Minnesotans opening Google Wednesday will see a familiar face.
Google celebrates St. Paul's Toni Stone, the first woman to play for a men's pro baseball team
Stone, a Black woman, grew up in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul.
February 9, 2022 at 10:05PM
The search engine's latest Google Doodle honors St. Paul's Toni Stone, who overcame gender and racial discrimination to become the first woman to play for a men's professional baseball team.
Stone, a Black woman, was born Marcenia Stone in 1921 in West Virginia. Her family moved to St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood in 1931, where Stone cut her teeth in league baseball before eventually joining the St. Paul Colored Giants, a men's semi-professional team at the age of 16.
It was in 1953 that Stone's career took off, signing with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. She would play for two more professional teams before retiring in 1954.
Wednesday's Google Doodle honors Stone's induction into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into the Women's Sports Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.
Every March 6 in St. Paul, the city celebrates Toni Stone Day.
LOCAL FICTION: Featuring stories within stories, she’ll discuss the book at Talking Volumes on Tuesday.
