Enos Slaughter
"Country" Slaughter made his first major league appearance with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938 and remained with the team until 1953 except for the years of his military service from 1943 to 1945. Slaughter later played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, and Milwaukee Braves. During this time Slaughter played in five World Series and ten All-Star Games. He led the National League in triples, double plays by an outfielder, and assists twice. Slaughter also led the league in runs batted in (RBIs) in 1946. The Sporting News named Slaughter to their Major League All-Star Team twice.
Slaughter's hustle and performance on the field were to be marred by events which mirrored the difficulties the nation faced in dealing with issues of equality and civil rights. In 1942 Branch Rickey left the St. Louis Cardinals to organize and manage the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1947 Rickey broke baseball's color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson to a contract with Brooklyn. That same year Slaughter attempted to influence the Cardinal players to go on strike in protest of Robinson's presence on the Dodger's roster. The strike attempt failed. In a later game against the Dodgers, Slaughter intentionally spiked Robinson.
Slaughter's hustle on the field and athletic ability will always be tainted by his reaction to Jackie Robinson. His attitude was similar to the attitude that North Carolina and the nation would come to face in the civil rights movements of the 1960s.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Too bad he was of a racist era . . .