Milfred "Rick" Laurent
New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame
Baseball, 1918-37
Negro Leagues
Inducted: 1980
New Orleans native Milfred “Rick” Laurent had a long Negro Leagues baseball career that began with the Crescent Stars of New Orleans in 1921 after starring for numerous semipro teams from 1918 to 1921.
Laurent, a standout outfielder also played for the Caulfield Ads, New Orleans Black Pelicans, Nashville Elite Giants, Memphis Red Sox, Birmingham Black Barons and the Cleveland Cubs. He closed his professional back where he started, playing for the Crescent Stars of New Orleans from 1933-37.
“I never had the opportunity [to play in the Majors],” he told the Louisiana Weekly in 1981. “I was born 50 years too soon.”
In 1926, he was a member of the Black Pelicans’ Negro Southern League championship team.
While the 5-10, 180-pounder was known primarily as an outfielder, he was also known for his versatility as he played every position on the field, including pitcher and catcher, during his stint with the Memphis Red Sox.
Laurent was born in New Orleans on December 26, 1901. He died in his hometown on October 25, 1995, at the age of 93. He is buried in Holt Cemetery in New Orleans.
