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Posted

...a topic which has drawn my interest of late, particularly in regards to a project of mine. I seem to remember it surfacing on the old BNBB and am wondering if anybody has books, online sites, etc. to recommend. I've come across a book called ONLY THE BALL WAS WHITE, which looks promising, if a bit dated--looking perhaps for a more contemporary treatment of the subject.

Posted

Rooster beat me to the recommendations! But you can also find interesting stuff by looking up individuals on the web -- lots of baseball sites have incorporated Negro League statistics. I was a 5-year-old Milwaukee Braves fan in 1957, and I remember Bill Bruton well, but I only recently learned he was scouted for the Braves by Judy Johnson, and soon thereafter became his son-in-law!

And Quincy Troupe, the author, is the son of Quincy Trouppe, the catcher and switch-hitter: http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlib...uppe_Quincy.stm, and follow the links...

I read ONLY THE BALL WAS WHITE in around 1978. I remember it being a LOT better than a more recent book with some big factual errors (not worth struggling to remembering its name -- but if you come across any book that calls the barnstorming "House of David" a Jewish team, like that one did, it's wrong).

Posted

If I'm not mistaken, Ken Burns' video essay on Baseball included a chapter devoted to the negro leagues. I know Buck Leonard appeared frequently as a talking head throughout the series. He even told a story about going to see Duke Ellington. Not too many jazz / baseball connections like that floating around.

Rooster is right, a quick internet search will reveal tons of information. Certainly some of the best ballplayers who ever tugged on a pair of spikes played in this league. And not just the "name" guys like a Satchel Paige (who I actually saw pitch here in Portland when he was in his '60's) or a Josh Gibson or a "Cool Papa" Bell. Even the second line players were immensely talented. It's incalculably sad that they were never afforded an opportunity to ply their trade in The Show. Just think of what might have been.

Up over and out.

Posted

I think it's noteworthy that the earliest Negro league players signed to the majors pretty much dominated, and won MVP awards and so forth.

Dave, I saw Satchell Paige pitch for the Portland Beavers against the Seattle Rainiers in 1961!. He started the game and pitched four innings of shutout ball, I was only 10, but I remember his motion being fluid or maybe rubbery is the word.

Posted

GA - I'm sure that was the game I saw too. It was played at what was then known as Multnomah Stadium. I would have been 13 at the time and I was going to school downtown, so it all fits. Besides, I seriously doubt he would have appeared more than once here in Stumptown. He was quite a guy, quite a player and quite a character. Pretty much a one off.

Up over and out.

Posted

Saw David Murray perform at a club in St. Louis about 8 or 9 years ago. When I met him after his last set, to get him to autograph a CD -- I mentioned I was from Kansas City, and he immediately started talking about the Negro Leagues Museum (which is in Kansas City), and said that he was in the beginning stages of writing an opera (or some such such) about Black Baseball.

(No idea if he was just bullshitting or not, but he seemed high as a kite the more we talked --- a serious space cadet.)

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