Ira McKnight was born August 5, 1935 in Trenton, Tennessee. He spent the majority of his childhood in South Bend, Indiana, where he later began his career playing for the South Bend Globetrotters. Ira played professional baseball with the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees minor league teams. Ira spent his prime playing as strong armed backstop in the negro Leagues, mainly for the Kansas City Monarchs (1956-1960). Ira once collected 8 straight hits in two games while with the Kansas City Club. Mr. McKnight was one of the most steady slugging catchers of the Negro League Era. He spent many rewarding years gracing Canadian fields with his skills as both a catcher and a formidable hitter. Ira McKnight stands as a living testament to the sacrifices that African American men made to play the game he loved. Our community has sadly lost an icon on August 28, 2018. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those that knew him.
