Dave “Gentleman Dave” Malarcher Game Used Bat and Glove (c. 1930’s)

Dave Malarcher was born in 1894 in Whitehall, Louisiana. Malarcher’s Negro League career as a player and manager started in 1912 and ended in 1934. He was an excellent fielder, outstanding base runner and solid hitter. Malarcher grew up playing sandlot baseball in south Louisiana for the New Orleans Black Pelicans. He took his baseball skills from semipro ball to the college campus when he played for Dillard University and Xavier University in New Orleans. Dave played most of his career at third base, but he could also play all the other infield positions, the outfield and occasionally even took a turn at pitching and catching. In 1926 while with Rube Foster’s Chicago American Giants, Malarcher started managing. For several years he was a player-manager. Malarcher managed the Chicago American Giants to the world’s championship over the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants in 1926.

David  Malarcher (1912-1934)

During his Negro League career, Malarcher played and/or managed for the following teams:

New Orleans Black Eagles         1912-1916

Indianapolis ABC’s                        1916-1918

Detroit Stars                                  1919

Chicago American Giants           1920-1928

Chicago Columbia Giants           1930-1931

Cole’s American Giants               1932-1934

Most of his career was in the Chicago area. Off the field Dave Malarcher was known nationally as a successful poet and scholar. After he retiredfrom baseball he had a successful real estate business in Chicago. He died in 1982 in Chicago, Illinois.David Malarcher (1912-1934)