International Women's Day: Celebrating Negro Leagues Pitcher Josephine Brown, 1911 Louisville Tigers

In honor of International Women's Day: When highlighting women who competed on the same field as men in the Negro Leagues, the name Josephine Brown is rarely mentioned. In 1911, Louisville Tigers manager James W. Fuqua added "Miss Brown" to the pitching rotation of his all-male ball club. She made multiple appearances with the team, including games against the Indianapolis ABCs. Below is an article from one of her outings during the 1911 season.

Source: Louisville Cubs Put it Over Tigers, The Freeman (Indianapolis, IN), July 08, 1911, 8.

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Per the 1910 United States Federal Census Ancestry.com, most likely she is 23-year-old Josephine R Brown. Key information from that record is below: 

Name         Josephine R Brown
Age in 1910 22
Birth Date 1888
Birthplace Kentucky
Home in 1910 Louisville Ward 6, Jefferson, Kentucky, USA
Street         Congress Alley
Race         Black
Gender         Female
Relation to Head of House Stepdaughter (Step Daughter)
Marital Status Single
Father's Birthplace Kentucky
Mother's Name Lizzie Williams
Mother's Birthplace Kentucky
Native Tongue English
Occupation Laundress
Industry At Home
Able to read Y
Able to Write Y

Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
John Williams                 55 Head
Lizzie Williams              39 Wife
Josephine R Brown        22 Stepdaughter (Step Daughter)
Peter Payne                     57 Stepbrother (Step Brother)

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It appears that her connection to team manager James Fuqua is through the Payne family. We see hints of this in the 1910 Census Record:

James Fugua (sp) in the 1910 United States Federal Census

Name James Fugua [James Fuqua]
Age in 1910 30
Birth Date 1880
Birthplace Kentucky
Home in 1910 Louisville Ward 11, Jefferson, Kentucky, USA
Street Harney Street
Race Black
Gender Male
Relation to Head of House Boarder
Marital Status Single
Father's Birthplace Kentucky
Mother's Birthplace Kentucky
Native Tongue English
Occupation Ball Player
Industry Professional
Able to read Y
Able to Write Y

Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Anna Payne           46 Head
Wilbert Payne        14 Son
Emma Bowman     23 Daughter
James Fugua        30 Boarder

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We see the Payne connection highlighted in September 1911 when manager Fuqua tells the press that 19-year-old "Bib" Payne will be the team's starting catcher next season. Is "Bib" the same teen, Wilbert Payne, living under the same roof as Fuqua in 1910? The reported ages are slightly different, but as anyone who researches census records and baseball knows, reported ages are to be taken with a grain of salt. 

Source: Louisville Tigers vs. City League, The Freeman (Indianapolis, IN), September 23, 1911, 5.

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There are no known photos of Josephine Brown. In place of her image, I thought it would be appropriate to include some images of Black baseball from the 1910s, coupled with an image of the most recent female pitching sensation -- who undoubtedly inspired young women everywhere to "Play Ball"!

Source: Female students root for the Huston College baseball team, Austin, Texas, 1910s, General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church.

Source: Huston College baseball team in action, Austin, Texas, 1910s, General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church.

Image: 13-year-old Mone Davis pitching a shutout in the 2014 Little League World Series, Sports Illustrated, August 25, 2014.