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| http://tedtolesjr.com/Press.html |
Toles touring parks with Negro League exhibits
He played with four teams in the 1940s including Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Sunday, July 2, 2006
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
WARREN — Ted Toles Sr. of Warren is reaping much of the recognition, respect and enjoyment that were denied to him
as Negro League player with four different teams in the 1940s.
Toles was a southpaw pitcher, outfielder and switch-hitter for the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1946), Cleveland Buckeyes
(1947), Newark Eagles (1947) and Jacksonville Eagles (1949).
Toles, who lives with his sister Louise, has been traveling around the country with his sons and friends to attend various
Negro League exhibits at major league ballparks.
Toles has been invited to attend the exhibits, which are sponsored by Rodeway Trucking. Rodeway pays for most of Toles'
expenses.
"Rodeway has a museum on wheels, just a small one, and they get permission from the major league ballparks to set up
the museum," said Nelson Toles, one of Ted Sr.'s seven sons who also lives in Warren and is employed by Mittal Steel as
a heater.
Ted Toles Jr., another son who lives in Youngstown and is employed by Thomas Steel, said that his father, who is 80 and
retired, began attending the exhibits last year.
"We've been going last year and this year," said Ted Jr. "A couple people have been traveling with us to different states."
Attended five exhibits
Nelson and Ted Jr. said that their father has attended five of the exhibits at major league ballparks. They've been to
Cleveland (twice), Chicago, Toronto and Cincinnati.
Last Monday, Ted Sr., along with Ted Jr., Nelson and another son, Lonnie Toles, and friend Junior Butler, attended the
opening of the Pittsburgh Pirates' mini-museum and exhibit at PNC Park.
Ted Sr. was an invited guest along with another former Crawfords' player.
The exhibit recognizes and honors the Negro League, including the seven Pittsburgh Crawfords and Pittsburgh Grays
players who have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: "Cool Papa" Bell, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy
Johnson, Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige and Smokey Joe Williams.
The Pirates say they have unveiled "a permanent exhibit at PNC Park that celebrates the legacy of the city's two famed
Negro League Clubs: The Pittsburgh Crawfords and Grays. The shrine, located just inside the left-field gate, is the first of
its kind at a big-league park."
The Pirates also said the museum houses the "seven life-size bronze statues" of each of the seven Hall-of-Fame players,
"each attended by a video display."
Bell, Gibson and Johnson played for both the Crawfords and Grays, while Williams and Leonard played only for the Grays
and Charleston and Paige only for the Crawfords.
Two sons played for YSU
Two of Toles' sons played football for Youngstown State University in the 1980s.
Lonnie Toles lives in Braceville with his mother, Jean Toles, and works as a truck driver. The other brother is Larry Toles.
Both graduated from LaBrae High.
Larry, who now lives in Gaithersburg, Md., and is a computer programmer and consultant for a construction company,
played defensive back at YSU and was a letterwinner from 1984-86.
Rounding out the family are: Leslie Toles of Washington, D.C., who is a warehouse manager; Robert Toles of Rapid City,
S.D., employed by the U.S. Post office; and sister Evelyn Lockett, a school teacher in Columbus.
Encouraging participation
Nelson said the family has "been trying to get [Ted Sr.] to as many of the events as we can."
Ted Jr. believes that his father was a special player and was considered a poster player for the Crawfords.
"When the Crawfords advertised the team, they had [dad] in the picture hitting, pitching and fielding in a three-way
photograph," said Ted Jr., who is hoping the family can find one of the posters.
But he said they have the photo of his father that appears on Negro League baseball cards as do other former players,
including James Cobbin of Youngstown, a Negro League supporter and one of Ted Sr.'s friends.
Ted Jr. also said that his father has received a special invitation to attend another program honoring Negro League
players Friday through next Sunday at PNC Park.
And he said that his father probably will continue to attend the exhibits in the years to come.
Meanwhile, Nelson has called the experience "a nice and wonderful thing" for his father and family.
kovach@vindy.com
Sunday, July 2, 2006
http://www4.vindy.com/content/sports/local_regional/310628814955305.php
He played with four teams in the 1940s including Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Sunday, July 2, 2006
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
WARREN — Ted Toles Sr. of Warren is reaping much of the recognition, respect and enjoyment that were denied to him
as Negro League player with four different teams in the 1940s.
Toles was a southpaw pitcher, outfielder and switch-hitter for the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1946), Cleveland Buckeyes
(1947), Newark Eagles (1947) and Jacksonville Eagles (1949).
Toles, who lives with his sister Louise, has been traveling around the country with his sons and friends to attend various
Negro League exhibits at major league ballparks.
Toles has been invited to attend the exhibits, which are sponsored by Rodeway Trucking. Rodeway pays for most of Toles'
expenses.
"Rodeway has a museum on wheels, just a small one, and they get permission from the major league ballparks to set up
the museum," said Nelson Toles, one of Ted Sr.'s seven sons who also lives in Warren and is employed by Mittal Steel as
a heater.
Ted Toles Jr., another son who lives in Youngstown and is employed by Thomas Steel, said that his father, who is 80 and
retired, began attending the exhibits last year.
"We've been going last year and this year," said Ted Jr. "A couple people have been traveling with us to different states."
Attended five exhibits
Nelson and Ted Jr. said that their father has attended five of the exhibits at major league ballparks. They've been to
Cleveland (twice), Chicago, Toronto and Cincinnati.
Last Monday, Ted Sr., along with Ted Jr., Nelson and another son, Lonnie Toles, and friend Junior Butler, attended the
opening of the Pittsburgh Pirates' mini-museum and exhibit at PNC Park.
Ted Sr. was an invited guest along with another former Crawfords' player.
The exhibit recognizes and honors the Negro League, including the seven Pittsburgh Crawfords and Pittsburgh Grays
players who have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: "Cool Papa" Bell, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy
Johnson, Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige and Smokey Joe Williams.
The Pirates say they have unveiled "a permanent exhibit at PNC Park that celebrates the legacy of the city's two famed
Negro League Clubs: The Pittsburgh Crawfords and Grays. The shrine, located just inside the left-field gate, is the first of
its kind at a big-league park."
The Pirates also said the museum houses the "seven life-size bronze statues" of each of the seven Hall-of-Fame players,
"each attended by a video display."
Bell, Gibson and Johnson played for both the Crawfords and Grays, while Williams and Leonard played only for the Grays
and Charleston and Paige only for the Crawfords.
Two sons played for YSU
Two of Toles' sons played football for Youngstown State University in the 1980s.
Lonnie Toles lives in Braceville with his mother, Jean Toles, and works as a truck driver. The other brother is Larry Toles.
Both graduated from LaBrae High.
Larry, who now lives in Gaithersburg, Md., and is a computer programmer and consultant for a construction company,
played defensive back at YSU and was a letterwinner from 1984-86.
Rounding out the family are: Leslie Toles of Washington, D.C., who is a warehouse manager; Robert Toles of Rapid City,
S.D., employed by the U.S. Post office; and sister Evelyn Lockett, a school teacher in Columbus.
Encouraging participation
Nelson said the family has "been trying to get [Ted Sr.] to as many of the events as we can."
Ted Jr. believes that his father was a special player and was considered a poster player for the Crawfords.
"When the Crawfords advertised the team, they had [dad] in the picture hitting, pitching and fielding in a three-way
photograph," said Ted Jr., who is hoping the family can find one of the posters.
But he said they have the photo of his father that appears on Negro League baseball cards as do other former players,
including James Cobbin of Youngstown, a Negro League supporter and one of Ted Sr.'s friends.
Ted Jr. also said that his father has received a special invitation to attend another program honoring Negro League
players Friday through next Sunday at PNC Park.
And he said that his father probably will continue to attend the exhibits in the years to come.
Meanwhile, Nelson has called the experience "a nice and wonderful thing" for his father and family.
kovach@vindy.com
Sunday, July 2, 2006
http://www4.vindy.com/content/sports/local_regional/310628814955305.php
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02/10/2008 Pitcher had 'a million thrills' Jason Lea JLea@News-Herald.com Ted Toles has been carried triumphantly from a baseball field by Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby, the first black men to play in the National and American Leagues, respectively. He pitched against Satchell Paige and to Josh Gibson, the first two Negro Leagues players selected to the Hall of Fame. He played minor league baseball with Gordie Howe in Canada. Yes, that Gordie Howe. He watched as Bob Feller struck out 17 in a single game at Cleveland's League Park, a field he would later play on with the Cleveland Buckeyes. He even once almost fought Doby during a game of poker. "I've been lucky to be around a lot of history," Toles told those who gathered to hear him speak at Morley Library on Saturday afternoon. Toles, who is now 82 and lives in Warren, also played with other teams in the Negro Leagues and minor league teams in the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees systems. He was in the hospital a month ago because of congestive heart failure, and he suffers from prostate cancer, but neither slowed him down Saturday as he recounted his time in the Negro Leagues. Toles played in the Negro Leagues' waning years. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Crawfords in 1946. Joe Caffie, who played for the Buckeyes and later the Indians, told Toles he had a better curveball than he ever saw in the pros. Toles also was quick with a bat, to hear him tell it. He recalled going homer for homer with Howe. "(Howe) would look at me and wonder how I hit it," Toles said. Toles never got rich playing baseball. He figures he never made more than $400 a month playing baseball. "I had a million thrills, but I didn't make a million dollars," he said. He is enjoying the renewed interest in his former career. He was the first Negro Leagues player on a Topps baseball card. "It's one of the greatest thrills I could have," he said. Toles sometimes dealt with racists while on minor league teams. He recalled one man who tried to give him a $1 for a cigar, so he would go away. The man said he did not drink with blacks. Of course, he phrased it more harshly. But Toles stood his ground, recalling his father's words: "You look the white man in his eyes. Don't drop your eyes. You're just as good as he is." The man quickly changed his tune. "He took his hand out, shook mine and asked if I'd like to share a drink," Toles said. Toles was joined by Isaac Brooks of the Society for American Baseball Research. Brooks spoke on the seven players from Cleveland Negro Leagues teams who later made it to the pros. They include Paige, Caffie, Samuel Jethroe (the 1950 rookie of the year), Quincy Trouppe, Al Smith, Vibert Ernesto Clarke and Samuel Jones. Brooks and his fellow SABR members also brought keepsakes, including Hank Aaron's coat from his time with the Indianapolis Clowns, a bat signed by Jethroe, and a picture signed by Cleveland Buckeyes "Nap" Gulley, Willie Grace and Jethroe, who were with the team when it won the Negro Leagues World Series in 1945. |
