Nat Bates sat in a theatre full of fans on Monday to revisit his days in Saskatchewan — the one place he says he felt welcomed.
Bates, now 91, travelled to Indian Head, Sask., in 1952 to play with The Indian Head Rockets, an all-Black baseball team originally from Jacksonville, Fla. The team was one of several that competed across the Canadian Prairies in the 1940s and 1950s, providing Black and Cuban players an opportunity that was hard to access in the United States.
In 1952, there were more than a dozen leagues in the Prairies, with four operating in Saskatchewan.
The Rockets team was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame last year, and Bates was individually given a place in the hall on Friday.
“For people to come forward and show that kind of respect after such a long long period of time, of which I had forgotten most of it, has to be tremendously rewarding,” Bates said.
Bates travelled from his home in Richmond, Cali., for the induction. On Monday he was in Indian Head, about 65 kilometres east of Regina, for a screening of Golden Opportunities, a CBC documentary about Bates, the Indian Head Rockets and the other teams of Black American players who came to the Prairies in the ’40s and ’50s.
The Indian Head Rockets from Saskatchewan was one of several teams stocked with Black players from the United States that played across the Canadian Prairies in the 1940s and 1950s.
After the screening, Bates patiently stepped down from the stage and talked to every fan that had come to see him, despite roughly seven decades having passed since he touched a baseball bat in the city.
Fans lined up to get newspaper clippings and posters autographed. Some had preserved the relics for as long as they could remember. Some — like Shirley Jackson — even saw the Rockets play live.
“They were all good, exceptional players. I think they won a lot of games,” Jackson said. “We enjoyed that here — hot summers and baseball.”
This trip was Bates’s third to Canada. He said it was the most heartwarming one yet.
“I feel fantastic. The warm welcome that I received throughout my visit during this last trip has been overwhelming,” he said.
Bates said the people of Indian Head made him feel at home during his time playing there.
“In addition to the hospitality of the people in general, oftentimes on Saturdays or after games, families would invite us to their home for dinner. That was unheard of.”
A teary-eyed Bates said he believes he is one of only two surviving members from the 1952 team, the other being Willy Reed.
For players facing racism in sports today, he said it’s important to respect yourself.
“When you do encounter those kinds of situations, be a man strong enough to ignore and move away from it.”
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
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