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Black Baseball, Black Business: Race Enterprise and the Fate of the Segregated Dollar
Winner of the 2014 Robert W. Peterson Award for Excellence in Negro League Research from the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, sponsored by Negro Leagues Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research
Roberta J. Newman and Joel Nathan Rosen have written an authoritative social history of the Negro Leagues. This book examines how the relationship between black baseball and black businesses functioned, particularly in urban areas with significant African American populations―Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, and more. Inextricably bound together by circumstance, these sports and business alliances faced destruction and upheaval.
Once Jackie Robinson and a select handful of black baseball’s elite gained acceptance in Major League Baseball and financial stability in the mainstream economy, shock waves traveled throughout the black business world. Though the economic impact on Negro League baseball is perhaps obvious due to its demise, the impact on other black-owned businesses and on segregated neighborhoods is often undervalued if not outright ignored in current accounts. There have been many books written on great individual players who played in the Negro Leagues and/or integrated the Major Leagues. But Newman and Rosen move beyond hagiography to analyze what happens when a community has its economic footing undermined while simultaneously being called upon to celebrate a larger social progress. In this regard, Black Baseball, Black Business moves beyond the diamond to explore baseball’s desegregation narrative in a critical and wide-ranging fashion.
Roberta J. Newman and Joel Nathan Rosen have written an authoritative social history of the Negro Leagues. This book examines how the relationship between black baseball and black businesses functioned, particularly in urban areas with significant African American populations―Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, and more. Inextricably bound together by circumstance, these sports and business alliances faced destruction and upheaval.
Once Jackie Robinson and a select handful of black baseball’s elite gained acceptance in Major League Baseball and financial stability in the mainstream economy, shock waves traveled throughout the black business world. Though the economic impact on Negro League baseball is perhaps obvious due to its demise, the impact on other black-owned businesses and on segregated neighborhoods is often undervalued if not outright ignored in current accounts. There have been many books written on great individual players who played in the Negro Leagues and/or integrated the Major Leagues. But Newman and Rosen move beyond hagiography to analyze what happens when a community has its economic footing undermined while simultaneously being called upon to celebrate a larger social progress. In this regard, Black Baseball, Black Business moves beyond the diamond to explore baseball’s desegregation narrative in a critical and wide-ranging fashion.
258 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 6, 2017
This is a scholarly book, hence the price, about the economics of Black baseball. It was precisely the well-researched information I was looking to read. Very interesting. I think this information is important in general, but especially in light of Major League Baseball's severe lack of Black players.
February 22, 2014
Roberta J. Newman and Joel Nathan Rosen's "Black Baseball Black Business: Race Enterprise and the Fate of the Segregated Dollar" is due to be released on March 4th, 2014. I was able to read an advance copy of this book thanks to NetGalley.com and the University Press of Mississippi.
This book is a scholarly look at the so named Negro Leagues, which the authors say isn't an apt name for these leagues. They're correct as the Negro Leagues were actually a collection of leagues, the most notable probably was the Negro National League (NNL). The book also covers the economies and economics surrounding those leagues. Baseball's color line was drawn in 1883.
"Black Baseball" starts with an introduction written by Negro Leagues star Monte Irvan, who turns 95 on February 25th. He relates some of his experiences playing in the Negro Leagues. He additionally writes about some of his off the field experiences. Irvan was born in Haleberg, Alabama but grew up in Orange, New Jersey. He debuted in MLB two years after Jackie Robinson did and played for the Dodgers arch rival Giants. Although he didn't start playing in the MLB until he was 30, he still hit .293, had 99 home runs, 443 RBIs and 731 hits.
Irvan writes about his visits to Toots Shor's restaurant as Negro League players were starting to get some grudging respect. They were allowed in the club and given tables, they just weren't given as good of tables as Mickey Mantle and Joe Dimaggio. That may have related to skin color as much as they didn't play for the Yankees. Even as he writes some of these experiences I don't detect any bitterness.
The book also covers the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. There's a wing dedicated to about 18 former Negro League players. Among those players are Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, James "Cool Papa" Bell and Irvan.
Other economic and societal factors include Chicago Defender, a black newspaper, the Afro-American Realty Company, barnstorming and Jim Crow laws.
Also the authors write about the Great Migration which "began in earnest when Europe went to war in 1914". European ethnic immigrants came to America which caused a flooded job pool. Also cotton crops suffered significant damage because of a boll weevil infestation.
Historian Isabel Wilkinson writes about the Great Migration: "Over the course of six decades some six million black southerners left the land of their forefathers and fanned out a across the country for an uncertain existence in nearly every other corner in America."
Wilkerson makes a great point about the Great Migration "it was the first big step the nation's servant class ever took without asking".
Many of the people in this great migration moved to Chicago's Black Belt, Harlem and Kansas City's 18th and Vine District. That's also the reason Negro Leagues had more success there than elsewhere.
Black Baseball faded from view in the late 20s and early 30s as the Great Depression bit into America's economy. With the Great Depression running from basically 1929-1939, Blacks found themselves out of jobs in manufacturing and service industry in the early to mid-30s.
With the "American war machine gearing up" that began a second wave of the Great Migration. This second wave lead to a resurgence of the NNL.
This is an insightful look into one of the most colorful eras of professional sports. This book probably isn't for everyone. However if you've ever wondered what the societal and economic things that made the success and ultimately failure of the Negro Leagues, then this is your book. On a scale of 1-10, I'm giving this book a solid 7.
This book is a scholarly look at the so named Negro Leagues, which the authors say isn't an apt name for these leagues. They're correct as the Negro Leagues were actually a collection of leagues, the most notable probably was the Negro National League (NNL). The book also covers the economies and economics surrounding those leagues. Baseball's color line was drawn in 1883.
"Black Baseball" starts with an introduction written by Negro Leagues star Monte Irvan, who turns 95 on February 25th. He relates some of his experiences playing in the Negro Leagues. He additionally writes about some of his off the field experiences. Irvan was born in Haleberg, Alabama but grew up in Orange, New Jersey. He debuted in MLB two years after Jackie Robinson did and played for the Dodgers arch rival Giants. Although he didn't start playing in the MLB until he was 30, he still hit .293, had 99 home runs, 443 RBIs and 731 hits.
Irvan writes about his visits to Toots Shor's restaurant as Negro League players were starting to get some grudging respect. They were allowed in the club and given tables, they just weren't given as good of tables as Mickey Mantle and Joe Dimaggio. That may have related to skin color as much as they didn't play for the Yankees. Even as he writes some of these experiences I don't detect any bitterness.
The book also covers the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. There's a wing dedicated to about 18 former Negro League players. Among those players are Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, James "Cool Papa" Bell and Irvan.
Other economic and societal factors include Chicago Defender, a black newspaper, the Afro-American Realty Company, barnstorming and Jim Crow laws.
Also the authors write about the Great Migration which "began in earnest when Europe went to war in 1914". European ethnic immigrants came to America which caused a flooded job pool. Also cotton crops suffered significant damage because of a boll weevil infestation.
Historian Isabel Wilkinson writes about the Great Migration: "Over the course of six decades some six million black southerners left the land of their forefathers and fanned out a across the country for an uncertain existence in nearly every other corner in America."
Wilkerson makes a great point about the Great Migration "it was the first big step the nation's servant class ever took without asking".
Many of the people in this great migration moved to Chicago's Black Belt, Harlem and Kansas City's 18th and Vine District. That's also the reason Negro Leagues had more success there than elsewhere.
Black Baseball faded from view in the late 20s and early 30s as the Great Depression bit into America's economy. With the Great Depression running from basically 1929-1939, Blacks found themselves out of jobs in manufacturing and service industry in the early to mid-30s.
With the "American war machine gearing up" that began a second wave of the Great Migration. This second wave lead to a resurgence of the NNL.
This is an insightful look into one of the most colorful eras of professional sports. This book probably isn't for everyone. However if you've ever wondered what the societal and economic things that made the success and ultimately failure of the Negro Leagues, then this is your book. On a scale of 1-10, I'm giving this book a solid 7.
December 9, 2014
This is a book that takes a look at the businesses that were owned by African Americans, during the time that Jackie Robinson, signed with the Dodgers. It goes into detail how once he signed and others players began to follow that the Black Baseball Leagues were going to fold. What this meant was that the restaurants, hotels, clothing stories, car dealers and other Black Owned businesses that were supported by the Black Baseball Teams were going to close down and effect the neighbors that these businesses were in. their demise were was more than just losing baseball teams, but also the branches that came out from the money from the players and the team. This book was the first book that I read that explored that part of baseball that I did not know about. This is all part of not only the history of baseball but also the history of America. I very good book, with a lot of information. I got this book from net galley.
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July 5, 2014I spent way too much for this book. Glad to have it however.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews