Out of the Shadows

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.