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Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Star-Ledger: Jocko Maxwell: The Hall missed this call

Jerry Izenberg, on the passing of Jocko Maxwell.

Jocko Maxwell died in West Chester, Pa., yesterday morning at age 100, roughly nine hours after the 2008 Major League All-Star Game ended up in the Bronx. There was a television set in his hospital room, but I don’t know whether he was allowed to watch the game. If he wasn’t, I can tell you right now that some night nurse had a hell of a fight on her hands that she may never forget.

“We, the old Afro-American players (the ones whom baseball’s social retardation kept out of their closed, lily white society for so long) owe him one hell of a debt,” Monte Irvin, 87, the former Newark Eagles/New York Giants superstar, said over the telephone yesterday. “So do the fans we had before they broke down racial barriers. So does baseball itself.”

Not that baseball knows it.

Not that baseball even knew who he was.

Repoz Posted: July 17, 2008 at 02:34 AM | 8 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: hall of fame, history, negro leagues, obituaries

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1. Walt Davis Posted: July 17, 2008 at 05:59 AM (#2861969)

For those who didn't bother to read it, he was an African-American sportscaster/sportswriter who covered the Newark Bears and the wider Negro Leagues (though that wasn't really his job at the paper it seems), kept box scores, etc. Sweet story. The writer's pimping the idea he should be in the media wing -- might well be deserving.

2. Jim Overmyer Posted: July 17, 2008 at 01:41 PM (#2862073)

For those who haven't bothered to read it so far, give it a shot.

I interviewed Jocko (and Jerry Izenberg) several years ago regarding Negro leagues ball in Newark. While I expected Jerry, the dean of New Jersey sportswriters, to be informative and riveting (and he was), I had no idea what to expect from Jocko. He turned out to have an encyclopedic knowledge of black sports in general, not just the topic we were supposed to talk about. It was one of those interviews that went on much longer than it needed to, but every minute was important.

As I write this I'm looking at a picture of Monte Irvin, who is thankfully still with us, and sadly thinking about all those folks I met from the '30s and '40s who, like Jocko, are no longer with us.

3. Dan Szymborski

Posted: July 17, 2008 at 02:00 PM (#2862089)

It should be noted that writers aren't considered Hall of Fame inductees - the Spink award is simply a yearly award with its own exhibit.

4. Van Lingle Mungo Jerry Posted: July 17, 2008 at 02:16 PM (#2862105)

In addition, there's no such thing as a "writer's wing" (unless you count the Buffalo Wild Wing bones caught in the rolls of flab beneath Conlin's man breasts).

5. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 17, 2008 at 04:30 PM (#2862223)

In addition, there's no such thing as a "writer's wing"

True, but the media usually uses the term. In an effort to enhance their own status, they readily sacrifice accuracy. Happens in a lot of other contexts, too.

6. Dan Szymborski

Posted: July 17, 2008 at 04:33 PM (#2862228)

unless you count the Buffalo Wild Wing bones caught in the rolls of flab beneath Conlin's man breasts

That's Andy Dick's job.

7. jwb Posted: July 17, 2008 at 04:42 PM (#2862236)

Buffalo Wild Wings is no place for a teenager

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