Editing Cap Anson (section)

===Racism===
[[File:Cap Anson 0555fu.jpg|right|thumb|Cap Anson [[baseball card]] (N162), 1888]]
Although the decision to ban black players from the National League and (minor) International League was made behind the scenes by team owners, Anson was the most outspoken player and vociferously insisted on segregation even before the ban was official. As a star player and team manager, his influence was substantial. Baseball historian [[Kevin Blackistone]] opined that "I don’t think anyone has had a greater impact on baseball than Anson" for his role in baseball's racist discrimination.<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> While not disputing the specific impacts of Anson's direct actions, baseball historian [[Bill James]] felt that this viewpoint overstated Anson's influence; he speculated that it is "enormously likely that [[Jim Crow laws|Jim Crow]] would have come to baseball even had Cap Anson never been born."<ref name="Total Sports" />

On August 10, 1883, Anson refused to play an exhibition game against the [[Toledo Blue Stockings]] because their catcher, [[Moses Fleetwood Walker]], was black.<ref name=Wrigleyville>{{Cite book|author=Golenbock, Peter|title=Wrigleyville: A Magical History Tour of the Chicago Cubs|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|location=New York|year=1997|pages=20–90|isbn=0-312-15699-5}}</ref> When Blue Stockings Manager [[Charlie Morton (baseball, born 1854)|Charlie Morton]] told Anson the White Stockings would forfeit the gate receipts if they refused to play, Anson backed down,<ref name="Total Sports" /><ref name="capansoncomChapter4">{{cite web|title=Cap Chronicled&nbsp;— Chapter 4: Cap's Great Shame&nbsp;— Racial Intolerance|url=http://www.capanson.com/chapter4.html|access-date=January 22, 2008|archive-date=January 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117135249/http://www.capanson.com/chapter4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> but not before uttering the word ''[[nigger]]'' on the field and vowing that his team would not play in such a game again.<ref>{{cite web|last=Husman |first=John R. |title=August 10, 1883: Cap Anson vs. Fleet Walker |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-10-1883-cap-anson-vs-fleet-walker}} the Society for American Baseball Research.</ref>

In 1884, Chicago again played an exhibition game at Toledo, which was then in the American Association, a major league. Walker sat it out, however, it is uncertain whether he did so to placate Chicago or due to injury; Jimmy McGuire instead did the catching. Both had sore hands, the ''Toledo Blade'' had said a few days earlier. Of the two catchers, Walker was seemingly the more injured, as he did not play in Toledo's second-most recent game.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rosenberg|title=Cap Anson 4: Bigger Than Babe Ruth: Captain Anson of Chicago}}, p. 424-425.</ref> Among Anson's incidents, this one is unique in that private correspondence provides insight. Three months before the game, Chicago Treasurer-Secretary John A. Brown wrote Toledo manager Charlie Morton that "the management of the Chicago Ball Club have no personal feeling about the matter," while "the players do most decisively object and to preserve harmony in the club it is necessary that I have your assurance in writing that [Walker] will not play any position in your nine July 25. I have no doubt such is your meaning[;] only your letter does not express in full [sic]. I have no desire to replay the occurrence of last season and must have your guarantee to that effort."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rosenberg|title=Cap Anson 4}}, p. 424.</ref>

Walker and his brother [[Welday Walker|Welday]] were released from their team later that year, Welday last playing on August 6 and Fleet on September 4. On July 14, 1887 the [[History of the Chicago Cubs#Chicago White Stockings/Chicago Colts|Chicago White Stockings]] played an exhibition game against the [[Newark Little Giants]]. African American [[George Stovey]] was listed in the ''[[Newark Evening News|Newark News]]'' as the scheduled Newark starting pitcher. Anson objected, and Stovey did not pitch. Moreover, International League owners had voted 6-to-4 at a 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. meeting in Buffalo on the morning of the game to exclude African-American players from future contracts.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rosenberg|title=Cap Anson 4}}, p. 436–437.</ref>