Negro Leagues

[Skip]

This may hit on information discussed in other threads here, but what references would people suggest as the books/other sources for the best available information on the Negro Leagues. It would be best if these books also included a realistic appraisal of just how accurate and complete the information they provided was.

Thanks. (this came up in the best pre 1950 catcher thread, and I just decided to come here and ask).

[KCBOOMER]

The Buck O'Neill book, "I Was Right on Time", is a real pleasure to read (I'm a big O'Neill fan) but it is much more anecdotal than factual reference.

There is another well known book which I haven't read that is called "Only the Ball was White".

[Craig S.]

Picking up on Boomer's suggestion, I'd say that Robert Peterson's Only the ball was white is the best title I've read about Negro League ball. Not only is it informative, but it's extremely well-written. It includes some stats, but the heart of the book lies in the accounts of the game by the players themselves. Fantastic book.

For statistical data, I always keep Holway's Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues handy. It's got year-by-year standings and stats, along with a fair amount of text. It also does an excellent job of covering play between the Negro and major leagues. I wouldn't recommend it as a cover-to-cover read for someone already very familiar with the subject, but it's a great place to start for those beginning, or for statheads.

[Skip]

Originally posted by Craig S.
Picking up on Boomer's suggestion, I'd say that Robert Peterson's Only the ball was white is the best title I've read about Negro League ball. Not only is it informative, but it's extremely well-written. It includes some stats, but the heart of the book lies in the accounts of the game by the players themselves. Fantastic book.

For statistical data, I always keep Holway's Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues handy. It's got year-by-year standings and stats, along with a fair amount of text. It also does an excellent job of covering play between the Negro and major leagues. I wouldn't recommend it as a cover-to-cover read for someone already very familiar with the subject, but it's a great place to start for those beginning, or for statheads. "Only the Ball was White" was the one title I had thought of/heard of. Does Holway's book discuss the accuracy of the stats, or just include them as a "here it is, the best we've got" sort of thing?

[sweaver]

RE: Holway, our esteemed colleague nyy26wc in this thread:
http://www.netshrine.com/vbulletin2/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1960&pagenumber=2

has posted this:
<i>
I think you are thinking of is John Holway, who's done a lot of writing on the Negro Leagues. I consider Holway's credibility to be so low that if he was the only one who said Josh Gibson was a Negro League player, I would assume Gibson was actually a white female who never saw a baseball in her life.</i>

So, I think it's safe to say Lee doesn't have a very good opinion of Holway's work.

[Skip]

Thanks Sweav - I'd forgotten that "dirty laundry" discussion.

[pathogan]

Only the Ball was White opened the gates,as it were. Donn Rogosin dd INVISIBLE MEN, which was a sociological take onthe negro leagues. James A Riley has a great book out,the Biographical encyclopedia of negro league baseball, Sol White's a History of colored baseball 1886-1936 is brilliant, as is Hannigans and Dixons mammoth The Negro Bseball Leagues:A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY. Oneals book was ok but sort of sanitized, Ted "double duty"Radcliffe's 36 years of pitching and catching in baseballs negroleagues, while, at times going very strong into some historical questionable areas, is filled with the tang and feel of th negro Leagues. CATCHING DREAMS, by Frazier"show" robinson, is filled with jewels from a steady if unspectacular career.DON'T LOOK BACK by MArk Ribowsky is probaly the best biography have read on a Negro League player[and it squashe many of themyths as well} The POWER AND THE DARKNESS, the same autors tke on Josh Gibson, is not as successful.JOhn B Holways COMPLETE BOOK of Baseballs Negro Leagues has endorsemets from Bud Selig and Ken Burns, so go with that as you will[caveat emptor].For kids Gavin Curtis wrote a Lovely book, THE BATBOY AND THE VIOLIN, for lowerrde school kids. The JORNAL OF BIDDY OWENS,BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA 1948 by Walter Dean Myers isoter book for 10-12 year olds in the excellent ear America series by Scholastc.And lastly,COMING HOME,A STORY OF JOSH GIBSON,BASEBALLGREATEST HOME RUN CHAMPION by annetMellge is a sweet poignant children book. THose are my choices, anyway...

[Skip]

Thanks pathogan. I was beginning to wonder if there was just nothing out there, and found that hard to believe while at the same time being too lazy to look for myself. Thanks again. :)

Where ya been?

[pathogan]

family stuff, skip...Troy soos in his historical mystery series latestt effort Hanging Curve, takes pace in the negro leagues,and is good fun...

[Bucketfoot]

I also love Troy Soos' books. Very well done.

Not wishing to start a war, can someone point me to the Holway discussion? I've never heard his work called into question.

Mike

[sweaver]

Follow the link in the above post, Bucketfoot.

[Skip]

Originally posted by sweaver
Follow the link in the above post, Bucketfoot. :D:D Sweaver, I thought you were being unneccessarily insulting, until I rechecked the ID.