One For The Road: Happy Birthday, Cap Anson

By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 17, 2012 10:40PM

Informal three-quarter length portrait of Cap Anson standing leaning his arm on a dugout, standing in front of the grandstands at West Side Grounds in Chicago. An unidentified man is standing in front of Anson. Crowds are sitting and standing in the grandstands in the background. Taken in 1906. Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.

Adrian "Cap" Anson was born on this date 160 years ago in 1852. Anson played for the White Stockings, which became the Colts and ultimately the Cubs. He was the first hitter to tally 3,000 career hits and led the team to five National League pennants.

Not all of Anson's influence on baseball was positive, though. Anson refused to take the field if there were African American players on the opposing team, and his behavior is said to have contributed to segregating baseball Bleed Cubbie Blue writes:

To say that Anson is the father of segregated baseball is a serious overstatement; to say that he significantly influenced, by his example, those who did draw that line, is not.

Racism was called by its name in Anson's time. He had the choice to overcome it, but didn't. His personal bombast has not helped his case in history, the self-appointed paragon falls harder than the mere bigot. Whether Anson changed his attitude with time is an open question, as will be seen. In recent years, as the history of segregated ball and the Negro Leagues has received long-overdue attention, Anson's behavior in these affairs has come to be considered his primary legacy.

Below is a brief biography of Anson from the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1939.