When Quincy Trouppe and his family moved to St. Louis in 1922, his education in the ways of a segregated American was begun. He would spend most of the next thirty years playing in the Negro National Baseball League, fighting for the day when he could break into the "lily-white" world of the majors. When that day finally came, in October 1951, his stay there was all too late, and all too short.
As the first African American scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, he saw future greats such as Ernie Banks and Roberto Clemente go unsigned due to racism on the part of the owners. All in all, his tale is one of perseverance, hard work, and an unfailing commitment to the game of baseball. It is more than a recitation of games played and lost - it is the story of one African American's struggle to "make it" in a segregated America.
This story will be of great interest to anyone - black or white, sports fan or not - interested in a man who was born with what it takes, even if it was "20 years too soon."