Our Arklahoma Heritage: From the sandlots of Danville to the founding of a Hall of Fame - Alfred "Slick" Surratt

Alfred "Slick" Surratt, born November 9, 1922, in Danville,, was a Negro League baseball player, military veteran, Ford Motor Company worker, and advocate for Black baseball history.

His life spanned sports, industry, and community involvement, with a final resting place in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Surratt grew up playing baseball on Arkansas sandlots. After eighth grade, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri, to live with his father, attending R.T. Coles Vocational and Junior High School.

His nickname "Slick" came from his smooth playing style and speed, which later defined his professional career.

During World War II, Surratt served in the U.S. Army’s 93rd Engineer Construction Battalion, a segregated unit, in the South Pacific. As a bulldozer operator, he helped build airfields, including at Guadalcanal, occasionally using his equipment to shield against enemy fire.

He played baseball on military teams, once facing a squad with Joe DiMaggio in New Guinea. Surratt was honorably discharged in 1946.

In 1947, Surratt joined the Detroit Stars of the Negro American League as a left-handed outfielder, playing until 1949.

He then signed with the Kansas City Monarchs, a prominent Negro League team, from 1949 to 1952.

Known for his bunting and speed, he claimed he could reach first base if a ground ball bounced more than once before a fielder caught it. With the Monarchs, he played alongside players like Buck O’Neil and Elston Howard at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium, navigating the challenges of segregated facilities and extensive travel.

For at least two of those seasons, Surratt was the teammate of fellow native Arkansan Neale "Bobo" Henderson" who was born in Fort Smith in 1930.

Surratt participated in barnstorming tours, including one with Satchel Paige’s All-Stars, playing at Yankee Stadium, which he considered a career highlight.

After his playing days, he managed the Kansas City Giants, a semi-pro team, and coached Little League baseball in Kansas City for 15 years, mentoring young players in the community.

In 1952, Surratt became the first African-American skilled laborer at Ford Motor Company’s Claycomo, Missouri, plant, starting as a machine operator.

He worked there for 51 years, retiring on February 14, 2002. His role marked a step toward workplace integration in the Kansas City area.

Surratt helped establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, serving as a founding member and board director when it opened in 1990. He contributed artifacts and stories, appearing in Ken Burns’s 1994 PBS documentary Baseball to share his experiences.

The museum, located in the 18th and Vine District, preserves the history of Negro League players.

Surratt married Tommie Louvenia Surratt, and they had one son, Alfred Jr. Known for his storytelling and charm, he was a familiar figure in Kansas City’s baseball and African-American communities.

In 2006, Surratt threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Kansas City Royals game, honoring his contributions to baseball. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum continues to feature his story, and in 2024, MLB recognized Negro League statistics as part of its official records.

In his later years, he faced Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, passing away on February 15, 2010, at age 87 in a Kansas City nursing home.

He was buried at Leavenworth National Cemetery in Leavenworth, Kansas, a site for veterans about 30 miles from Kansas City, reflecting his military service.