Nashua is one of the lucky areas of this country that has had the privilege of being touched not only by one, but two baseball greats: Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe. We hope to pay tribute and recognize the efforts of these two men and of the righteous decision of the Nashua Dodgers to allow these two men to play the game of baseball. The next time youre at Holman, take the time to read the plaque commemorating the achievement of these men. The plaque is located at the front of the Pride Box Office. The citizens of Nashua can truly be proud.
IN 1946...Branch Rickey desegregated the Dodgers by sending Jackie
Robinson to Montreal AAA. Five months later, he opened a second phase
by signing catcher Roy Campanella and pitcher Don Newcombe. He had to
send them to A ball because of their history as Negro League stars,
but 3 of the 5 Dodger A teams were in segregated states. That left
Danville, IL and Nashua, NH. Danville refused the 2 players, but
Nashua GM Buzzie Bavasi said, "If they can play ball better than
what we have, we don't care what color they are."
Nashua, New Hampshire, according to Wendell Smith, was a typical New
England town, quiet, liberal, and staid in its ways. Located forty
miles north of Boston, Nashua residents seemed to have no qualms about
welcoming the two black athletes. These people are wonderful, reported
the ebullient Campanella. Newcombe and I go anyplace we want to, do
anything we please, and are treated like long lost sons. Newcombe and
Campanella and their wives constituted the entire black population of
Nashua. They rarely saw the other blacks in the area, who lived at a
lumber mill several miles outside of town. We even had to go to the
white barber shop, recalls Newcombe. He didnt know how to cut black
peoples hair. We got scalped many times by the barber who tried. He
could have said No, I dont cut black peoples hair, but he tried. Bad
haircuts, however, seemed a small price to pay. The two black families
had no trouble finding lodgings and experienced no problems in
restaurants or at the stadium. We were very lucky to play in that
area, says Newcombe. On a short brick outfield wall in a very short
left field are circles with the numbers 36, 39, and 42. The 42 is for
Jackie Robinson; the 36 and 39 are for his future Dodger teammates Don
Newcombe and Roy Campanella, who played here for the Nashua Dodgers in
the late 1940s. (Robinson never played at Nashua; he spent the 1946
season at Montreal before being recalled to Brooklyn in 1947.)
wallyg, iamhannah, rbaly79, go_dvls, and 4 other people added this photo to their favorites.
StarrGazr 85 months ago | reply
From an interview posted on the Dodger's website:
BJ_Neverett: Don, talk about your experiences in Nashua, N.H., in the Minor Leagues.
Newcombe: Nashua, in my memory, is one of the finest cities that I've been to in my lifetime. I say that because of the people and the way Roy Campanella and I were accepted there in 1946, when we had nowhere else to play in the entire Dodgers organization as black men. The city of Nashua and all of its people, including the president of the league, accepted us as if we were one of their own sons and I will forever be grateful to all of those people, for a part of my success. It had to start somewhere, and it started in Nashua.
Mama Jackie 85 months ago | reply
I never knew any of that and I've been here all my life. New mural? Looks like Maynard & Lesieur and I've never seen it before.
barvault 85 months ago | reply
Interesting--and fun!
StarrGazr 85 months ago | reply
Jackie, there was something I read somewhere (memory is gone) that told about the people who had designed it and the group that had painted it. I can't find any of that information now, but I know it was just completed within the last month or so.
As far as the 1946 Dodgers, that is why they say "Historic Holman Stadium" when they talk about the place and the signs on the highway.
tschopper (Tom Schopper Photography) 85 months ago | reply
What a great story.... Robinson, Newcombe, Campanella and others had to overcome so many obstacles outside fo the baseball diamond in their early careers that they should have had to deal with -- it is nice to hear that they were so welcomed and well-treated (as they should have been) during their time in Nashua.
Thanks for sharing this, TL!
artofgold 85 months ago | reply
Wow, great story and picture! Beautiful!
baby7 85 months ago | reply
Great!!!
Ed Karjala 85 months ago | reply
Incredible history behind a very nice image.
wallyg 84 months ago | reply
Great picture. Check out my new group: Sports Statues and murals
Where in Nashua is this?
Kansas Explorer 3128 84 months ago | reply
Two of my favorite players when I was a child. Many thanks for sharing.
StarrGazr 84 months ago | reply
This is just off Main Street at a tire company's (Maynard & Lesieur) building at 31 West Hollis Street. Maynard & Lesieur has been in business since 1928 and were around when the duo played in Nashua.
StarrGazr 81 months ago | reply
(Blogged)
bayridgephantom 78 months ago | reply
This passionate Brooklynite was unaware of this slice of history. Thanks for posting this. Just great.
StarrGazr 78 months ago | reply
I just drove by here the other day and realized that they have painted more of the mural on the left side of this building. I will have to go back there and get more photos.
wallyg 71 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Brooklyn Dodgers, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
wallyg 71 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called New York Baseball, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
rbaly79 65 months ago | reply
Nice picture :)
StarrGazr 62 months ago | reply
More information here:
Plaque from Historic Holman Stadium
adc0317 28 months ago | reply
Does anyone have any information on the 1949 Nashua Dodgers team?
StarrGazr 28 months ago | reply
1949 Nashua Dodger Stats