Black Stars Who Made Baseball Whole The Jackie Robinson Generation in the Major Leagues, 1947-1959
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Society for American Baseball Research member Rick Swaine has five baseball books in publication, two of them on baseball's integration era. He has also been a contributor to The Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime. Retired from an accounting career, he lives in the Tallahassee, Florida area.“meticulous...with great detail and precision, Swaine notes the incredible persistence and remarkable achievements of these black ballplayers...brings the feats of black ballplayers to new generations of fans...accomplishes an admirable task...a remarkable read”—<i>Nine</i>; “superb...valuable”—<i>ARBA</i>; “this is the book to read”—<i>The Courier</i>; (SABR Negro Leagues Committee Newsletter).
For major league baseball, the decade following Jackie Robinson's 1947 debut was one of slow yet persistent change. Four other black players made their first, brief big-league appearances that year, followed by only two in 1948 and four in 1949. But by the end of 1959, 122 black ballplayers had made it to the big leagues. Like Robinson, their lives were made difficult off the field, and on it they dodged beanballs and spikes.
This book brings attention to the accomplishments of this transitional generation of African American players--made up of men like Luscious Luke Easter, Sam "The Jet" Jethroe, and Sad Sam Jones--many of whom spent years in the minors, the Negro leagues, or both before getting their shot. Chapters on each season from 1947 to 1959 incorporate biographical and career profiles for 25 players who stood out during baseball's integration. A final chapter covers the outstanding minor league players who for various reasons never got a real chance to play major league ball.
Appendices include a roster of black major leaguers from 1947 through 1959, a list of black-player firsts and statistics on the year-by-year population of black players in the majors.
Introduction
1. Prelude to Integration
2. 1947—When All Hell Broke Loose
Jackie Robinson
3. 1948—The Bill Veeck Show
Larry Doby
Satchel Paige
4. 1949—The Dodgers Rule and the Giants Join In
Roy Campanella
Don Newcombe
Hank Thompson
5. 1950—The Boston Braves Get in the Act
Sam Jethroe
Luke Easter
Dan Bankhead
Monte Irvin
6. 1951—“Go-Go!” and “Say Hey!”
Minnie Minoso
Willie Mays
7. 1952—A Lull in the Action
Joe Black
Dave Hoskins
8. 1953—The Cubs Make It a Majority
Ernie Banks
Gene Baker
9. 1954—Another Banner Year
Hank Aaron
Vic Power
10. 1955—The Yankees Finally Give In
Elston Howard
Bob Thurman
11. 1956—The American League Lags Behind
Brooks Lawrence
12. 1957—Jackie Retires and the Phils Integrate
Bob Boyd
Connie Johnson
13. 1958—The Tigers Succumb and It's Down to One
George Crowe
14. 1959—The Last Holdout Folds
Sam Jones
15. The 1960s—The National League Rises to Dominance
16. Other Black Pioneers
17. These Guys Never Had a Chance
Appendix A. Roster of Black Major Leaguers (1947–1959)
Appendix B. Population of Black Players in Majors by Year
Appendix C. Black Player Firsts
Appendix D. Honors and Awards
Bibliography
Index