Alvin Dark

Alvin Dark enjoyed quite the dynamic sports career, initially surfacing as an effective running back in the same backfield as Steve Van Buren at LSU circa 1942. The Oklahoma native would then upon returning from service in World War II transfer to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and prove himself to be just as talented at baseball as he was at football. Beginning his major league career with a bang in 1948, Dark became the MLB Rookie of the Year for the Boston Braves. Playing shortstop and third base, Dark also spent quality time playing for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Braves during the course of his 14 seasons in the bigs. Starting in 1961, Dark then went on to manage the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, and San Diego Padres, winning a pennant with the Giants in 1962 and the World Series for the Athletics in 1974.

However for all of his successes and accolades, Dark produced controversy of the ugliest order by publicly stating during the 1964 season as manager of the San Francisco Giants that: "We have trouble because we have so many Negro and Spanish-speaking ball players on this team. They are just not able to perform up to the white ball players when it comes to mental alertness. You can't make most Negro and Spanish players have the pride in their team that you can get from white players." Let's not forget that he was evidently including then-Giant players and future-Hall-of-Famers Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, and Juan Marichal within that sweeping analysis.