National Baseball Hall of Fame

Ted Williams's 1966 Hall of Fame Speech Advocated for Negro League Players

Ted Williams, the last .400 hitter, used his 1966 Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech to advocate for the inclusion of Black Negro League players like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, who were excluded by baseball's color barrier. His influential plea helped lead to their eventual induction, despite MLB's initial controversial "separate exhibit" plan that drew "Jim Crow" comparisons.