In the early 1950s, when Hank Aaron was 18 years old, he got his first contract as a professional baseball player with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. Within months, his contract was sold to the Boston Braves. The rest of that narrative is well-documented history.
Soon after, the Clowns signed another player to replace Aaron, chosen to expand the team’s audience appeal. Her name was Toni Stone (born Marcenia Lyle in 1921). She was the first woman of any race signed to a professional baseball contract, although she had traveled the country as an itinerant freelance player for years. She claimed she once got a hit off the great pitcher Satchel Paige, but that anecdote has proved unconfirmable.
