Heinie Manush was a star center fielder in the Negro Leagues and later in Major League Baseball in the 1920s and 1930s. As one of the first black players to make the transition to the big leagues during baseball’s segregation era, cards featuring Manush from his playing days are highly sought after by collectors.
Henry Manush was born in 1894 in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up playing baseball around the Louisville area and gained attention for his skills while playing semipro ball. In 1919, at age 25, Manush joined the legendary Negro National League club known as the Detroit Stars. He would play for the Stars through the 1923 season.
It was during his years in the Negro Leagues that the first known baseball cards featuring Manush were produced. Several tobacco companies issued sets in the 1920s that included stars from the Negro Leagues, such as Goudey, Caramel, and Diamond Stars. The Goudey set from 1921-22 and several issues of Caramel cards from 1921-25 depicted Manush in the uniform of the Detroit Stars. These early Manush cards tend to be quite rare today given their age and the relatively small print runs at the time compared to mainstream baseball cards.
In 1924, Manush was signed by the St. Louis Browns to play in the American League, making his major league debut at age 30. He became one of the first African American players in the majors, joining others like Judy Johnson who had made brief appearances prior. However, Manush established himself as a full-time starter and quality player, batting .337 in 124 games for the Browns in 1924. His impressive rookie campaign raised his profile nationally.
This led to Manush receiving coverage and inclusion in several mainstream baseball card sets issued during his time in the majors in the mid-1920s. In 1924, Star Calaca gum cards and some issues of M101-5 Goudey Sport Kings both featured pictures of Manush as a member of the St. Louis Browns. These were some of the first baseball cards produced and widely distributed that included an African American player.
Manush continued to be a regular in the Browns’ lineup through the 1928 season, achieving career-highs in runs scored and triples in 1926. His batting average never dipped below .287 in any year with St. Louis. Several more card sets captured his playing days with the Browns, including Exhibits Internationale Diamond Stars (1925), Novelty Card Company All-Stars (1925), and Candy Wrappers (1925-28) issues.
After the 1928 season, Manush was traded to the Washington Senators, where he took over in center field for future Hall of Famer Goose Goslin. Some of his finest baseball card representations come from his lone year with Washington in 1929, as both Diamond Stars and Candy Wrappers followed him to his new club. Cards from these sets featuring Manush in a Senators uniform are particularly collectible today.
Tragically, Manush’s promising Senators career was cut short in 1930 when he sustained a career-ending leg injury sliding into third base. He retired at age 36 with a .334 career batting average in 1,137 major league games played over seven seasons. Manush continued to make occasional contributions to baseball as a coach and scout in later years.
Due to his championship tenure in the Negro Leagues and status as a pioneer for African Americans in the big leagues during an era of segregation, Heinie Manush remains an important historical figure in the game. His skill and success on the field earned him national recognition through baseball cards in the 1920s that have stood the test of time. Today, high-grade specimens of Manush’s early cards with the Detroit Stars, St. Louis Browns, or Washington Senators are quite valuable and prized possessions for vintage card collectors. The story of Heinie Manush will always be remembered through these rare surviving snapshots from the diamond.
