The Developing Story of Grey Sox Owner Osie Mitchell

Plott & Doc

While researching my upcoming book "Black Baseball in Alabama 1870-1950" I was privileged to be given access to unpublished interviews with former Montgomery Grey Sox players. More than thirty years ago, historian Bill Plott tracked down men such as Marion Cunningham and other notables from the team and he has kindly shared that information with me. It contains a wealth of anecdotal stories and names that reveal much about the development of the Montgomery Grey Sox.

The photograph of the 1916 Montgomery Grey Sox in Bill Plott's excellent book "The Negro Southern League: A Baseball History 1920-1951" is the earliest known image of the team and likely the first photo of any Black team in Montgomery. Unfortunately, it only identifies Henry Hannon Jr. among the players. However, Plott's unpublished interviews provided several other names, which I am thrilled to be able to have included in my book. Yet one figure posed a challenge, multiple interviewees tabbed the suited man seated center as "Ossie Mitchell, owner" but gave no further clues to his identity.

1916 Montgomery Grey Sox, (colorization by Dr.M for the upcoming book!)

 As I searched, I found much information on the Grey Sox of the era which helped tell the story of the team for my book, but Mitchell eluded me endlessly. There was just no info to be found on a trail so cold. After long months tracking every name that "Ossie" could be a derivative of, we were finally able to catch a break, but too late for inclusion in my book. Thanks to my good friend, reliable source and co-investigator Jo and her curious cat's assistance, a different spelling of the name was uncovered. First, a WW1 draft deferment card was found, then a Montgomery Advertiser article confirming Mitchell's connection to the club in one single mention in 1919. With some items spelling his name as "Osie", it opened the door for many new discoveries.

 

OSIE MITCHELL - MONTGOMERY GREY SOX "OWNER" 

Osie Mitchell

 In 1919 ahead of a series against the Bessemer Stars the Montgomery Advertiser reports the Grey Sox team is run by Ossie Mitchell. Taking into account the multiple spellings possible, it becomes clear Mitchell was associating with ballplayers and likely held a controlling stake in the club. He was also a very busy and wealthy guy. And probably a gangster. 

Osie Mitchell, also known as "Ocie" or "Ossie" was born in Montgomery, Alabama on November 6th 1881. He may have had a sister named Exa, they were likely brought up in and around Montgomery, but little is known about their family life. 

 In 1914 Osie was caught, along with a dozen other men, in a late-nite gambling raid on North Decatur Street. Apprehended along with Osie was Joe Scotland, likely the Montgomery-native outfielder known for playing with Birmingham and Indianapolis.

 

By the time WW1 starts, Osie was in his mid-30's and married to Olivia, they would split up in the 1920's without any known children. Mitchell signed his name with a single "s" on his draft deferment, indicating that he used "Osie" as the preferred spelling. It was "Osie" for the census takers in 1920 and 1940, but other documents listed him as "Ocie". 

During World War One, Osie Mitchell was employed by the Army quartermasters at Camp Sheridan, a lucrative and enviable job in "acquisitions" was possibly a role related to his pre-war occupation.

Osie Mitchell ran a bar/pool hall and lived at the corner of Yougene and Smythe Streets, in the center of what is now The Plaza at Centennial Hill. The place was a popular local hangout, Mitchell took it over sometime after 1910 after being employed there as a bartender. 

Osie was deeply involved in illegal liquor. Alabama's alcohol prohibition began in 1907, well before the national booze ban, sending bootleggers into action. Mitchell was picked up by police at fairly regular intervals, often while delivering bottles to clients around the city. Some are elite socialites, others average citizens, race seems to have no bearing on Osie Mitchell's delivery service.

Osie's bar was the location of several prohibition violation raids and vice busts. A few times police sweep in to arrest gamblers, resulting in fines for Osie as owner. At least once a deadly shooting took place, though Osie was not involved, nor even at the location when it happened.

Which is probably a good thing, Osie was often brought to court to account for being caught with concealed weapons. Mitchell pays fines in cash easily, rarely being locked up for more than a night. A fifty dollar fine is simply an annoyance for Osie Mitchell. 

From the turn of the century and through the 19-teens and 1920's, Osie Mitchell was a regular among Montgomery courtroom attendees, but seems almost untouchable. In 1917 Osie and thirteen others, mostly women, had their cases dropped when the arresting detectives, two Black men from Birmingham, conveniently disappeared and were unable to testify.

However, there are always complications for those who operate outside the lines of legality. When police found gallons of booze in half-pint and one quart bottles at his pool hall in 1927, Mitchell was arrested but he quickly posted the $200 cash bail and went back to work. Occasionally white policemen raid the location, more often Mitchell was caught by Black officers working undercover.

In 1928 Osie had a prohibition violation overturned on appeal, an expensive lawyer found multiple courtroom errors during his trail. Then, after a shooting at Osie's poolhall resulted in the closing of his bar, things started to unravel. In 1929 he was slapped with a thirteen month sentence for receiving stolen property. Finally unable to avoid being locked up, Osie spent a year at Atmore's correctional facility (which recorded him as "Ocie Mitchell") before being released in November of 1930.

It's back to work for Osie, who was once more caught selling bootleg liqour in 1934, five cases of bottled hooch were found at his place on Yougene Street. In 1937 he was again in court on "internal revenue" charges relating to unlicensed alcohol sales. This time it was revealed he was involved in a moonshine smuggling operation, his place used as a distribution point for sales of 200 gallons of corn whiskey a week. Osie Mitchell (this time reported as "Obie") got a three year sentence in Atlanta's penitentiary, apparently ending his business for good. The case was noted as the first in the area to be tried with equal members of white and Black jurors.

Following his release, Osie Mitchell seems to have lived quietly until his passing on October 28th of 1957, he was buried in Lincoln Cemetery where many well-known Black Montgomery residents are interred.

 Osie Mitchell was an important part of the transition from Montgomery's 19th century baseball teams to the club that was admitted to the Negro Southern League in 1920. It is Osie Mitchell paying the players, funding the roadtrips, covering visiting teams guarantees and paying the rent on the ballparks being used. Mitchell is seated with the team for the 1916 photo and mentioned as controlling the club in 1919, but after that he is never again publicly connected with the team. When Osie Mitchell first gained control of the team and how he later handed it over to Henry Hannon is currently unknown, but it is likely that is exactly what took place. 

Osie Mitchell is an example of the swiftly changing nature of our knowledge of early Black baseball. Literally a week ago there was zero understanding of who this man was, an unnamed person in an single photograph from a hundred years ago, a human essentially lost to history. Today, we can recognize him as an owner and promoter of the Montgomery Grey Sox, Osie Mitchell was also a part of the lively culture developing in Alabama as Black entrepreneurs learned to navigate in society and around the law in order to maintain their independence in the face of Jim Crow.  

 

If you would like to know more about Alabama's baseball history, I hope you will consider purchasing my new book, "Black Baseball in Alabama 1870-1950" due out this summer!