Dan Despert

December 31st, 2011 | Author: BMcKenna

Danny Despert

Daniel James Despert

Daniel James Despert was born on April 3, 1891 in Washington, D.C.

Birthdate

The Negro League Database lists his birth year as 1892. That’s based on his World War I registration card. The District of Columbia Birth and Christening records identify 1891 as his birth. This is confirmed by his parents in the 1900 U.S. Census – who rightfully listed their only child as being born in April 1891.

Name

The Negro League Database lists his name as James Daniel Despert. Again, this stems from the WWI card. That is how Despert filled it out and signed it. Presumably, that is how he wanted it in his mid to late 20s. However, he was dubbed Daniel James by his parents (per the 1900 Census) and was called “Danny” in his youth in D.C., even into his 20s.

Interestingly, a 1916 newspaper account calls him “Harry,” which may have been a baseball nickname or merely an error. Likewise, he is referred to at times a “Denny.” This just may be a written error of Danny.

Parents

Despert was the only child of Daniel Despert and his wife the former Isabella “Belle” Holland. They were married at the turn of 1880. Daniel was employed as a day laborer.

Daniel, born in June 1854 in Virginia
Isabella, born in March 1852 in Maryland

Baseball

Despert lived his entire life in DC. He participated in competitive athletics throughout his teens, as the black community was rich in sporting talent. In 1910 he helped form and organize a football squad, an offshoot of the local Asbury Browns baseball nine. He played left guard.

Despert is listed at 172 pounds with that football team. He was almost exclusively a left fielder throughout his amateur and professional career.

Teams (all confirmed)

1910 DC Asbury Browns
1911 Asbury Browns
1912 DC Interiors, Washington Giants
1913 DC All-Stars, Cuban Giants
1914 Asbury Browns, Philadelphia Giants
1915 Philadelphia Giants
1916 DC All-Stars, Brooklyn Royal Giants

It is likely that Despert played for Asbury before 1910 and in the early part of the year in 1912 and 1913.

The Interiors were a member of the Colored Departmental League of D.C. The All-Stars, also known as the Colored All-Stars, seem to be a nine made up of some of the finer players in the league.

1912

With the Interiors at least during late of June
With the Washington Giants in September

1913

Despert played with the DC All-Stars in early May. By the 10^th, he was in the Cuban Giants’ lineup. In January, the Cubans had extended contracts to local players Danny Despert, Ed Brown and Herbert Cooper. Their former teammate Tom Johnson had performed for the Cubans in 1912 and talked the club into bringing them on. By the end of the year, other DC players were with the Cubans – Herbert Cooper and another simply known as Ham.

The Wyoming County Times (14 August) referred to Despert as “from New Orleans.” The reference is unclear.

1914

With the Asbury Browns in April
With the Philadelphia Giants at least mid-July to October

1915

With the Philadelphia Giants all year, May to September

1916

Despert is listed with the All-Stars in mid-May. Around June 25, he joined the Brooklyn Royal Giants. On 29 June the Brooklyn Daily Eagle noted, “The Brooklyn Royal Giants have been strengthened by the addition of … Despert, a hard-hitting outfielder.”

On August 19, traveling with the Royal Giants (they had played in Millville, New Jersey on the 16^th), Despert was aboard a train when either his train or one passing rocked and they sideswiped each other. Something hit the lower part of Despert’s left arm and shattered the bones. The arm was amputated below the elbow on the 31^st, ending his baseball career at age 25.

Brooklyn Eagle 9/1/1916

He filed a lawsuit the following year. The disposition of the case is unknown.

Washington Times 4/5/1917

Washington Post 4/5/1917

After Baseball

Despert still lists himself as a professional ballplayer in June 1917 when he filled out his WWI registration card.

In the 1920 U.S. Census, Despert is listed as a hackman, a cab driver, who owned his own car. He appears to be umpiring local college games in at least April 1928.

According to the Negro League Database Daniel James Despert passed away in June 1931 at age 40.

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