Eugene Benson (October 2, 1913 – April 6, 1999) was an American center fielder in

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

. He played for the Philadelphia Stars in 1937, moved to the

Homestead Grays The Homestead Grays (also known as Washington Grays or Washington Homestead Grays) were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, and remained in continuo ...

in 1938, and returned to the Stars from 1939 to 1948. He stood 5-foot-8 and weighed 185 pounds at the peak of his career.

Playing career

At age 19, Benson joined

Louis Santop Louis Santop Loftin (January 17, 1889 – January 22, 1942) was an American baseball catcher in the Negro leagues. He became "one of the earliest superstars" and "black baseball's first legitimate home-run slugger" (Riley), and was elected to the B ...

's Philadelphia semi-pro team, Santop's Bronchos, for which he played first-base in the 1932 season. He tried out for and signed with the

Brooklyn Royal Giants The Brooklyn Royal Giants were a professional Negro league baseball team based in Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 1905 by John Wilson Connor (1875–1926), owner of the Brooklyn Royal Cafe, the team initially played against white semi-pro teams. ...

. Veteran Highpockets Hudspeth played first for the Royal Giants and Benson played in left field. In 1934, Benson signed with the

Boston Royal Giants The Boston Royal Giants were a Negro league baseball team in Boston. The team was also known as the Boston Giants, Quaker Giants, Philadelphia Giants and Boston Colored Giants. The Royal Giants served as a farm team of sorts for the league. They p ...

Contemporary honors

The

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. ...

have hosted a "Judy Johnson Night – A Tribute to Negro League Baseball" since 1996 in which the team, the City of Wilmington, and the Judy Johnson Memorial Foundation honor a Negro leagues player. The Blue Rocks honored Benson in 1998. The Marian Anderson Recreation Center at 17th and Fitzwater Streets in Philadelphia, near

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United ...

's birthplace, has a baseball field called "Anderson Yards". Benson was invited to throw out the first pitch on opening day of the 1998 little league season at the field. The league "retired" and placed on the outfield wall, Jackie Robinson's number 42 and Benson's number 16. In 2003, baseball historian Bill James identified Benson as the top Negro league player of the 1944 season.

References

External links

an
Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats
an
Seamheads

Baseball Library: Gene Benson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Gene 1913 births 1999 deaths Baseball players from Pittsburgh Philadelphia Stars players Homestead Grays players Baseball outfielders American expatriates in Cuba 20th-century African-American sportspeople

Playing career

Contemporary honors

References

Further reading

External links