baseball for retirees’ benefits for the Negro League players, a number that has dwindled from more than 3,000 to fewer than 200.
Biddle was born in Magnolia, AR, and started throwing a baseball as soon as he was able to hold one. He developed curves and fastballs that were untouchable, creating a pleasant breeze for umpires on hot summer days. A scout at a National Farmers’ Association game in Arkansas invited him to Chicago to try out for the Negro League, and he began pitching at age 17 for the American Giants in 1953. By the time the season was finished, he had turned 18 and notched 15 victories. Adding another 15 his second season, he left the game with a 1.04 ERA and a new moniker, “The man who beat the man who beat Satchell Paige,” having outpitched Lefty McKinnis, who was the man who struck out Satchell Paige.
Formed in 1920 to give black baseball players a chance to compete professionally, the Negro League collapsed in 1960 after blacks were accepted in the major leagues and the best players were cherry-picked to join them.
Filled with stories of players with interesting names and unsung accomplishments, Biddle presents the first installment in the fall 2002 UW-Waukesha Visions & Expressions series, providing students with a greater breadth to their academic learning.
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