King Terrell
14 August 1909- 22 August 1984
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Born to George Terrell and Florence Gibson, Kingsley had six siblings: Mary Ellen, George, Kathleen, Charles, Evelyn and Harold. He later married Margaret Highgate. Kingsley Terrell was third baseman for the All-Stars during their 1934 season. His left-handedness made him a unique threat. Following his time with the All-Stars, he was employed at the William Pitt Hotel for over 40 years, working everything from general handyman, switchboard operator and bell boy to bell captain and elevator operator. He was credited with saving multiple guests’ lives when he was working on the switchboard. His battered glove is displayed at the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society museum.
In Other Words
“King Terrell was the hero of last night’s city baseball league game between the Stars and Kent Bridge, when, with two strikes on him and two our in the last frame, he got hold of one of Bus Reid’s good ones for a home run over the center field fence, with two of his mates aboard. The blow put the Stars on top end of a 6-4 count” ("Kent Bridge and Stars to Replay Game," Chatham Daily News, June 5, 1934).
“Terrell is one of the League’s most dangerous hitters. . . His left-handed shoots and curves are as baffling as any deliveries offered up by any pitcher in the circuit. . .For a left-hander he plays a great game at third base and his whip across the diamond is something to watch. . . A visit to Stirling Park might not be amiss because Terrell is bound to furnish a great exhibition” ("Braggs Defeated in Third and Final Game of Series," Chatham Daily News, August 20, 1934).
“King Terrell , the Stars’ third baseman, leads off the batting order [and is] the most dependable man on the team. He throws left handed and this is scarcely a handicap to [?]. He is fast on the bases and usually scores the first run of the game.” (Calder, "In a Foreign Field Today," Chatham Daily News, October 13, 1934).
“WM: And we know that you were the left-handed third baser who was really quite unique, very good.
KT: Well, I ain’t going to brag about what I did, myself, or anything like that, because that wouldn’t sound right.
WM: You were good. You were one of the team and everybody had their spot, but there wasn’t any left-handed third basemans around at that time.
KT: I had my picture taken in two, three places about being a left-handed third baseman. We played a team just outside of Windsor going towards Amherstburg. . .. That was the first time I ever had my picture taken. There was an announcer there, announcing the ball game and I remember, just as well as if it was yesterday, he said, “We have something new that we never had before or never seen before and ‘tisn’t likely you’ll ever see it again and it’s a left-handed third baseman.” And then he announced my name and everybody got up and gave me a big hand" (Harding-Milburn, "The Chatham All-Stars: An Interview with Kingsley Terrell," Polyphony 7, (1985): 111-120).
Resources
Articles
- Daniel J. Kelly, "The Chatham Coloured All-Stars 1933-34," http://scholar.uwindsor.ca/hardingpub/1
- Lauren A. Miceli, "The 1943 Chatham Colored All-Stars: Barnstorming to Championships," The Great Lakes Journal of Undergraduate History 4 no. 1 (2016): 8-16.
- Wanda Harding-Milburn, "The Chatham All-Stars: An Interview with Kingsley Terrell," Polyphony 7 no. 1 (1985): 111-116.
Newspapers
- "Braggs Defeated in Third and Final Game of Series," August 20, 1934.
- Jack Calder, "In a Foreign Field Today," Chatham Daily News, October 13, 1934.
- "Kent Bridge and Stars to Replay Game," June 5, 1934.