Dontrelle Willis and Dave Stewart are part of a very prestigious group, that in the beginning, they were unaware had even existed.
The Black Aces are a group of Black pitchers who have won at least 20 Major League Baseball games in a single season. It’s a small group filled with big names that stems from a book written by Mudcat Grant, who is a member of the group, along with Stewart.
“When I was first approached by Mudcat Grant, God -- I was one of the 12 at that time,” Stewart told NBC Sports California. “I was actually shocked and amazed, but also honored that only 12 Black pitchers in Major League history had won 20 games or more at the time, and so it’s really really important to me, especially in this day in time.