Interview with Sam Jethroe, May 23, 1981

Interview Summary

Sam "The Jet" Jethroe was born in East St. Louis, IL. He played center field in the Negro Leagues and was, for a brief period, the catcher for the Indianapolis ABCs. He also played in the Major Leagues. He played for the Dodgers' minor league team the Montreal Royals in the International League, and was also the first African American player on the roster of the Boston Braves. In 1994, Sam Jethroe sued Major League Baseball for pension payments. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed in federal court, but in 1997 Major League Baseball offered a yearly payment plan to veteran baseball players of the Negro Leagues. In this interview, Jethroe discusses his career playing for the Cleveland Buckeyes, his career with the Montreal Royals and the Boston Braves, the effects that segregation had on his career and life in general, his family, and some of his fellow players in the teams that he played for.

Interview Keyword

Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler Baseball Baseball Commissioner Boston Braves Cincinnati Buckeyes Cleveland Buckeyes Indianapolis ABCs International League Montreal Royals

Interview LC Subject

African American baseball players Baseball Baseball--United States Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991 Jethroe, Sam Jethroe, Sam--Interviews Major League Baseball (Organization) Negro leagues African Americans

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.