Indian Summer: The Tragic Story of Louis Francis Sockalexis, the First Native American in Major League Baseball

by Brian McDonald

The Indian wars were over, and the Indians had lost. But on the green fields of our national pastime, this Indian stood tall ...

America, as always, was in the throes of change. Segregation was becoming law down South with the passage of Jim Crow. West of the Mississippi, the slaughters at Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee still stung recent memory. At the same time, in 1897, the name Sockalexis resounded in barrooms and backrooms, in the lurid headlines of the popular press, and in the bleachers of the legendary ballparks in Baltimore and Boston, Chicago and Cincinnati, New York and St. Louis.

More than a century ago, on a remote reservation in the wilds of Maine, a "natural" athletic talent was born who would change the face of baseball-- literally. The Indian, as he was labeled by friend and foe alike, caused a commotion in city after city as rowdy fans, hard-drinking players, and corrupt team owners all wanted a piece of the first Native American to play in the Majors. For one sensational season he was the toast of Cleveland and the National League, his appeal so strong that there's little doubt he inspired the name his old club carries today.

This is the story of Louis Francis Sockalexis, grandson of a Penobscot chief, who endured a firestorm of publicity while blazing a trail for such sports heroes as Jim Thorpe and Jackie Robinson. Unfortunately, Sockalexis also followed the well-traveled path of stars before and since who have sealed their own fate with alcohol and other temptations. And yet, as rendered by Brian McDonald, the forgotten story of Sockalexis reveals a most memorable figure from baseball's-- and America's-- storied past.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, History, Native American, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 19, 2003

About the author

Brian McDonald contributes frequently to New York City newspapers, including The New York Times. His first book, My Father's Gun, won critical raves and became the subject of a major History Channel documentary series. McDonald is also the author of Last Call at Elaine's, Indian Summer, and Safe Harbor: A Murder in Nantucket. He lives in Manhattan.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fooled by part of the title. “The Forgotten Story of Louis Sockalexis, the First Native American in Major League Baseball” led me to believe that this would be a biography. Instead, what Brian McDonald gives us is a splendid peak at the boorish, chaotic, dirty behavior of baseball at the turn of the 20th century, sprinkled with anecdotes and descriptions of Sockalexis’s rise and fall over a three-year period. At first, I was disappointed, but as I continued reading I came to enjoy reading about players like Mike “King” Kelly and Jesse “Crab” Burkett and larger than life owners such as Andrew Freeman and Chris Von de Ahe. These characters have been buried in baseball’s past and I am glad that McDonald extricates them to give us a view of what baseball was like in 1897. The comparison between Freedman and George Steinbrenner is memorable.

McDonald provides a great description of Frank Robison, the owner of the Cleveland baseball team who recruited Sockalexis more as a gimmick than any form of moral compunction. Naturally, he mentions Branch Rickey, the Dodgers owner who provided Jackie Robinson with the opportunity to become the first African-American to play Major League Baseball in 1947 (Sockalexis was the first player to break the MLB color barrier in 1897). It is tragic that Sockalexis’s accomplishment has virtually disappeared from the annals of baseball history and lore. As I read the book, I wondered what analytics and sabermetrics would have made of “Sock”.

“Indian Summer” focuses primarily on 1897, but I like how McDonald included historical moments that served as the backdrop for the summer of Sockalexis. The author wires about the impending Spanish American War, the Dawes Act of 1887 and the temperance movement spearheaded by the Anti Saloon League. It would have been interesting if more could have been written of the latter two historical players and their effect on Sock. Surely, he must have had some views on these issues.

The real issue, and McDonald admits this in the beginning, is that there is scant historical material to work with regarding Sockalexis. Sadly, there are no primary sources created by the athlete himself and McDonald leans heavily on articles from “The Sporting News”. This reminds me of the biography “Hypatia of Alexandria”by Maria Dzielska. There is such a dearth of sources that Dzielska spends too much time on secondary figures rather than Hypatia herself. Although, McDonald faced a similar conundrum, he never lets the spotlight veer too far away from Sockalexis, nor does he distract the reader by adding too many other figures to the book.

This is a sad story of the sudden rise and tragic fall of Sockalexis, who died at 43. I only wish we could learn more about him.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long waited story of one of the forgotten stars of the beginning of Professional baseball.
Sockalexis was one of the first 5-tool players, he could hit, hit with power, run and throw. He also knew the rules of the game. But he was suseptable to alcohol like many Indian athletes in history.

Sockalexis was an educated man, going to school at Holy Cross and then for a short while Notre Dame before it became what it is today. An amazing man. The book is well written with short chapters led off with news of what was happening in the world at that time.

[Dacy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about Louis Sockalexis, the first Native American ballplayer. I would have liked more information about him to be honest, doesn’t seem like a small book really covers a lot of who the man was. What was written was excellent though.

[Dave Schumacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story of one of baseball’s potentially greatest players who fell victim to racism and alcohol. Interesting look at how different the sport was in the late 1890’s

[Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too entertaining; a nugget of baseball history.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned much from this book. I must say, I was not expecting this ending to this man. I actually looked up a few more facts about Sockalexis after reading this book.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Brian McDonald wrote Sockalexis's biography he also included US history of the time, the aftermath of the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War with the input of Hearst and Pulitzer, and most pertinently the rise of the prohibition movement. Watching the self destruction of Sockalexis you can see why people might think that banning alcohol would save lives. He had great physical control as a ballplayer - good hands, great strength, speed and accuracy which lead to one wonderful season of major league ball with fans shouting Sockalexis, Sockalexis - Sock it to them, Sockalexis, then drank himself right out of a career. What a disease. What a loss.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Louis Sockalexis, the Penobscot Native logger who had an incredible talent for baseball. In truth, the baseball career of Mr. Sockalexis was short but storied in Cleveland and the National League. It was also a great plesure for a baseball fan like myself to learn about the first native American baseball player and the early yaers of baseball. Take some time and read theis pleasureable book.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been so much better. Louis Sockalexis's story is fascinating and sad. Baseball sounds like it was crazy in the 1890s with fans beating up umpires and players turning up drunk. Sockalexis (from Maine) played for Holy Cross and then Cleveland for only one season before hitting the skids due to alcoholism. He played 50 years before blacks broke the barrier in baseball. And yet, this book is hard to follow and a bit dull. What a disappointment.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It always amazes me to hear that baseball is no longer the national pastime. This book, though tragic, helps to explain why baseball is so much a part of us. Baseball will always be uniquely American, and it will be played and enjoyed by Americans forever.

[Jeff Koslowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting work that, if anything else, leaves you wanting more. Here is a man who experienced great fame and then just burns out. I can't tell if the sourcing isn't there or if the author is trying to protect Sockalexis' reputation but there are parts of the narrative that would be wonderful if they were included/found.