baseballhall.org
Turkey Stearnes was one of the great home run hitters from his era. He weighed only 175 pounds, so generating that power was truly extraordinary. Many of his homers measured 450 feet or more. He was admired by his peers, as demonstrated in this tweet from Bob Kendrick:
Stearnes was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He was primarily a center fielder, he also played left field and first base. His career spanned from 1923 through 1942. He played for several teams during his career, including the Memphis Red Sox, Detroit Stars, Kansas City Monarchs, Philadelphia Stars, and the Chicago American Giants. He hit 35 home runs with the Detroit Stars in 1923, and hit 50 home runs the following season. He led the Chicago American Giants to consecutive pennants in the Negro Southern League (1932) and the Negro National League (1933). Turkey was a starter in the first East-West All Star Game, and went on to play in three more of these games.
Stearnes hit .430 for the American Giants in 1935, and had a lifetime .359 league batting average. His stance was pretty unique, with the toe of his front foot pointed straight up. Not just a power hitter, his speed allowed him to be a season leader in both triples and stolen bases. Finally, he was a great defensive outfielder with outstanding range and speed.
In the words of the great Satchel Paige, Stearnes was every bit as great as Josh Gibson. Turkey Stearnes was elected posthumously to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.