African American Pioneers of Baseball: A Biographical Encyclopedia

by Lew Freedman

When Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in major league baseball in 1947, elbowing aside the league's policies of segregation that had been inviolate for 60 years, he became a symbol of opportunity and acceptance for African American players everywhere. Robinson withstood discrimination to establish himself as a Hall of Fame player, and to lead future generations of black players into the previously all-white world of Major League Baseball. Written for students and general readers alike, this biographical encyclopedia chronicles the history of African American baseball through the life stories of the game's greatest players, the legends who played a significant role in the integration of the major league.

From Negro League stars Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, to color line shatterer Jackie Robinson, and those who followed them in the limelight, such as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, readers will learn how the inclusion of African American players in Major League Baseball improved the sport and race relations in the United States during this critical period in history.

Providing detailed accounts of each player's amazing professional achievements, this insightful reference describes how the spectacular talents of African American players elevated Major League Baseball forever. Features include a timeline of important events, numerous photographs, and a bibliography of print and electronic sources for further reading.

Genres: Baseball

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2007

Reviews

[Lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of concise biographies of the early African American baseball players. One of the problems with the book is that if you are a baseball fan who has read a lot or grew up in the 1950's following baseball you have heard or read all of this material. Almost all of the players included have had at least one book (some of the players several) written about their careers and lives with much more details. Most have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. So as an introduction, it is nice entry in one's reading list.
The other problem I have with the book there is no editing between the pieces about individual players. This results in a LOT of repeated material. It is as if the stories were written individually and then combined into a book with little connection between stories for content, repeated facts and ideas.