A Farewell to Brother Fred Valentine

FAREWELL NATIONAL

It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to our Brother Fred Valentine, former major league outfielder with the Washington Senators and Baltimore Orioles. He was called on to Omega Chapter on December 26, 2022, in Washington D.C. He was 87.

Valentine grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he excelled at Booker T. Washington High School in both baseball and football. A star quarterback and shortstop, he drew interest from multiple major league organizations out of high school; however, he decided to pursue his education at Tennessee A+I (now Tennessee State University).

At his college football coach’s behest, Valentine chose to sign with the Baltimore Orioles in 1956, despite offers from NFL teams.

Like many Black players in his era, Valentine

endured Jim Crow segregation in the South while playing in places like Wilson, North Carolina. Minor leaguers frequently received gifts from local businesses for stellar play. When Valentine went to collect his rewards, he was instantly reminded of the inequities he was fighting to escape.

“When I won something,” Valentine said in Bob Luke’s Integrating the Orioles, “which I did often, I couldn’t go in the front door. I’d have to go around back. If it was a meal, they’d box it up for me.”

Valentine persisted in the minors, receiving a call-up to Baltimore in 1959. He caught his big break in 1964 when the Senators purchased his contract from the Orioles He played with the Senators through 1968, even earning MVP votes in 1966. the 1970 season playing for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan.

In retirement, Valentine worked with a group of former major leaguers to establish the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association in 1982. He remained active in many charities, including the Firefighters Charitable Foundation, where he was an annual guest at their dinners and golf outings. He will be missed!