--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We in the Negro leagues felt like we were…" description: "\"We in the Negro leagues felt like we were contributing something to baseball, too, when we were playing. We played with a round ball, and we played wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/buck-leonard-74189_ball_we-in-the-negro-leagues-felt-like-we-wer_1507903.jpg" --- # We in the Negro leagues felt like we were contributing… ![“We in the Negro leagues felt like we were contributing something to baseball, too, when we were playing. We played with a round ball, and we played with a round bat. And we wore baseball uniforms, and we thought that we were making a contribution to baseball. We loved the game, and we liked to…” quote by Buck Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/buck-leonard-74189_ball_we-in-the-negro-leagues-felt-like-we-wer_1507903.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/buck-leonard-74189_ball_we-in-the-negro-leagues-felt-like-we-wer_1507903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/buck-leonard-74189_ball_we-in-the-negro-leagues-felt-like-we-wer_1507903.jpg) > “We in the Negro leagues felt like we were contributing something to baseball, too, when we were playing. We played with a round ball, and we played with a round bat. And we wore baseball uniforms, and we thought that we were making a contribution to baseball. We loved the game, and we liked to play it.” [Buck Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Players believed their participation validated and enriched baseball despite segregation. **In simple terms:** They felt they were adding value to the sport. Key Takeaway Recognize contributions even when overlooked. Themes identity pride sports history racial integration Mood reflective proud Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - team building - historical research - education - museum exhibits Key Concepts cultural impact representation community legacy Questions to Reflect On - How can modern baseball honor these contributions? - What does participation mean for marginalized groups? A Different Perspective Impact may be limited by systemic barriers and lack of recognition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball/) [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Bat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bat/) [Contributing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contributing/) [Contributing Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contributing-baseball-5544519/) [Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) [Contribution Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution-baseball-5544518/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Leagues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leagues/) [Leagues Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leagues-felt-5544520/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Liked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liked/) [Loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved/) [Making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making/) [Negro Leagues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negro-leagues-1569270/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Played](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Round](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/round/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Uniforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uniforms/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Wore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wore/) [Wore Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wore-baseball-5544517/) ## Related quotes > [In the Negro Leagues, I played every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-leonard/in-the-negro-leagues-i-played-every-day/) [Buck Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-leonard/) > [I would love to see as many of the black players as possible in today's Major League Baseball make every effort to go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferguson-jenkins/i-would-love-to-see-as-many-of-the-black-players-as-possible-in-today/) [Ferguson Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferguson-jenkins/) > [In the Negro Leagues, we'd play three games a day on the weekends. Then we'd ride the bus and travel to play the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dandridge/in-the-negro-leagues-we-d-play-three-games-a-day-on-the-weekends-then/) [Ray Dandridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dandridge/) > [I was glad to play in the Negro Leagues. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-day/i-was-glad-to-play-in-the-negro-leagues-i-wouldn-t-trade-it-for/) [Leon Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-day/) > [“The black newspaper writers were nearly unanimous in their support for integration, and so were the owners of Negro-league teams, even though Jim Crow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-eig/the-black-newspaper-writers-were-nearly-unanimous-in-their-support/) [Jonathan Eig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-eig/) > [My favourite game is wiffle ball, a fake version of baseball with a plastic ball and bat that's really for kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/my-favourite-game-is-wiffle-ball-a-fake-version-of-baseball-with-a/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [There are guys that you look at and you want to really bowl at them or bat against them, certain guys who really get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stokes/there-are-guys-that-you-look-at-and-you-want-to-really-bowl-at-them/) [Ben Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stokes/) > [I like wearing good clothes. Some of my friends who are into making clothes told me since I was already playing with my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-like-wearing-good-clothes-some-of-my-friends-who-are-into-making/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I learned to bat and bowl on different pitches and knew when to go hard and when to back off. It was just something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garfield-sobers/i-learned-to-bat-and-bowl-on-different-pitches-and-knew-when-to-go/) [Garfield Sobers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garfield-sobers/) > [It does not make any difference where I bat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hardik-pandya/it-does-not-make-any-difference-where-i-bat/) [Hardik Pandya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hardik-pandya/) > [Growing up in New Jersey, bat mitzvas were all about the elegant parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-gold/growing-up-in-new-jersey-bat-mitzvas-were-all-about-the-elegant/) [Judy Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-gold/) > [We were in Philadelphia when Manager Pat shifted me from third to short, and right off the bat, I knew I had found my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-wallace/we-were-in-philadelphia-when-manager-pat-shifted-me-from-third-to/) [Bobby Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-wallace/) > [I can bat in the morning, afternoon, evening, night, on ice, desert, wherever and whenever. It is almost nirvana for me. It takes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-gambhir/i-can-bat-in-the-morning-afternoon-evening-night-on-ice-desert/) [Gautam Gambhir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-gambhir/) > [As a mother, I don't want any girl twerking near my kid at a bat mitzvah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-salie/as-a-mother-i-don-t-want-any-girl-twerking-near-my-kid-at-a-bat/) [Faith Salie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-salie/) > [In college, I had a crush on one of my professors. I used to bat my eyelashes and coo at him. He didn't respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navi-rawat/in-college-i-had-a-crush-on-one-of-my-professors-i-used-to-bat-my/) [Navi Rawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navi-rawat/) ## More by Buck Leonard > [I only wish I could have played in the big leagues when I was young enough to show what I could do. When an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-leonard/i-only-wish-i-could-have-played-in-the-big-leagues-when-i-was-young/) [Buck Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-leonard/) > [In the Negro Leagues, I played every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-leonard/in-the-negro-leagues-i-played-every-day/) [Buck Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-leonard/) > [I was not bitter by not being allowed to play in the major leagues. I just said, 'The time has not come.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-leonard/i-was-not-bitter-by-not-being-allowed-to-play-in-the-major-leagues-i/) [Buck Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-leonard/) [Explore all 4 Buck Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-leonard/) ## More Ball quotes > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [Sometimes in midfield, it's nice because you do get a little bit more of the ball, and maybe out wide you rely on people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/sometimes-in-midfield-it-s-nice-because-you-do-get-a-little-bit-more/) [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [After '8 Mile' came out and blew up, the ball has been rolling ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-benson-miller/after-8-mile-came-out-and-blew-up-the-ball-has-been-rolling-ever-since/) [Omar Benson Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-benson-miller/) > [I don't believe in moral victories. I don't think in pro ball they exist, and they shouldn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-witten/i-don-t-believe-in-moral-victories-i-don-t-think-in-pro-ball-they/) [Jason Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-witten/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [In Memphis we don't talk. We ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-conley-jr/in-memphis-we-don-t-talk-we-ball/) [Mike Conley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-conley-jr/) > [Football is not just all about throwing the ball. You got to run the ball, too. Defense has to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-jefferson/football-is-not-just-all-about-throwing-the-ball-you-got-to-run-the/) [Justin Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-jefferson/) > [I'm good with the ball, I can score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bergwijn/i-m-good-with-the-ball-i-can-score/) [Steven Bergwijn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bergwijn/) > [The golf ball doesn't care about know how hard you're working, or how many hours you slept that night. 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