Silent Greatness

"The secret to success is a good pair of shoes and a good mattress." ~ "Butch" McCord

"Well, I always say Lou Gehrig was my role model, Jackie Robinson was my hero and Willie Mays was the best." - "Butch" McCord

Above: McCord with Louisville Colonels

He aspired to be good and his play did the talking. A player's player, he was regarded by his peers as a slick-fielding, wicked-hitting first baseman.

"He could hit harder than lightning could bump a stump." - "Prince" Joe Henry, opponent in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League

Playing at a time when being one of the best to suit up and take the field didn't always advance you, he toiled in the minor leagues and made a career out of living up to his role model, his hero and even the best.

Getting his start with the Nashville Cubs at a very young age (still in school), he started to hone his skills and quickly became an anchor on the diamond. In his first two seasons with the Paris Lakers of the Mississippi-Ohio Valley league, he lumbered 16 and 15 homeruns respectively, coupled with beyond respectable averages of .363 and .392.

He became the first Black to play ball for Richmond, Virginia in 1955.

Clinton "Butch" McCord was born in Nashville, Tennessee and has had a baseball career that spans three decades. His contributions to the game, however, are endless as he donates much of his time and resources to R.B.I.

His recollections strike a chord with what we "think" we know about pioneers of the game and the Negro League. In stark contrast, you can discover all that we've read has little weight, for beyond Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and "Cool Papa" Bell stands a kid who made history and a man who lives to tell it.