March 11, 1901

John McGraw, manager of the Baltimore Orioles, is considering playing a Cherokee Indian named Chief Tokohama, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

However, McGraw's Tokohama is actually an African-American named Charlie Grant.

McGraw's plan will fail when Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey learns that Grant is a member of the Columbia Giants, an African-American team that plays in Chicago.

"I'm not going to stand for McGraw bringing in an Indian on the Baltimore team," Comiskey will say. "If Muggsy (McGraw) really keeps this Indian, I will get a Chinaman of my acquaintance and put him on third. Probably I might whitewash a colored man.

"Somebody said this Cherokee of McGraw's is really Grant, the crack Negro second baseman, fixed up with war paint and a bunch of feathers." While African-Americans had played in the majors in the 19th century, owners will keep them on the outside in the 20th century until Jackie Robinson will crack the color barrier in 1947.