Out of the Shadows: African American Baseball from the Cuban Giants to Jackie Robinson

by Bill Kirwin

For nearly fifteen years NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture has been a leading scholarly journal of baseball history. Covering the cultural and historical implications of America’s national pastime, NINE has explored baseball from the earliest matches and little-known players of the 1800s to the modern billion-dollar industry and its superstars of today. Here, gathered for the first time, are the best essays from NINE that center on the complex and multifaceted topic of African Americans in baseball. This diverse collection offers an enlightening look at African American baseball in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Negro Leagues, and the turmoil surrounding the integration of baseball by Jackie Robinson and others. Influential figures such as the Negro League team owner Effa Manley, the writer Sol White, and the player Don Newcombe are explored, along with Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey. The book features an introduction by NINE founder and editor Bill Kirwin. Represented as well are other respected baseball historians, including the late Jerry Malloy, considered by many to be the leading scholar on nineteenth-century black baseball. Out of the Shadows addresses such themes as the importance of baseball to the African American community, the personal hardships faced by early integrators Robinson and Newcombe, the influence of female owners on the Negro Leagues, and the early days of barnstorming before integration, thereby providing a balanced and engaging overview of African American baseball history.

Genres: Baseball

226 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually a collection of short stories or essays of any topic will contain some good and some not-so-good selections. Mainly because of the topics, this collection of essays on African American baseball from the late 19th century to the integration of the major leagues in the mid-20th century is one that all readers interested in the topic should read.

Editor William Kirwin has selected a diverse selection of essays, covering topics from Cap Anson leading the way to segregate the game in the late 1880’s to discussions of female Negro League team owner Effa Manley. The influence of writer Sol White is discussed and of course, the roles of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey to integrate baseball.

If readers have read other books on the subjects, they will not learn any new information here. But for those who wish to learn about topics in which the readers do not know about this collection is a very good start. For example, I had never heard of the Cuban Giants before picking up this book. After hearing the essay on that team, I now wish to learn more about these trail blazers of black baseball teams.

Some of the essays are meant for entertainment, but most of them are information and scholarly in nature. This may not be best for everyone, but these essays come highly recommended as an excellent source of information on the roles of African Americans in the game during this time frame.

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