The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE PAGE FENCE GIANTS BASEBALL TEAM
______
HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Friday, February 25, 2022
Ms. SLOTKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Page Fence Giants, an all-black baseball team that was founded in 1894 in Adrian, Michigan. At a time when Jim Crow laws swept the nation and racial segregation largely divided sports, the all-black Page Fence Giants persevered, ultimately claiming their place in history in the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame.
The team was founded by Bud Fowler and Grant ``Home Run'' Johnson, both of whom went on to play for the Giants. The team was a knockout, winning over 100 games in each of their four seasons. And in 1897 they went on a winning streak, claiming 82 consecutive victories. The team's four-year run was an early success towards integration--but was phased out of the league decades before Jackie Robinson's 1947 debut.
The Page Fence Giants traveled around the Midwest and Canada on a 60-
foot railcar. While the team was celebrated and welcomed in some communities, they were discriminated against and disparaged in others, often barred from eating at the local restaurants or sleeping in the hotels. This railcar provided the basic necessities for the ball players when they were unwelcome to stay or dine in the whites-only establishments.
One of the full-time cooks on the train was William Wendell Gaskin, who is believed to be Lansing-born. Gaskin traveled with the team, cooking meals and even joining the team in a couple of games as the Giants' pitcher.
Last year, on June 19, our very own Lansing Lugnuts paid tribute to the Page Fence Giants by wearing historically accurate black and burgundy Giants jerseys.
While the Giants dissolved after four solid seasons in 1898, their contributions to sports and to Michigan's history will be forever remembered.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 35
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up