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The Children's Museum of Indianapolis mourns the loss of one of baseball's true pioneers. Mamie "Peanut" Johnson is one of 16 athletes being honored in Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® with a life size bronze statue when the experience opens in March 2018.
Miss Johnson passed away Dec. 19, 2017 at the age of 82.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of Miss Johnson's passing. She didn’t let labels define her. Despite her size, gender and the color of her skin, she was a testament to the power of passion and belief in one’s self that you can accomplish the unimaginable regardless of discrimination and what others say you can do. We hope that kind of tenacity and heart will inspire others to believe in themselves and their dreams when they see her statue at Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience®,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children’s Museum.
When learning that she would be memorialized with a bronze statue in the sports experience, Miss Johnson told the museum simply, “I’m overjoyed.”
(photo credit: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Inc.)
The former Indianapolis Clowns pitcher was known as “Peanut” because of her height. At 5 feet, 3 inches, she was a tiny but mighty force in the Negro Baseball Leagues. In fact, she was one of just three women, and the first female pitcher, to play in the Negro Leagues. Johnson had initially tried out for a spot on a professional women's team, but was rejected because of her race. At a time when it was uncommon for women to play professional sports, she was signed by the Indianapolis Clowns. She played with the team from 1953 to 1955, had a 33–8 win-loss record and a batting average of .262.
In the book, A Strong Right Arm by Michelle Y. Green, Johnson insisted the rejection was the best thing that could have happened to her because it lead to her recruitment in the men’s Negro Leagues where one of her teammates was Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron — also named a Sports Legend on the Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions. A highlight of her career was meeting Satchel Paige who taught her to throw her famous curve ball. “He just showed me how to grip the ball to keep from throwing my arm away, ‘cause I was so little,” she was quoted as saying.
Johnson was the last living woman to have played in the Negro Leagues.
About The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Instagram @childrensmuseum, YouTube.com/IndyTCM, and Facebook.
