Linden-Lyttonsville Museum

LL-002

Linden Black Socks

Black-and-white 1950 team photograph of the Linden Black Socks. Fifteen Black men in white baseball uniforms pose in three rows on a grassy field edged with trees: eight standing at the back, three kneeling in the middle, and four kneeling in the front row. Their dark caps bear assorted letters, and bats, gloves, a catcher’s mitt, and a ball rest on the grass in front.
Sports were a vital thread in the community’s social fabric. The Linden Black Socks, a beloved local baseball team, carried Lyttonsville’s spirit and competitive pride onto the field.

Photo details

Title
Linden Black Socks
Display ID
LL-002
Date
1950
Collection
Charlotte Coffield

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About this photo

Sports were a vital thread in the social fabric of Linden-Lyttonsville. The Linden Black Socks, the community’s beloved baseball team, carried Lyttonsville’s spirit and competitive pride onto the field. In an era when segregation barred Black players from organized white leagues, community teams like the Black Socks gave local athletes a place to compete and gave neighbors a reason to gather. Game days drew families and friends together from across the neighborhood, turning the ballfield into an extension of the community’s social life.

Pictured in this photo:

Front row (left to right)
Milton “Buck” Young, “Sonny” Reddix, Edward Stille, Dickey Hall
Second row
Elmore “Buddy” Stewart, John Carey, unidentified
Back row
unidentified, Charles “Boy” Wilson, unidentified, unidentified, unidentified, Winston Chun, Paul “Dukey” Williams, Albert Turner

This 1950 photograph, preserved in the collection of Charlotte Coffield, captures a piece of that proud tradition and the museum welcomes any memories or records that could identify the players.