User:Rbibbs/Junius Alexander Bibbs

Junius 'Rainey' Bibbs new article content ... Traveling on a bus in the 1930s, loaded with his teammates from the football and baseball teams at Indiana State Teachers College, usually was a lonely affair for Junius “Rainey” Bibbs. The sole African American on the teams usually had to eat his meals alone on the bus because he wasn't allowed to eat in most restaurants, and he was separated from his teammates overnight to sleep in the homes of local African American families. Born October 31, 1910 in Henderson, Ky., Junius Alexander Bibbs, his parents Lloyd and Catherine, and his sister Eloise moved to Terre Haute, Ind., where he attended Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School and lettered in track, baseball and football at the former Wiley High School. He went on to star on the football and baseball teams at the Indiana State Teachers College, now Indiana State University. As a fullback on the college football team, Bibbs was awarded an all-Indiana Collegiate Honorable Mention in 1934. During the decade it took him to complete his college studies in science in preparation for a teaching career, Bibbs played on several Negro League teams, including the Indianapolis Crawfords and the Detroit Stars. Playing with the Cincinnati Tigers in 1937, the switch-hitting second baseman earned a .404 batting average, leading to his selection to the West squad of the All-Star game. But Bibbs’ claim to fame came a year later when he signed as the regular second baseman and batter in the leadoff spot with the Chicago American Giants. Midway through the season, he was recruited by the Kansas City Monarchs, where he helped the team win three of four consecutive Negro League pennants in 1939, 1940 and 1941. Ending his 11-year career in 1944 with the Cleveland Buckeyes, Bibbs went on to teach biology and coach baseball and wrestling for about 25 years at Crispus Attucks High School, the historically Black high school in Indianapolis, Ind. He retired in 1972 after two years at Thomas Carr Howe High School. Like many Negro League players, Bibbs was known by a nickname. He became Rainey Bibbs while being interviewed by a reporter, most of whom had problems spelling and pronouncing his name. When asked for his name, Bibbs said to just call him Rainey in a nod to the state of the weather that day. Jeff Bibbs, whose efforts led to his father’s inclusion in the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, said much of what he knows about his father’s Negro League career he learned from others. His father didn't talk much about his time in the Negro Leagues. The only reason his father was allowed to play professional baseball while attending college, Jeff Bibbs said, was that society refused to recognize the Negro Leagues as professional. Any attempt to prevent him from playing with the Negro Leagues while he was in college would have recognized the league as professional. Playing professionally gave Bibbs an advantage at Indiana State because he could play professional ball with the best then go back to college and play with lesser ballplayers, Bibbs said. Though he played like a pro, Bibbs’ Negro League experience didn’t lead to respect from his college teammates. On the football field, for instance, Bibbs complained his teammates would not block for him and actually relished watching him get hit. Former Harlem Globetrotters Hallie Bryant and Willie Gardner and basketball legend Oscar Robertson were coached by Bibbs in baseball while they attended the former IPS School 17. “He was a real, honest, decent human being, and he wanted the best for his students,” Bryant recalled. “He was my friend and a good teacher.” Among the opportunities Bibbs provided for his students, Bryant said, was bringing other Negro League players to the school. “I remember vividly sitting on the steps while Roy Campanella was at the bottom speaking to us,” he said. The late Negro American League infielder was inducted January 21, 2011 into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame on the campus of Vincennes University is sponsored by the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association. He was inducted in 1998 into the Indiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Bibbs married Evansville native Dorothy M. Hendricks in October 1939. They had four children: Byron L. Bibbs, Jeffrey L. Bibbs, Jacquelyn Bibbs Highbaugh and Stanley B. Bibbs. Bibbs died of a heart attack September 11, 1980 and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery, where his grave is included on African-American history tours.

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