User:Halvorsen brian/Buck Lai

William Tin "Buck" Lai (December 24, 1894 – March 1978) was a Chinese Hawaiian professional baseball player and manager. In 1915, Lai received an invitation to the Chicago White Sox spring training camp, but never joined the team due to an unwritten rule barring non-white players from Major League Baseball. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1916 and played in Minor League Baseball until 1921, when Lai returned to the barnstorming circuit.

In 1928, Lai was signed by the New York Giants as a potential replacement for second baseman Rogers Hornsby, who had been traded during the off-season. Lai attended spring training with the Giants and spent two days on the club's roster during the regular season, but never made an appearance. Although conflicting narratives exist, according to Lai, the Giants players refused to play with someone of Chinese heritage. Instead, Lai's contract was sold to the Jersey City Skeeters of the International League.

Lai founded a barnstorming team called the Hawiian All-Stars in the 1930s, which toured the United States playing amateur, minor league and Negro league teams.

Lai's son, William T. "Buck" Lai Jr., was a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers and athletic director of Long Island University and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Articles

 * 1910s
 * 1911-11-04 Lai played football
 * 1912-02-16 Lai in a track and field event
 * 1912-02-19 Lai in a track and field event
 * 1912-02-23 Lai in a track and field event
 * 1912-03-18 Lai set the running board jump record
 * 1912-06-05 Lai's team played the Fordham at the Polo Grounds
 * 1913-02-25 Lai in a track and field event
 * 1914-04-21 Lai's popularity
 * 1914-06-22 Lai's playing style
 * 1914-06-26 Lai's team played the University of California
 * 1914-12-05 Lai signs with the Chicago White Sox
 * 1915-01-18 Lai hits a home run
 * 1915-04-28 sportswriters voted Lai the most valuable player to his team among the Hawaiian baseball teams
 * 1915-07-21 Lai's team barnstorming in Pennsylvania
 * 1915-12-24 Lai in track event
 * 1916-08-16 Lai named Hawaiian all-star
 * 1916-12-21 Lai's offseason job
 * 1917-05-02 Lai offered contract with Spokane
 * 1917-07-18 worked in recruitment during World War I
 * 1917-07-25 Lai in the Delaware League
 * 1917-08-17 Lai in the Delaware County League
 * 1918-03-18 Lai at spring training with the Phillies
 * 1918-05-15 Lai signs with Bridgeport alt
 * 1918-05-15 Lai signs with Bridgeport alt


 * 1920s
 * 1920-08-02 sprained ankle
 * 1921-03-24 training in Philadelphia
 * 1921-04-05 career recap
 * 1921-04-08 Andy Yim, reporting for spring training
 * 1921-10-26 Lai played basketball for the Philadelphia Terminals
 * 1921-12-15 image of Lai, played basketball against the Original Celtics
 * 1922-02-16 Lai played Center on the "All-Chinese Collegians of Shanghai"
 * 1922-03-16 Lai played for the Philadelphia South Phillies
 * 1923-09-14 Lai's influence on baseball
 * 1927-07-05 Lai was playing semi-pro baseball in Brooklyn and getting scouted by MLB clubs
 * 1928-01-10 Lai signed by the New York Giants alt
 * 1928-01-25 Lai signed by the New York Giants
 * 1928-02-24 racist mention of Lai signing with the Giants
 * 1928-03-15 refuses to manage Little Rock, AR
 * 1928 (1977 published) Lai met Ty Cobb at Giants spring training in Augusta, Georgia
 * 1928-05-01 Lai's contract sold to the Little Rock, AR club


 * 1930s
 * 1934-03-21 Lai on the Bushwicks
 * 1935 (2002 published) the '35 tour recalled
 * 1935-07-11 Babe Ruth comments on Lai's team
 * 1935-08-17 Lai's team plays the Black Yankees
 * 1935-08-22 Lai's team plays the Penn Red Caps
 * 1936-06-20 Lai still playing at 42
 * 1936-07-15 Lai plays against the Brooklyn Bushwicks
 * 1936-09-23 Lai plays against the Acme Brews


 * General refs
 * Bridgeport Baseball
 * The Barnstorming Hawaiian Travelers: A Multiethnic Baseball Team Tours the Mainland, 1912-1916