Celebrating Toni Stone

In honor of U.S. Black History Month, today’s Doodle illustrated by San Francisco, CA-based guest artist Monique Wray celebrates athlete Marcenia “Toni” Stone, who overcame both gender and racial discrimination to become the first woman in history to play professional baseball as a regular in a men’s major baseball league. On this day in 2021, Stone was inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame. 

Marcenia Lyle Stone was born in 1921 in Bluefield, West Virginia during an era of pronounced racial segregation in American sports. In 1931, Stone moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where she developed her remarkable athleticism in the city’s public playgrounds and baseball fields. By just 15, the all-male semi-pro Twin Cities Colored Giants broke gender convention by bringing Stone onto its roster. In 1946, Stone went to bat with the San Francisco Sea Lions, marking the start of her illustrious professional career.

Her exceptional batting average of .280 earned her a spot on the bench with the Negro League All-Star team while she continued to travel across the United States playing second base for the minor league New Orleans Creoles. In 1953, Stone filled the spot of future Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron as the second baseman for the Indianapolis Clowns, one of the League’s most prestigious teams. Undeterred by taunts during her debut season with the Clowns, Stone hit a single off of Satchel Paige, who is widely considered the greatest pitcher in Negro League history. 

Stone played alongside legendary players such as Jackie Robinson throughout her career before retiring from professional baseball in 1954 as a legend. In 1990, March 6 was declared “Toni Stone Day” in her adopted hometown of St. Paul, where future generations of baseball players practice under the lights of Toni Stone Field. She has been honored by several exhibitions in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1993, was inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. 

Here’s to you, Toni Stone—thanks for showing the world what determination and unstoppable love for the game can achieve!  

Learn more about Toni Stone’s life, accomplishments, and legacy with a story from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Google Arts & Culture.

Special thanks to the family of Toni Stone for their partnership. Below, her family reflects on their aunt’s life, legacy, and today’s Doodle: 

Toni’s gift was to play sports and she is celebrated today because she fought to play in a mens' baseball club in Minnesota. With the help of her priest who spoke to the baseball club's coach, Toni got into the club. She was the first black woman to play in Minnesota's boys' league. She was active in tennis, skating, fishing, and baseball. Her love for baseball won. She fought hard to play in professional men's clubs. As a result, she was the first woman in the organized Negro Leagues and quickly drew attention for her baseball skills. 

During Toni’s career, she suffered humiliating prejudices from the audience and her teammates. However, she never let that stop her from playing baseball. She stood up to the other players, went out on the field, and played the game. She used to say, “I am a woman, a Black woman, and I want and will play men's baseball. I'm not even getting paid the same amount of money these guys are making. But I do it because I love the game, and I do it to show other women that they can do it too. Remember, a woman has her dream too.” 

As children, we remember our Aunt Toni and her husband Aurelius Alberga (Uncle Pescia) who loved and adored her. Aunt Toni and Uncle Pescia would always encourage us to figure out what we wanted to do in life and go for it regardless of what people may think. If it's something you really want to do, don't let anything get in your way. Regardless of how difficult the struggle might be, do it anyway, and after it is done, you'll see what you've accomplished.

 Aunt Toni loved visiting schools and talking to children about her days in baseball. She always had a warm smile and reminded school kids that they could do anything they wanted to do if they just tried. She would be happy to see the many opportunities that women have achieved today, especially women of color.

Maria A. Bartlow (niece) - Monica D. Franks (great niece) - Odin Bartlow (great nephew) - Shawn Bartlow (great nephew) 

Thank you to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for their support on this Doodle!

Courtesy of Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Courtesy of the Estate of Toni Stone

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by San Francisco, CA-based guest artist Monique Wray. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A: Toni was a trailblazer, a Black woman doing things she's not expected to do, whether the world likes it or not, speaks to me.

Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle?

A: Excitement, it's always a good time working with the Doodle team and I really enjoy doing research on historical figures I'm unfamiliar with. I could tell from the initial photography of Toni that she was an interesting person.

Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A: Toni herself. I spent a lot of time researching her life, career, and baseball during the 1940s as well.

Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A: Inspiration to persevere. Toni played with men, a lot of whom did not want her there. But almost every photo I see of her, she has a massive smile. She lived her life through adversity and did what she wanted to do.

Early drafts of the Doodle