CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On July 12 of this year, Moe Hill tipped his hat in front of fans at Witter Field in Wisconsin.
It was his first trip back since 2017. Hill threw out the first pitch, signed autographs and relived his baseball journey with Wisconsin Rapids Rafters fans.
“I used to watch Jackie Robinson on TV play and Roy Campanella," he said. "My love for baseball started when I was five years old. My dad would help us because I had four brothers that played."
Hill’s journey starts in Gastonia. In 1964, as a teenager, he would play for the American Legion Post 23 baseball team.
“I was the first African American to play American Legion Baseball in the state of North Carolina. The more I played, the more I saw what Jackie Robinson went through,” Hill shared.
The following year, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles’ organization.
“1965 was my first year playing professionally at 17 years old,” Hill mentioned.
He would go on to play 15 seasons in the minor leagues and hit more than 260 home runs.
“I came to the ballpark every day. I didn’t want to sit out one game,” Hill said.
It’s baseball journeys like this one, that Brandon Lunsford is working to document.
“I’ve always been interested in baseball and particularly even when I was younger interested in the negro leagues. My dad had seen Satchel Paige pitch,” Lunsford shared.
Lunsford is the director of library services at Johnson C. Smith University. It wasn’t long after he started that he made an interesting discovery.
“When I started working here at JCSU in the archives I discovered we had a baseball team when we became JCSU in 1921. After that the team faded away,” he stated.
His research would lead to a conversation with a friend and Charlotte Post's longtime co-publisher and general manager, Bob Johnson at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.
“Bob was telling me about the Triple County League. There were Black players playing on all-Black teams in Charlotte in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s,” Lunsford said.
The Triple County League was a staple in Charlotte’s Black community. It was made up of teams that played locally. The games were often covered by the Charlotte Post.
“It was more just for fun than professional. They were doing it for the love,” mentioned Lunsford.
Soon, Lunsford and Johnson embarked on a passion project. They started interviewing former players.
“Some of them did make it to the minor leagues. Some of them did make it to major league training camps,” Lunsford said.
Months into the project, Johnson passed away. However, Lunsford continues to push the project forward.
“I can hear Bob in my ear right now saying, 'What are you going to do with this? Keeping going,” said Lunsford.
Hill also had the drive to keep going after his playing career. He has devoted his life to coaching and teaching the game. He now helps the Carolinas Metro Reds organization. Hill is using his journey to help the next generation.
On Friday, August 30th, the Charlotte Knights are partnering with JCSU for HBCU night, where they will honor the area’s Black baseball history.
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.