By Sarah Berlinger Being the sports enthusiasts that we are, MTS was delighted to recently receive a collection of baseball memorabilia from the Museum of African American History in Boston. The twenty items, including shoes, socks, rosin bags, and a uniform, all belonged to Will "Cannonball” Jackman. A professional pitcher for over 25 years, he has been called “the best baseball player you’ve never heard of.” Throughout Jackman’s career, he played in Texas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. He came to play for the Boston Colored Giants in 1924, and proved his dominance in the Greater Boston Colored League. Jackman played baseball into his sixties; a truly amazing feat. According to Negro League superstar Bill Yancey, later a Yankees scout, Jackman was the greatest all-around ballplayer he ever saw. The Jackman collection arrived at MTS for assessment to determine the feasibility of display in the upcoming MAAH exhibit, The Color of Baseball in Boston. The first course of action was to send the items to be treated in the anoxic fumigation chamber at Historic New England. Some items, Such as Cannonball's cap, showed damage from past insect activity. ![]() After fumigation, the collection was surface-cleaned with a HEPA vacuum to remove particulate matter. All but four of the clothing items will be washed gently to reduce deterioration products without removing signs of past use. The shoes have been reinforced for pitching. Photo courtesy of Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket, MA, USA. Stitched repairs will be kept to a minimum but crucial restorations will be undertaken to camouflage insect damage. A custom-built Ethafoam mannequin will then be constructed to allow the uniform to be exhibited. Jackman chose to make Massachusetts his home because of how well he was treated here, and he stayed in the area until his death in 1972. While playing, he also held a job as chauffeur. He drove during the day, pitched nights and weekends, and then kept his chauffering job after retiring from the sport.
We’re very excited to have a role in the preservation of artifacts belonging to such an important member of Boston sports history.
11 Comments
allan nelson
3/30/2012 09:31:50 am
I am an access field producer at bnn and am interested in topic. Avid baseball fan not aware of this history of black players in this area.
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Camille Breeze
3/30/2012 10:09:29 am
Hi Allan,
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9/27/2012 05:33:23 pm
Excellent Blog! I would like to thank for the efforts you have made in writing this post. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. I wanted to thank you for this websites! Thanks for sharing. Great websites!
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10/2/2012 09:17:53 pm
Maybe it's the photo, but he looks adorable here. I'm actually kinda liking the hair, and the smile, most definitely. :) 10/8/2012 05:26:50 pm
Early in 2012, a curious textile arrived at our new studio.
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4/12/2012 01:05:42 am
Hi Mike,
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Gwen Woodward
4/26/2012 06:21:29 am
Hi Allan,
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4/26/2012 10:16:04 am
Hi Gwen,
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8/28/2012 11:00:23 am
Can you provide any additional information about Cannonball's family roots prior to playing in Boston? Perhaps our shared last name is a mere coincidence, but since I'm a native Bostonian I'm curious about where his [great] grandparents may have come from. Thanks in advance.
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8/28/2012 11:05:58 am
Hi Kent,
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