{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1869–1950)}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=William Binga |image=1909Binga.jpg |position=Third baseman / Catcher |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{birth date|mf=yes|1869|2|26}} |birth_place=Michigan |death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|1950|10|14|1869|2|26}} |death_place=Minneapolis, Minnesota |teams= * Adrian, Michigan Team ({{by|1895}}) * Page Fence Giants ({{by|1895}}–{{by|1898}}) <ref name="cedarrapids1897">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdYzkwY2RhNDgtYThlYy00MjE0LWFmYjItN2IzZjVhOTljMGM3 "The Diamond" Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA, Saturday, April 24, 1897, Page 5, Column 3]</ref><ref name="canton1898">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdVUdJS0VpZmlWU3M "A Close Game" The Repository, Canton, Ohio, Monday, May 9, 1898, Page 2, Column 5]</ref> * Columbia Giants ({{by|1899}}–{{by|1902}}) <ref name="mansfield1899">[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1Wcncq5-bHdYjNkMWVkMDEtZDUyZi00NjI0LWFlNDktMWFlNTg4YzJjYzRk&hl=en_US "The Columbian Giants Beat Lowney's Haymakers in the Opening Game" The Mansfield News, Mansfield, OH, April 25, 1899, Page 4, Column 1, 2, and 3]</ref><ref name="fortwayne1902">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdZTE5OWZjOTEtOTU3MC00MDQ0LTliM2QtNWNkOGZmNzlmYjk4 "The Game Tomorrow" The Fort Wayne Evening Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN, Tuesday, April 29, 1902, Page 3, column 5]</ref> * Chicago Union Giants ({{by|1902}}, {{by|1920}})<ref name="racine1902">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdM2ZmNGM2MjQtOTdhMi00ZTMxLWJmM2MtZDg0MDEwMDA1Mjg5 "Colored Men Will Play Here Two Days" The Racine Daily Journal, Racine, WI, Friday Afternoon, September 19, 1902, Page 8, Column 1]</ref><ref name="union1920">[http://negroleagues.bravehost.com/pdf/000200.pdf "Kilby Homer Wins for Pyotts From U. Giants" Chicago Herald Examiner, Chicago, Illinois, Monday, May 17, 1920, Page 8, Column 5]</ref> * Philadelphia Giants ({{by|1903}}) <ref name="trenton1903">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdNGM0ZWE4NzUtZWY3Mi00NjM5LTkxZGMtNmMzOTRlZGI0ZGQx "Y.M.C.A. Team Should Have Won" The Trenton Times, Trenton, NJ, Monday, September 28, 1903, Page 9, Column 2]</ref> * Chicago Union Giants ({{by|1904}}) <ref name="racine1904">[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1Wcncq5-bHdMWM1ODIxMjgtYTEyNS00ZmJjLTlkNjctMjZlZGE0MjAyNTE5&hl=en_US "Sporting" Racine Daily Journal, Racine, WI, Page 8, Columns 1 and 2]</ref> * Leland Giants ({{by|1905}})<ref name="leland1910">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdOGxTTXJvRVNWRmc "Frank Lelands' Chicago Giants Base Ball Club" Fraternal Printing Company, 1910]</ref> * Philadelphia Quaker Giants ({{by|1906}}) <ref name="trenton1906">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdZDkyNjFiNjUtMjcyNS00ZTA3LTg1MGItNDU5M2ExNmYwNThl "Quaker Giants Trimmed Cuban X" The Trenton Times, Trenton, NJ, Page 22, Column 1]</ref> * Philadelphia Giants ({{by|1907}}) <ref name="maine1907">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdYzkxMWFlYzctYjdlOC00Y2UxLTg4NzEtMTM4YTk2MjM4ZDE4 "Augusta Beaten" The Daily Kennebec Journal, Kennebec, ME, Page 4, Column 7]</ref> * Minneapolis Keystones ({{by|1908}}) <ref name="oelwein1908">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdY2JhZTQ2OGYtYzgzYi00MTA5LThhZGYtNzcwZWJhZTNiNjE2 "Keystones Trimmed Oelwein Saturday" Monday, July 13, 1908, Page 4, Column 3]</ref> * St. Paul Colored Gophers ({{by|1909}}–{{by|1911}}) <ref name="1910eau">[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1Wcncq5-bHdMGQ2Y2MyMmYtYTJlYS00ZmVjLTkxMzEtZjQyZmE1MDVmZGE0&hl=en_US "Lose Third" The Eau Claire Daily Leader, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Page 2, Columns 1 and 2]</ref> * Kansas City, Kansas Giants ({{by|1910}}) * Hennepin Clothing Company ({{by|1912}}) * Hennepin Negro Giants ({{by|1913}}) * Willmar, Minnesota ({{by|1921}}–{{by|1926}}) }}

'''William H. Binga''' (February 26, 1869 &ndash; October 14, 1950) was an American third baseman,<ref name="mansfield1899" /> catcher<ref name="cedarrapids1897" /> and manager in the pre-Negro league baseball era. Born in Michigan, Binga played most of his career in Chicago, Illinois,<ref name="racine1904" /> Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.<ref name ="1910eau" />

== Baseball career == left|thumb|250px|1905 Leland Giants It appears Binga started his baseball career at the age of 26, playing three games as a catcher for a team in Adrian, Michigan. He quickly moved on to the Page Fence Giants,<ref name="cedarrapids1897" /> which eventually brought him to Chicago when the team moved to Chicago and became the Chicago Columbia Giants in 1899.

In Chicago, he played for several seasons for the Columbia Giants, Chicago Union Giants, and the Leland Giants.<ref name="leland1910" /> He would move with many fellow players to Minnesota in 1908. Binga left the Colored Gophers based in Minneapolis in August 1911, the newspaper citing a "disastrous season" due to "bad management" and said the players of the team were "much dissatisfied."<ref name="bingaleave1911">[http://negroleagues.bravehost.com/pdfa/003438.pdf "Mr. William Binga" Twin City Star, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saturday, August 19, 1911, Page 1, Column 3]</ref>

During his career, he played with Sol White, Rube Foster, George Wilson, Walter Ball, Eugene Barton, Andrew Campbell, Alex Irwin, Candy Jim Taylor, Johnny Davis, and he played baseball alongside University of Minnesota famed Bobby Marshall.<ref name="oelwein1908" />

left|thumb|1910 St. Paul Gophers Fellow player Jimmy Smith called Binga "the only third sacker and surest hitter in the country."<ref name="1904Xgiants">[https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Wcncq5-bHdWXBlcGFTWkRWems "The Past and Present in Baseball" Indianapolis Freeman, Indianapolis, Indiana, Saturday, May 28, 1910, Page 7, Columns 3 and 4]</ref>

After a couple of seasons in Philadelphia, it appears Binga played the rest of his seasons for teams in Minnesota and the Dakotas. The last known game Binga played was in Willmar, Minnesota. He was living in Willmar as late as the 1930 Census, where he is still listed as renting a place from Clayton R. Baker.<ref name="1930Census">"United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X38W-4L1 : accessed 24 Jan 2013), William H Binga in household of Clayton R Baker, Willmar, Kandiyohi, Minnesota; citing enumeration district (ED) 0032, sheet 18B, family 468, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1104</ref>

==Post baseball career==

thumb|right|William Binga's Grave Marker Binga was buried in an unmarked grave in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where his grave remained unmarked for more than 63 years. He received a proper headstone for the first time in June 2014 from the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project.<ref>[http://www.twincities.com/rosario/ci_26040011/ruben-rosario-honoring-minnesotas-long-gone-negro-league Honoring Minnesota's long-gone Negro League players", by Rubén Rosario, at TwinCities.com, June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.]</ref> His death records show he was married, to Edna Louise, and his parents were Joshua and Lucy Binga.<ref name="deathcert">"Minnesota, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FD8T-VGS : accessed 24 Jan 2013), William H Binga, 14 Oct 1950</ref> According to the 1940 Census, Binga's wife had died.<ref name="1940Census">"United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KSLS-KZX : accessed 24 Jan 2013), William H Binga, Precinct 1, Ward 2, Willmar, Willmar City, Kandiyohi, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 34-32A, sheet 1A, family 13, NARA digital publication T627, roll 1930</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links== {{Baseballstats|brm=binga-001wil}} and [https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=binga01wil Seamheads]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Binga, William}} Category:1869 births Category:1950 deaths Category:African-American baseball managers Category:Baseball catchers Category:Baseball players from Michigan Category:Baseball third basemen Category:Leland Giants players Category:Minneapolis Keystones players Category:Philadelphia Giants players Category:Adrian Reformers players Category:Page Fence Giants players Category:Columbia Giants players Category:St. Paul Colored Gophers players Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:African-American history in Minneapolis–Saint Paul