Bobby Boyd

Bobby Boyd was born in Mississippi but lived most of his life in Wichita.  He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and played in the Negro Leagues with the Memphis Red Sox from 1947-1949.  He hit .352, .369 and .371 in his three seasons.

Nicknamed “The Rope” for his line-drive style of hitting, the first baseman became the first black player to sign with the Chicago White Sox.  He made his debut in 1951 at the age of 31.

In 1956, Boyd was traded to Baltimore where he got more of a chance to play.  As a regular, he hit .318 in 1957 and .309 in 1958.  He tailed off in 1960, hitting .265, but returned to form in 1960.  He hit .317 for the Orioles, who traded him to Kansas City the following season.  Boyd also played for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1961 season before retiring.

For his 11-year major league career Boyd averaged .298.  He walked more times than he struck out in his career, walking 177 times and striking out only 114 times in 2078 plate appearances.

Following his major league career, Boyd played with the Rapid Transit Dreamliners, who won the NBC World Series in in 1962, 1963 and 1965.  Boyd was the MVP, hitting .423 for the tournament.

Boyd died in Wichita in 2004 at the age of 84.