Effa Manley

Effa Manley in the Baseball Hall of Fame

Effa Manley (born March 27, 1897 or 1900 , † April 16, 1981 in Los Angeles , California ) was an official in the Negro Leagues in American baseball .

biography

Effa Manley was the child of a relationship between her mother, Bertha Ford Brooks, and John M. Bishop, a wealthy white man from Philadelphia , who she worked for. Despite her multiraciality, she chose the harder way of life of the African American . Since her mother later had two marriages with African American people, most people also saw her as a fairer-skinned black woman.

During the 1932 World Series , she met her future husband, Abe Manley, at Yankee Stadium . He was very wealthy and could offer his wife some luxury. Her husband decided to put some of his money into baseball and started a team called the Newark Eagles , which played in the Negro Leagues. Since Abe Manley was too busy with other business, he put the management of the Eagles in the hands of his wife. Effa Manley made the Eagles her team, she worked as general manager, travel secretary and PR manager. She didn’t hold back with her opinions and brought a breath of fresh air into the Negro Leagues, which did not go down well with everyone. She made an effort to bring the Negro Leagues up to a more professional standard. After the death of her husband in 1946, she led the team alone.

One of their greatest sporting successes was the victory in the Negro League World Series in 1946. The best-known players of the Eagles, who later played in the Major Leagues , were Larry Doby , Monte Irvin and Don Newcombe . When racial segregation ended in 1947, she then sold the team.

Effa Manley died in Los Angeles in 1981. On February 27, 2006, she was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as the first woman .

Web links

• MLB report Effa Manley (English)
• Effa Manley in the Hall of Fame (English)