The First Black White Rose

....     Five years after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color barrier the York White Roses announced the first  black to don a White Rose uniform. The announcement was made by York Community Baseball business manager Glen Abel on April 7, 1952. Shortstop Bill Springfield, "was lauded as the fastest player at the St. Louis Browns camp at Thomasville, Georgia," the York Dispatch said.

          Springfield was a native of Roxbury, Mass., and a graduate of North Carolina college where he earned a B.S. degree in biology. He also played football, basketball and baseball. In the off season he was studying pre-med at Boston College. Prior to being signed by the White Roses Springfield played in Venezuela and  Puerto Rico. In 1951 he batted .342 on the Santo Domingo club.

          The 1952 York White Roses also included two locals from opposite ends of the county. The first player acquired for York in 1952 was Don Smith of Hellam. Smith would play left field. He was called a "bonus player" and the talk of baseball camp for his hitting and hustle. In the 1951 season with Hellam's York County Twi-Light league he batted .441.

           The second local member of the 1952 team is still involved in York County baseball in 2010. Marlyn Holtzapple of Stoverstown, was an inflelder. In 1955 Holtzapple would play with rookie Brooks Robinson.   In 2010 Holtzapple still manages in local baseball.

           When the Roses clinched third place at the end of the 1952 season, while playing against the Harrisburg Senators, "Curly Holtzapple then insured victory with a solid smash to left for two runs."

             York finished the season with 74 wins and 62 losses. It was the second best finish since 1948 when they were third and had a 77-62 finish.   continued.