Goose Tatum

Goose Tatum
Tatum on a Coca-Cola advertisement, 1954
Personal information
Birth nameReece Tatum
Born(1921-05-31)May 31, 1921[a]
El Dorado, Arkansas, U.S.[a]
DiedJanuary 18, 1967(1967-01-18) (aged 45)
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeFort Bliss National Cemetery
EducationBooker T. Washington High School (El Dorado, Arkansas)
Occupations
  • Sportsman
  • entertainer
Years active1937–1943, 1946–1966
Sport
SportBaseball (1937–1943, 1946–49), basketball (1941–42, 1946–1966)
TeamLouisville Black Colonels (1937)
Memphis Red Sox (1941)
Birmingham Black Barons (1942)
Harlem Globetrotters (1941–42, 1946–1954)
Indianapolis Clowns (1943, 1946–49)
Harlem Magicians / Stars / Trotters / Roadkings (1953–1966)
Detroit Stars (unknown)

Reece "Goose" Tatum[1] (May 31, 1921[a] – January 18, 1967) was an American Negro league baseball and basketball player. In 1942, he was signed to the Harlem Globetrotters and had an 11-year career with the team. He later formed his own team known as the Harlem Magicians with former Globetrotters player Marques Haynes. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Tatum's number 50 is retired by the Globetrotters.

  1. ^ Lederer, Richard (March 1, 1994). "The names of the games". The Telegraph.