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The Most Famous Woman in Baseball: Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues
Never one to mince words, Effa Manley once wrote a letter to sportswriter Art Carter, saying that she hoped they could meet soon because “I would like to tell you a lot of things you should know about baseball.”
From 1936 to 1948, Manley ran the Negro league Newark Eagles that her husband, Abe, owned for roughly a decade. Because of her business acumen, commitment to her players, and larger-than-life personality, she would leave an indelible mark not only on baseball but also on American history. Attending her first owners’ meeting in 1937, Manley delivered an unflattering assessment of the league, prompting Pittsburgh Crawfords owner Gus Greenlee to tell Abe, “Keep your wife at home.” Abe, however, was not convinced, nor was Manley deterred. Like Greenlee, some players thought her too aggressive and inflexible. Others adored her. Regardless of their opinions, she dedicated herself to empowering them on and off the field. She meted out discipline, advice, and support in the form of raises, loans, job recommendations, and Christmas packages, and she even knocked heads with Branch Rickey, Bill Veeck, and Jackie Robinson.
Not only a story of Manley’s influence on the baseball world, The Most Famous Woman in Baseball vividly documents her social activism. Her life played out against the backdrop of the Jim Crow years, when discrimination forced most of Newark’s blacks to live in the Third Ward, where prostitution flourished, housing was among the nation’s worst, and only menial jobs were available. Manley and the Eagles gave African Americans a haven, Ruppert Stadium. She also proposed reforms at the Negro leagues’ team owners’ meetings, marched on picket lines, sponsored charity balls and benefit games, and collected money for the NAACP. With vision, beauty, intelligence, discipline, and an acerbic wit, Manley was a force of nature—and, as Bob Luke shows, one to be reckoned with.
From 1936 to 1948, Manley ran the Negro league Newark Eagles that her husband, Abe, owned for roughly a decade. Because of her business acumen, commitment to her players, and larger-than-life personality, she would leave an indelible mark not only on baseball but also on American history. Attending her first owners’ meeting in 1937, Manley delivered an unflattering assessment of the league, prompting Pittsburgh Crawfords owner Gus Greenlee to tell Abe, “Keep your wife at home.” Abe, however, was not convinced, nor was Manley deterred. Like Greenlee, some players thought her too aggressive and inflexible. Others adored her. Regardless of their opinions, she dedicated herself to empowering them on and off the field. She meted out discipline, advice, and support in the form of raises, loans, job recommendations, and Christmas packages, and she even knocked heads with Branch Rickey, Bill Veeck, and Jackie Robinson.
Not only a story of Manley’s influence on the baseball world, The Most Famous Woman in Baseball vividly documents her social activism. Her life played out against the backdrop of the Jim Crow years, when discrimination forced most of Newark’s blacks to live in the Third Ward, where prostitution flourished, housing was among the nation’s worst, and only menial jobs were available. Manley and the Eagles gave African Americans a haven, Ruppert Stadium. She also proposed reforms at the Negro leagues’ team owners’ meetings, marched on picket lines, sponsored charity balls and benefit games, and collected money for the NAACP. With vision, beauty, intelligence, discipline, and an acerbic wit, Manley was a force of nature—and, as Bob Luke shows, one to be reckoned with.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 12, 2023
The first word that comes to mind to describe this book is "disappointing." Such a promising idea so poorly executed. It advertises itself as being about Effa Manley, but the first 75% of the book is more about the team (the Newark Eagles) and the problems and squabbling between owners, managers, and players than it is about Effa. This was illustrated perfectly in the 16-page photo section where Effa is in only two of the images. Really? Her name is in the title of the book, and she only warranted two photos? I guess three if you count the cover. The author even mentions a specific photo taken of her in an Eagles cap and jacket as she stood on the dugout steps and how she remembered that photo her entire life, but it isn't included anywhere in the book. It's easy enough to find by googling, but why did I have to Google it in order to see it? The last few chapters contain more info about her than the others, but by that time I'd lost interest. The author's odd obsession with providing the exact addresses of every home Abe and Effa owned as well as those of numerous other places coupled with countless typos and a serious lack of flow made me want to toss it, but I trudged through to the end. To his credit, the author obviously did a great deal of research. There are copious endnotes (almost 100 pages), which I could appreciate, but this was a project in serious need of a good editor.
June 1, 2018
Kind of mixed feelings about this book. In general, I did like it (although someone with more knowledge in baseball, especially baseball history, will probably get more out of it than I did.) It's pretty well-written and engaging. I found it a little stats heavy in the recruitment and hiring, but again- a fan will probably appreciate it. My biggest complaint is that I feel the title of the book is a bit misleading. I got the impression that the book would be more about Effa Manley, the wife of Abe Manley, the owner of the Newark Eagles. Effa played a major role in running the Eagles and had a strong presense on the Negro Leagues board. Well, about a third of the book is about Effa. I have a feeling it's probably because there isn't a lot of first-hand information on her, but as I said, I felt the book title was a bit misleading. Other than this issue, I would consider this an excellent resource. It's an honest look at the Negro Leagues, the many positives and several of the problems.
June 1, 2014
I'd have to say I was disappointed in this book. I purchased the book wanting to read more about Effa Manley, but what I got was more of a history of the Newark Eagles...Which was ok, but not what I was looking for. The author spent more of the book giving addresses for every place she lived than telling the reader about her. The revealing of scores and play by play for several games disrupted any flow to the book. Overall, what was in the book was interesting, but not a whole lot of it was specific to Effa Manley.
March 13, 2024
If the stories of Negro League Baseball remain largely under told and untold, the story of Effa Manley, the first and only woman enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame also remains untold to many.
This book is a treasure trove of background, interviews and correspondence by, from, to and about Mrs Effa Manley, her husband Abe Manley, and their team, the champion Newark Eagles. Along the way, this book is a history of Black baseball, the Negro National and American Leagues, the bold personalities who ran the leagues, the managers and the players. This book explores Black culture, Jim Crowe (in the north and the south), sociology-economics of the WWII era, the business and structure (and lack there of) of the Negro Leagues, competition with MLB, Branch Rickey, Walter O’Malley and Bill Veeck.
Part of the reason that anyone remembers the Negro Leagues today is due to Mrs Manley’s lifelong efforts to ensure and secure recognition for the players, managers and the rich history of the importance of Black baseball to America.
This book is a treasure trove of background, interviews and correspondence by, from, to and about Mrs Effa Manley, her husband Abe Manley, and their team, the champion Newark Eagles. Along the way, this book is a history of Black baseball, the Negro National and American Leagues, the bold personalities who ran the leagues, the managers and the players. This book explores Black culture, Jim Crowe (in the north and the south), sociology-economics of the WWII era, the business and structure (and lack there of) of the Negro Leagues, competition with MLB, Branch Rickey, Walter O’Malley and Bill Veeck.
Part of the reason that anyone remembers the Negro Leagues today is due to Mrs Manley’s lifelong efforts to ensure and secure recognition for the players, managers and the rich history of the importance of Black baseball to America.
May 2, 2021
A little challenging to finish but glad I did
While it became a tedious read at times, so much so that I had put it down for quite some time, I am glad I picked it up again and finished it. When you say Negro baseball league, I probably like many, thought about of the Kansas City Monarchs. Raised in the Philadelphia area, I vaguely knew of the Philadelphia Stars. But I knew nothing of the Newark Eagles and many of the other teams mentioned here. Reading this has inspired me to learn more.
Effa Manley was a fascinating woman whose outspoken, flamboyant yet no nonsense style made learning about her entertaining. Her contribution to baseball history well as our broader history are certainly worth knowing.
While it became a tedious read at times, so much so that I had put it down for quite some time, I am glad I picked it up again and finished it. When you say Negro baseball league, I probably like many, thought about of the Kansas City Monarchs. Raised in the Philadelphia area, I vaguely knew of the Philadelphia Stars. But I knew nothing of the Newark Eagles and many of the other teams mentioned here. Reading this has inspired me to learn more.
Effa Manley was a fascinating woman whose outspoken, flamboyant yet no nonsense style made learning about her entertaining. Her contribution to baseball history well as our broader history are certainly worth knowing.
October 18, 2011
Dates approximate. I felt like this tried to do too much - biography of Effa Manley, background and history of the Negro Leagues, looking at the larger culture - and didn't really provide enough detail to give a complete picture of any of them. But the subject is (to me) fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews