The biographical encyclopedia of the negro baseball leagues. Bob luke has sifted through the spotty statistics, interviewed negro league players and historians, and combed the yellowed letters and newspaper accounts of wellss life to draw the most complete portrait yet of an important baseball player. Feb 24, 2015 then from 1978 to 1995, the hall of fame elected only two negro leaguers rube foster, an early pitcher and founder of the negro national league, and ray dandridge. The eastwest league was an american negro baseball league that operated during the period when professional baseball in the united states was segregated. Preserving negro league history has never been easier, or harder. Fortunately for collectors, a lot of it has been documented through the years in specialized sets of negro leagues baseball cards.
The negro league baseball players association nlbpa exists to honor and celebrate the significant contribution of negro leagues players to baseball and american history, to collect and preserve that history, to educate others so that negro league players may be a source of pride and inspiration for generations to come, and to support and promote the general and financial. The league of outsider baseball book by gary cieradkowski. Minor league stats, negro league stats, nippon pro baseball stats, cuban national series stats, korean baseball stats, 2019 minor leagues, 2019 affiliates. The negro leagues, formed for african american players in the late 19th century, provided a forum for black baseball teams until the 1950s. Every few years, a baseball book comes along that isnt quite like anything before it. The complete book of baseballs negro leagues br bullpen. Then from 1978 to 1995, the hall of fame elected only two negro leaguers rube foster, an early pitcher and founder of the negro national league, and ray dandridge. See more ideas about negro, league, negro league baseball. After nine straight negro national league pennants, the. Black major leaguers, 19471959, edited by larry moffi and jonathan krondstadt primary sources reading list sol whites history of colored baseball 1903, edited by jerry malloy. The project was officially completed in 2005 though, of course, the actual work of piecing together negro league statistics will never actually end and the results were available to the. The data base had been more than doubled since the macmillan encyclopedia. Jun 15, 2008 many negro league teams were owned by blacks.
This unique book succinctly traces the history of negro baseball from precivil war days to the end of the negro major league era in 1948. An illustrated history estimated that negro leaguers played white major leaguers 438 times in offseason exhibitions and won 309 of the contests. The complete book of baseballs negro leagues gives season by season data, which helps put things in context better. Weve added data from the 1942 mexican league, a season of 8488 games that finished with three teams within two games of first place. Feb 09, 2012 a traveling exhibit exploring the history of negro leagues baseball came to bucknell university in october 2011, kicking off a series of events exploring americas pastime during the era of. See more ideas about negro league baseball, books and baseball league. Yet, the stars of the segregated baseball leagues may have been among the most empowered, least victimized black men to fall under the shadow of jim. Willie wells was black, and he played long before jackie robinson broke baseball s color barrier. Looking at baseball beyond americas major leagues, he wrote the first book in english on japanese baseball, japan is big league in thrills, in 1954.
Negro league baseball weekend april 35 in cape may. Aptly described as a monumental work from the negro leagues committee of the society for american baseball research, it contained extensive research on negro league rosters, standings, and biographies. The complete book of baseball s negro leagues gives season by season data, which helps put things in context better. Their research in every field of baseball has lead to more books and information found in books than any other group in history.
Few may boast of as long and noteworthy a contribution to baseball research. The leagues also sent their best players to the eastwest allstar classic, an annual exhibition game in chicago. Holway 1929 has been researching baseball since 1944, and he is still at it. The league launched the careers of baseball icons such.
Because the league folded before the end of the season, no team was declared a champion. The complete book of baseballs negro leagues john b. From an awardwinning graphic artist and baseball historian comes a strikingly original illustrated history of baseballs forgotten heroes, including stars of the negro leagues, barnstorming teams, semipro leagues, foreign leagues, and famous players like shoeless joe jackson, jackie robinson, willie mays, and joe dimaggio before they achieved notoriety. The author painstakingly examines the difficult path trodden by black baseball during the period of the great depression, world war ii, and the early cold war era. Also founded in 1920 was the negro southern league, a loosely organized negro minor league these stats also are from john holways the complete book of baseballs negro leagues, as reported by baseball reference. The history of the negro leagues is a fascinating chapter in baseball. Negro league baseball cards guide the cardboard connection. The complete book of baseball s negro leagues isbn 0803820070 by john holway is a book on early black baseball and the negro leagues. Holway, lloyd johnson, rachel borst, ted williams, buck oneil on. Cum posey organized the league in 1932, but it did not last the full year and folded in june of that year. So i input all of the games listed in john holways complete book of baseballs negro leagues into a spreadsheet. Additionally, holway has a comprehensive list of games between white and black teams and includes some details about leagues in cuba. Later this year, we plan on adding fielding and various secondary statistics pitchers hrs allowed, hbp for batters, etc. I also found several games on proquest that were not listed in his book and got all of the games from bob fellers barnstorming from the book by john sickels.
Jan 29, 2008 illustrated book chronicles negro league pioneers the vivid, detailed and realistic pictures in a new book for children transport readers to the world of baseball s negro leagues. This landmark reference volume the biographical encyclopedia of the negro baseball leagues by james a. Cape may on this 100th anniversary of negro league baseball the historic name of leagues of african american professional baseball teams that began in. In 1994 the society published the negro leagues book. All the major league players are coveredfrom aaron to zuverinkand a new section highlights the stars of the old negro leagues.
Prior to that, the only book was sol whites history of colored baseball. Willie wells was black, and he played long before jackie robinson broke baseballs color barrier. In light of the 100th anniversary of the negro leagues, a. Nlbm legacy 2000 players reunion alumni book, kansas city missouri. At 382 pages it became the societys largest publishing effort to date. Among the selected few is a newcomer, the complete book of baseballs negro leagues. Complete book of baseballs negro leagues by john b.
The complete book of baseballs negro leagues isbn 0803820070 by john holway is a book on early black baseball and the negro leagues. It was the first negro league to include teams from both the eastern and midwestern united states. But less than 70 years ago, african americans were not allowed to play major league baseball with white players in the united states because of racial segregation. Mar 22, 2012 the project was officially completed in 2005 though, of course, the actual work of piecing together negro league statistics will never actually end and the results were available to the. Ironically, with the integration of major league baseball, the death knell was rung for. The negro league teams survived through the great depression and world war ii. Mar 26, 2020 also founded in 1920 was the negro southern league, a loosely organized negro minor league these stats also are from john holways the complete book of baseballs negro leagues, as reported by baseball reference. The principal negro leagues were the negro national league 192031, 193348, the eastern colored league 192328, and the negro american league 193760. The latest candidate for the oddball baseball hall of fame book is the league of outsider baseball, a hugely enjoyable volume filled with so many jawdropping facts that you will want to start reading from cover to cover.
Negro league players are often portrayed as victims of baseballs color line, which, predating the establishment of major league baseball, began in 1867 and fell apart gradually from 1947 to 1959. The pittsburgh crawfords, 1935 negro national league champions, are. Since then he has published many notable books on the negro. After leaving professional baseball, kaiser played in the detroit industrial league with the ford motor company team. Rachel borst a chronological history of the negro leagues from 1862 to 1948 lists the statistics of every pitcher and batter, team records, significant games and advances for black players, and box scores.
The wall street journal a comprehensive reference booka valuable compilationprovides illustrations, team histories, an. The inclusion of former negro league players in traditional baseball card products has also provided a basis for keeping that history alive. The complete book of baseballs negro leagues isbn 0803820070 by john holway is a book on early black baseball and the negro. Once considered less lucrative than other leagues, the negro southern league is able to begin the season with five teams including the chicago american giants, cleveland cubs, detroit stars, indianapolis abcs, and louisville white sox. Riley is recognized as the most comprehensive work chronicling this era of baseball history. The story of negro league baseball b y kadir nelson using an everyman player as his narrator, kadir nelson tells the story of negro league baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after jackie robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Two new books tell the story of africanamerican baseball before jackie robinson signed with the brooklyn dodgers. Negro league players are often portrayed as victims of baseball s color line, which, predating the establishment of major league baseball, began in 1867 and fell apart gradually from 1947 to 1959. After he retired from baseball, he helped found the negro leagues baseball museum in kansas city, missouri. In 2001 his monumental the complete book of the negro leagues, the other half of baseball history came out, the most ambitious project ever undertaken on the negro leagues. The true statistical achievements of negro league players may be impossible to know as the negro leagues did not compile complete statistics or game summaries. Based on research of historical accounts performed for the special committee on the negro leagues, gibson hit 224 homers in 2,375 atbats against top black teams, 2 in 56 atbats against.
Some years, the negro national and negro american leagues played a negro league world series. The rise and ruin of a black institution illustrated ed. Life in baseballs negro leagues, donn rogosin told a story about halloffamer monte irvin, who recounted a racial incident in the deep south. Other society publications society for american baseball. A traveling exhibit exploring the history of negro leagues baseball came to bucknell university in october 2011, kicking off a series of events exploring americas pastime during the era of. The book is replete with errors and typos, but is the best published source for negro league standings, rosters and statistics. The last two pennants before the first negro national leagues demise were annexed by the st. Illustrated book chronicles negro league pioneers the vivid, detailed and realistic pictures in a new book for children transport readers to the world of. Negro league, any of the associations of african american baseball teams active largely between 1920 and the late 1940s, when black players were at last contracted to play major and minor league baseball. Holway also did a major oral history of the tuskegee airmen red tails, black wings. The society for american baseball research, or sabr, is the most widely recognized authority on baseball history.
This engaging history of negro league baseball details the obstacles and prejudices africanamerican baseball players faced in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Mar 05, 2020 cape may on this 100th anniversary of negro league baseball the historic name of leagues of african american professional baseball teams that began in 1920 because of segregation and ended. The negro southern league becomes the only major africanamerican baseball league operating. Kyle mcnary pitch black baseball 612 5906584 42 wooddale av. Among the selected few is a newcomer, the complete book of baseball s negro leagues. The negro leagues book edited by dick clark and larry lester complete book of baseballs negro leagues by john holway crossing the line. While barnstorming with the newark eagles, irvin said he and his teammates made a stop at a cafe near birmingham, ala. Again, it isnt a narrative, but it has a ton of valuable info.
After jackie robinson broke the color barrier by joining the brooklyn dodgers in 1947, major league baseball began to allow black players to join their. Books about negro league baseball the new york times. The story of negro league baseball by kadir nelson. Baseball apartheid existed until jackie robinson broke that barrier in 1947. Now with complete fielding statistics for all players and pitchers, the baseball encyclopedia is bigger and better than ever. Apr 11, 2014 the negro leagues, formed for african american players in the late 19th century, provided a forum for black baseball teams until the 1950s. The negro league today, african american players are among the biggest stars in major league baseball. The principal negro leagues were the negro national league 192031, 193348, the eastern colored league 192328, and the negro. Since then he has published many notable books on the negro leagues, most notably perhaps voices from the great black baseball leagues 1975, a collection of interviews with the then virtually unknown cool papa bell, buck leonard, bill foster, willie wells, and the complete book of the negro leagues 2000.
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