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Former Negro League Star Loses Battle With Prostate Cancer
send us to Mississippi, and we said no way.
“I actually played with Willie Mays during my ca- reer, and Dirk and Hank Aaron played on the same Negro League, but not at the same time. Goose Tatum was on the same team as Dirk.”
Quack said after they fin- ished their military careers,
they played a little more base- ball, then just settled down and got jobs.”
“What I’ll miss the most are the talks we had all the time, especially when we played basketball.
“During those days, we all had nicknames. Dirk got his because as a child, he ate a lot of dirt. I got mine when I jumped over a fence and
landed in a yard full of ducks. Dirk actually pitched against Jackie Robinson’s all-star team. He was very proud of that honor.”
Quack said of the Negro Leaguers in Tampa, only he and Bo Maddox are left.
A service for Dirk will be held Saturday, and Aiken’s Fu- neral Home is assisting the family.
Walter Lee “Dirk” Gib- bons, a former Negro League player, passed away Friday evening after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 86.
Dirk’s baseball career was from 1941 to 1949. He was a pitcher with the Philadelphia Stars, New York Black Yan- kees, and Indianapolis Clowns. As a seldom used pitcher, Dirk lost his only game in 1941 while splitting the season between the Philadelphia Stars and the New York Black Yankees in the Negro National League.
After World War II, Dirk signed with the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro American League and pitched for two seasons.
Dirk’s daughter, Celeste Peoples, said her dad talked about baseball all the time.
“Growing up, none of us realized the significance of what he had done.
“Up until earlier this year, my dad got up and went to work at the University of Tampa. He had been battling prostate cancer for 20 years, and in April, it got really bad and he had to stop working.”
Celeste said her dad en- joyed getting up and going to work every day, and spent more than two decades at the
University of Tampa.
“We’re thankful to the Uni-
versity of Tampa for giving him a job and allowing him to talk to the students about his career in baseball.
“We all think he left a real legacy behind and we’re proud to be a part of his history. He was well known by a lot of people, and he was honored in February with other sports legends in Tampa.”
One of Dirk’s closest friends, Clifford “Quack” Brown, said they had been friends for more than 70 years.
“We first met as students in elementary school. We played basketball together at Booker T. Washington, but when they found out we were getting paid to play baseball, they kicked us off the team.
“Dirk and I joined the Negro League two years apart, and we served in the military at the same time.”
Quack said they leaned on each other to get through the tough times of playing Negro League baseball.
“When Jackie Robinson signed to play Major League Baseball, that virtually shut down the Negro League. Later, we tried out with the St. Louis Cardinals, but they wanted to
WALTER “DIRK” GIBBONS
Family Of Arthur Green, Jr. Announces Community Conversation Series
Beginning this Saturday, August 1st, at the HOPE Center, 4902 North 22nd Street, the first in a series of com- munity conversation events will be held from 10 a. m to 2:30 p. m.
This event is sponsored the family of Arthur Green, Jr. and will be moderated by Dr. Kurt B. Young, Associate Professor and Chair, De- partment of Political Science, Clark Atlanta University.
The Community Conversation Se-
ries is a structured and multi-format
discussion that utilizes Mr. Green’s
story as a lens for examining injustices and inequalities that plague African American communities; and identifies community respon- sibilities and positive steps for improving conditions in those com- munities.
This series on Saturday will assess patterns of injustice and in- equality under Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s administration.
For information on the series and to register, please call (813) 420-1177. Admission is free.
ARTHUR GREEN, JR.
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A