Oral history with Mr. Tommie Dukes, Sr.

              Oral history with Mr. Tommie Dukes, Sr.
F341.5 . M57 vol. 488
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Biography
Tommie Dukes Sr. was born in 1906 in Richardson, Mississippi, which was a town located outside of Picayune but no longer exists. He was raised in Kiln and Lumberton, Mississippi, and achieved fame as a professional baseball player during the ' 30s and ' 40s in the American and National Negro Leagues.
Mr. Dukes played baseball at Alcorn College and then played for semi- pro and Negro League teams. Among other teams, he played for the Memphis Red Sox, the Chicago American Giants, the Nashville Elite Giants, and the Homestead Grays. Mr. Dukes also played professional baseball in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Among other baseball luminaries, he played with " Cool Papa" Bell and Satchel Paige. Mr. Dukes was a catcher who had a batting average of around .427
Toward the end of his pro career, Mr. Dukes returned from playing with Mexico City's team to register for the draft and was inducted into the U. S. Army during World War II. He was stationed at Camp Miles Standish in Massachusetts and at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. While in the service, he continued to play baseball.
Mr. Dukes returned to professional baseball after he left the service, playing once again in Mexico City. Not long after he left the service, Mr. Dukes retired from baseball, moved back to Lumberton, and worked in the local lumber industry until he retired.
Mr. Dukes, now deceased, was married to the former Irma Lee Brown. The couple had five children, four daughters and one son, and several grandchildren.
Table of Contents
I. Wanting to play baseball
II. Drafted into the Army
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