John Frank "Junior" Fallings (November 3, 1926 – September 22, 1983) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League in 1947 and 1948.[1]
| John Fallings | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 3, 1926 Lamar County, Georgia | |
| Died: September 22, 1983 (aged 56) Atlanta, Georgia | |
Batted: Unknown Threw: Right | |
| Negro league baseball debut | |
| 1947, for the New York Black Yankees | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1948, for the New York Black Yankees | |
| Teams | |
|
Career edit
A native of Lamar County, Georgia, Fallings began his baseball career with the Atlantic Black Crackers at age 16 in the early 1940s.[2]
During World War II, he served in the United States Army and was discharged on March 6, 1946.[3][4]
By 1947, he had joined the New York Black Yankees.[5] He appeared in one documented Negro National League game, pitching 2.0 innings in relief on May 16, 1947 in a game against the Baltimore Elite Giants.[6] In June 1947, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle speculated that Fallings could be the first Black pitcher to enter the major leagues,[2] one month before Dan Bankhead would accomplish the feat with the Brooklyn Dodgers.[7] He later appeared in a game against the Negro American League's Chicago American Giants on August 7.[8] Fallings was one of eight players to return to the team for the 1948 season.[9]
Though primarily a pitcher, he also played left field.[10] Fallings died in Atlanta, Georgia in 1983 at age 56.
References edit
- ^ Riley, James A. (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-0959-6.
- ^ a b "Stars to Face Black Yankees". Democrat and Chronicle. July 27, 1947. p. 53. Retrieved January 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Black Yanks Face Harris". Democrat and Chronicle. July 31, 1947. p. 28. Retrieved January 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8BD-8WC : 5 December 2014), John F Fallings, enlisted 06 Mar 1946, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
- ^ "John Fallings Seamheads profile". Seamheads.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Baltimore Elite Giants (BLG) 6 New York Black Yankees (NY5) 4 at Retrosheet". retrosheet.org. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ "Dan Bankhead, 54, Ex-Dodger". New York Times. May 7, 1976.
- ^ "Chicago American Giants (CAG) 9 New York Black Yankees (NY5) 4 at Retrosheet". retrosheet.org. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ "Crow Holds Out as Yanks Begin Training Grind". The New York Age. April 17, 1948. p. 7. Retrieved January 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Allendale Upsets Royal Giants, Bows to Black Yankees". Ridgewood Herald-News (Ridgewood, New Jersey). August 21, 1947. p. 14. Retrieved January 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference and Seamheads
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