Shadow Ball: A Novel of Baseball and Chicago

by Peter M. Rutkoff

In the summer of 1919 three men (two white, one black) decide that the Chicago White Sox will be the first major league team in the twentieth century to sign a black player to a major league contract... Set before the broad shoulders of Chicago, Shadow Ball tells the story of Rube Foster, African American owner of the Chicago-American Giants; Charles Comiskey, the owner of the White Sox; and Sam Weiss, their silent go-between. Their plans are complicated by the eruption of the August 1919 race riot in Chicago, as seen and heard by Kid Douglas, a Mississippi blues singer newly arrived from the Delta. Blues, baseball, race-relations, love, hope and despair ring loud in this tale.

Genres: Baseball

232 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Eliza Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow Ball by Peter M. Rutkoff tosses you right into the sizzling streets of 1919 Chicago—where baseball’s just as hot as the weather, and the stakes are way higher than just who wins the pennant. At its core, this story isn’t just about baseball; it’s about power, ambition, and the chaos that simmers when money, race, and fame collide.

If you’re a history buff, baseball nerd, jazz lover, or just someone who enjoys watching flawed people make bold, risky moves—Shadow Ball is your pitch. It’s smart, snappy, and doesn’t shy away from the gritty stuff.

Read my full spoiler-free review here: https://savoryourreads.com/2025/08/sh...

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this way more than I did. Certain elements such as the characterizations of Rube Foster and Charles Comiskey are well written and contain a depth that I appreciated. Unfortunately, much of the book is inert, with a love story that is as obvious as it is meandering and clunky. The titular event is never in doubt either, but the journey needed to be much better for such an obvious ending.