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Andrew Porter (baseball)
MusiCitizen: –– N E W ––
'''Andrew V. Porter''' (March 7 1910 – July 1, 2010)<ref name=OBIT/> was an American [[Negro league baseball|Negro League Baseball]] and [[Minor League Baseball]] [[pitcher]]. Listed at 6' 4" (1.95 m), 190 lbs (86 kg), Porter batted and threw right handed. He was born in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]].<ref name=OBIT>[http://bit.ly/2Ubwzvm Andrew Porter Obituary]. ''Find A Grave website''. Retrieved on January 11, 2019.</ref>
Colloquially known as 'Andy Pullman', because he worked as hard as a [[Pullman porter]],<ref name=MLBdraft>[https://atmlb.com/2DvEluL 2008 Special Negro Leagues Draft]. ''MLB.com.'' Retrieved on January 23 2019.</ref> he was noted for his overpowering [[fastball]] and a hard-to-hit [[slider]].<ref name=OBIT/> Porter joined the Negro Baseball leagues in 1932 and retired in 1954 after a 22 year career, playing for several teams all over the country<ref name=Negro&MiLB>[http://bit.ly/2UbwA2o Andy Porter Negro and Minor Leagues statistics]. ''Baseball Reference''. Retrieved on January 12, 2019.</ref> and even outside its borders, in [[Cuba]],<ref name=FIGUEREDO/> [[Mexico]]<ref name=TRETO/> and [[Venezuela]].<ref name=VEN/>
==Career==
Porter started his career with the [[Baltimore Elite Giants#Negro league years|Cleveland Cubs]] in 1932, pitching for them briefly before joining the [[Louisville Black Caps]] and then moving across the league to finish the season with the [[Baltimore Elite Giants#Negro league years|Nashville Elite Giants]], the franchise for which Porter would play the majority of his Negro League career.<ref name=OBIT/> Porter, along with [[Bill Byrd]] and [[Jonas Gaines]], formed part of the Big Three on the Elite Giants' pitching staff.<ref name=MUSEUM/>
For the next six seasons Porter was a mainstay pitcher for the Elite Giants, which became rather nomadic, moving from [[Nashville, Tennesee]] to [[Columbus, Ohio]] in 1935 and to [[Washington D.C.]] in 1936, before landing finally in [[Baltimore, Maryland]] in 1938.<ref name=MUSEUM/>
As a 22-year-rookie, Porter had a 1-3 record in four games in 1933, improving to a 8-6 mark and a 3.53 [[earned run average|ERA]] in a 18-game campaign in 1934,<ref name=SeamHeads>[http://bit.ly/2Dyf2s1 Andy Porter pitching statistics and history]. ''SeamHeads.com''. Retrieved on January 21, 2019.</ref> when he was selected for the [[East–West All-Star Game]] after collecting the second-highest vote total of any Elite Giants player, although he did not appear in the game.<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA>[http://bit.ly/2UeQqd7 Andrew Porter Biography]. ''Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia''. Retrieved on January 21, 2019.</ref> During the off-season, he pitched particularly well in the [[California Winter League]], going 12-3 for the Giants, including 66 [[strikeout]]s while allowing only 21 [[base on balls|walks]] in 122.0 [[innings pitched|innings of work]].<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA/>
In 1935, Porter lost a significant part of the season due to an illness. Nevertheless, he was impressive enough during the remainder of the year, going 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in six appearances<ref name=SeamHeads/> and earning a repeat selection to the East–West All-Star Game, but he was not used in the game.<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA/>
Afterwards, Porter had two subpar seasons, going 3-3 with a 5.75 ERA in 1936 and 1-6, 4.66 in 1937,<ref name=SeamHeads/> being selected for the East–West All-Star Game in this last season. Once more, Porter did not appear in the game, but he was persistent and would show his skills in other significant showcases games.
It came in October 1936 during an exhibition series, when Porter faced an all-white, All-Star team that included future Hall of Famers [[Rogers Hornsby]] and [[Johnny Mize]], as he was 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two appearances.<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA/> In Game 2, Porter hurled four innings on one earned-run while striking out eight, including Hornsby twice.<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA/> Unfortunately, Porter charged with the loss after an [[unearned run]] was scored on two [[Error (baseball)|errors]] in the ninth inning. In Game 5, he was credited with the win in six innings of relief for [[Satchel Paige]], allowing just two runs and retiring Hornsby and Mize with the [[bases loaded]] in the fifth inning.<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA/><ref>McNeil, William (2007). ''Black Baseball Out of Season: Pay for Play Outside of the Negro Leagues''. McFarland. .</ref> Porter stayed with the Elite Giants in 1938, posting a 4-1 record and 2.57 ERA in six <ref name=SeamHeads/> before jumping to the [[Mexican League]] the following spring.<ref name=TRETO/>
Porter joined the [[Alijadores de Tampico]] Mexican club in 1939. Overall, he posted a 10-7 record and a 2.28 ERA for Tampico,<ref name=KELLEY/> leading the League with 111 strikeouts while pitching in the inaugural Mexican League All-Star Game played on August 29th in Mexico City.<ref name=TRETO>Treto Cisneros, Pedro (2002). ''The Mexican League/La Liga Mexicana: Comprehensive Player Statistics, 1937–2001''. McFarland & Company. </ref> During the winter, he traveled to Cuba and went 3-4 for the [[Leopardos de Santa Clara]] club.<ref name=FIGUEREDO>Figueredo, Jorge S. (2011). ''Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History, 1878–1961''. Macfarland & Company. </ref>
Meanwhile, a Negro League Baseball ban on players who jumped to Mexico had been clarified before the 1940 season as a three-year suspension.<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA/> As a result, Porter returned for a second season in the Mexican League in 1940. He then shifted to the [[Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo]],<ref name=TRETO/> where he became a real workhorse, appearing in nearly half of his team's games and winning 21 of their 39 victories while ending with a 3.34 ERA. Furthermore, he led the league with 27 [[complete game]]s, 296 innings pitched, 232 strikeouts and 125 walks,<ref name=KELLEY/> each of which were at the time league records. The strikeout record would last 12 years before Cuban pitcher [[Lino Donoso]] broke it in 1954.<ref name=TRETO/> After that, Porter pitched in the 1940-1941 Cuban Winter League season. He went 6-5 for the [[Alacranes de Almendares]], a team that otherwise finished last with a disappointing record of 20-26 in the four-team league.<ref name=FIGUEREDO/>
But Porter slowed his performance in 1941 with the [[Diablos Rojos del México]], posting a 11-16 record and a 4.47 ERA. Although he led the league with 133 strikeouts, Porter had problems with his control and gave up 116 walks in 235⅓ innings.<ref name=TRETO/>
In 1942, Negro League Baseball rescinded their ban on players in Mexico and Porter returned to the Elite Giants in the spring. He had a 7-1 record with the Elites, but after joining the [[Azules de Veracruz]] in the Mexican League, he continued struggling with his control and dropped to a 5-8 record with a 5.66 ERA and only 47 strikeouts to 81 walks.<ref name=KELLEY/>
The following season Porter appeared in only three games without a decision for Veracruz,<ref name=TRETO/> before rejoining the Elite Giants through the remainder of 1943. He went 2-3 with a 6.17 ERA in nine games.<ref name=SeamHeads/>
Upon his return to the Elites, Porter recovered his form and won 3 of his 4 decisions in 1944, and followed in 1945 with a perfect 7-0 record and a 3.38 ERA in 11 games, including two shutouts, leading the league in [[winning percentage]] and showing good control while striking out 30 batters and walking 18 in 81⅔ innings.<ref name=KELLEY/>
In 1946, his last year with the Elite Giants, Porter was 5-5 with a 4.30 ERA in 13 games, including 47 strikeouts to 23 walks in 90.0 innings.<ref name=SeamHeads/> This renewed success drew the attention of Nuevo Laredo and Porter returned briefly to Mexico, going 2-2 with a 5.12 ERA for the Tecolotes in 1947.<ref name=TRETO/>
Thereafter, Porter returned to the Negro Leagues and played briefly with the [[Newark Eagles]] in 1947 and for the [[Indianapolis Clowns]] over the course of three seasons from 1948–1950. He posted a 4-5 mark with a 4.68 ERA in 1948, improved to a 10-6 record with a 3.64 ERA in 1949, and appeared in only three games in 1950, winning his only two decisions.<ref name=KELLEY/>
At this time, he finally made an All-Star appearance at age 38, pitching three hitless innings for the East team and combining with two other pitchers to hold the West squad on two hits in a 4–0 shutout in the [[East–West All-Star Game|1949 East–West All-Star Game]]. Porter was preceded by [[Bob Griffith]] and followed by [[Pat Scantlebury]], who allowed two [[Single (baseball)|singles]] in the final three innings.<ref name=KELLEY>Kelley, Brent (2010). ''The Negro Leagues Revisited: Conversations with 66 More Baseball Heroes''. McFarland. </ref>
In between, Porter played winter ball with the [[Sabios de Vargas]] club of the [[Venezuelan Professional Baseball League|Venezuelan League]] in its 1949–1950 season. He posted a 5-6 record and a 5.26 ERA in 18 appearances, including 12 starts and five complete games, but struggled with his control throughout the season while allowing 60 walks and striking out 37 in 101.0 innings.<ref name=VEN>[http://bit.ly/2Dyr4BD Venezuelan Winter League statistics]. ''Pelota Binaria''. Retrieved on January 12, 2019.</ref>
Following a year off, Porter pitched for the [[Porterville Comets]] of the [[Southwest International League]] in 1952, being part of the first all-black team to play in [[Minor League Baseball]]<ref name=MLBdraft/> as well as one of the first clubs with an African American [[Manager (baseball)|manager]]. Porter was slated to hold the second slot on the pitching staff behind player-manager [[Chet Brewer]] and, despite his age of 41, enthusiastically was well above average in the six-team league, posting a 3-5 mark and a 4.27 ERA in 78.0 innings of work.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2U8yW26 1952 Southwest International League Pitching Leaders]. ''Baseball Reference''. Retrieved on January 22, 2019.</ref>
==Pitching statistics==
{| border="2" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #F9F9F9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size:100%;"
|- align=center style="background: #F2F2F2;"
!'''League!![[Win–loss record (pitching)|W]]!![[Win–loss record (pitching)|L]]!![[Winning percentage|W-L%]]
|-align=center
| NEBL || 58 || 37 || .611
|-align=center
| MEBL || 107 || 84 || .560
|-align=center
| SWIL || 3 || 5 || .375
|-align=center
| CUWL || 9 || 9 || .500
|-align=center
| VEWL || 4 || 9 || .308
|-align=center
|}
==Retirement==
After baseball, Porter began working for [[Goodyear Rubber Company]] in 1954. He retired in 1977 and moved to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]].<ref name=MUSEUM>[http://bit.ly/2DwGhTK Andrew Porter Biography]. ''Negro Leagues Baseball Museum website'', Retrieved on January 23, 2019.</ref>
Prior to the start of the [[2008 MLB Draft]], Major League Baseball held a [[2008 Major League Baseball draft#Negro Leagues Special Draft|Special Draft of the surviving Negro League players]] to acknowledge and rectify their exclusion from the major leagues on the basis of race. The idea of the special draft was conceived by Hall of Famer [[Dave Winfield]]. Every MLB team participated in the selection process, as 'Andy Pullman' was drafted by the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].<ref name=MLBdraft/> At first, he had no idea about it, but then he saw recognition in his eyes.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2UbwDLC Dodgers Draft Andy 'Pullman' Porter]. ''Dodgers Blue Heaven website''. Retrieved on January 23, 2019.</ref>
Porter died in 2010 in Los, Angeles, Califonia at the age of 100.<ref name=OBIT/> At the time of his death, he was the second oldest living Negro League ballplayer after [[Emilio Navarro|Emilio 'Millito' Navarro]].
==Notes==
Social Security Death Index and Porter's grave marker both give Porter's birth year as 1910.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2Dxbk1A Find A Grave Memorial 77011086].</ref> Porter's birth year is elsewhere listed as 1911.<ref name=Negro&MiLB/><ref name=SeamHeads/> In the 1920 U.S. Census, Porter is listed as age 10 when enumerated on January 12th, 1920. This more closely aligns with the 1910 birth year.<ref name=ENCYCLOPEDIA/>
==Sources==
==External links==
*Career statistics and player information from [http://bit.ly/2UbwA2o Baseball Reference (Negro and Minor Leagues)], or [http://bit.ly/2UeQqd7 Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia], or [http://bit.ly/2DwGhTK Negro Leagues Baseball Museum]
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:African-American baseball players]]
[[Category:African-American centenarians]]
[[Category:Alijadores de Tampico players]]
[[Category:Almendares (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Azules de Veracruz players]]
[[Category:Baltimore Elite Giants players]]
[[Category:Columbus Elite Giants players]]
[[Category:Diablos Rojos del México players]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Clowns players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Monarchs players]]
[[Category:Leopardos de Santa Clara players]]
[[Category:Louisville Black Caps players]]
[[Category:Nashville Elite Giants players]]
[[Category:Newark Eagles players]]
[[Category:Porterville Comets players]]
[[Category:Sabios de Vargas players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo players]]
[[Category:Washington Elite Giants players]]
January 25, 2019 at 12:57AM