Career
Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In the late 19th century, few black hitters matched up with Grant. However, two pitchers could be argued to have been the greatest players of their era - Newark's George Stovey and Syracuse's Robert Higgins.
A middle infielder, mostly a second baseman, Grant's fielding was widely praised as the best in the league. When he joined Buffalo of the IL in the 1880s, some believed he was the best player they have ever had, even though future Hall of Famers had played there before him.
Grant had substantial power at the plate, often hitting home runs and very often getting extra base hits. Grant hit for extra bases every four times he got a hit. Surprisingly, he was quite small (5'7", 155 pounds). He also hit .344 with Buffalo.
Playing mostly second base, he was frequently among the league leaders in batting (1886 - 7th, .326; 1886 - 3rd, .340; 1888 - 5th, .346; 1890 - 5th, .328). In 1887, the 22-year-old paced the IL with 11 home runs and 49 extra-base hits and led Buffalo with 40 stolen bases. Grant also earned the nickname the "Colored Dunlap" in honor of the white Fred Dunlap, the major leagues' slickest fielding second baseman at the time.
He repeatedly impressed the white baseball establishment. In 1887, John Chapman, the Bisons' veteran manager, valued Grant's services at $5,000—quite a compliment when Chicago had recently sold superstar Mike Kelly to Boston for $10,000. Despite significant racial turmoil that year, Buffalo forced the IL to rescind a proposed color line to keep Grant in town.
Grant is also notable for becoming the first black player to play on the same team in organized baseball for three consecutive seasons.
By 1888, anti-black sentiment was all around the league, and it seemed only Buffalo argued against segregation (possibly because of Grant). When blacks were banned from organized, white-controlled baseball after 1887, Grant went on to become a hugely successful Negro Leaguer for the Cuban X Giants, Big Gorhams and Philadelphia Giants into the 20th century.
During the 1887 season, he hit for the cycle in one game and stole home twice in another.
Grant ended his career in 1903, ending the early era of the Negro Leagues. From there, the Negro leagues would blossom and grow up to the mid-1940s, but they likely never would have done so without the early players, such as Grant.
He died at age 71 in New York City. His grave in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton, New Jersey, was unmarked until June 2011.
Read more about this topic: Frank Grant
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