Negro League Baseball

Abstract

The history of the Negro Leagues has been studied and written about by those in academia but also by many outside the academic world. Journalists, in particular, have contributed greatly to the study of the Negro Leagues. When one studies the Negro Leagues (in existence 1920–1960) it becomes apparent quite quickly that the broader idea of black baseball goes hand in hand with understanding the long and detailed history of African Americans’ participation in America’s national pastime. Much of the scholarship started after 1970 following the publication of the seminal work, Only the Ball Was White (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992). Prior to 1970 most of the scholarship surrounding black baseball and the Negro Leagues came primarily from journalists writing about the individual players or teams. One exception to this would be some of the early works written about Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, focusing on their efforts to integrate Major League baseball. Another flurry of materials came out coinciding with the death of Robinson and the early election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for Robinson and Satchel Paige, the legendary pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs. The literature that exists today comes from a variety of academic disciplines and is not limited to historians. Articles and books are coming from history, journalism, economics, sports-related fields, sociology, English, and art history. What is lacking are primary source materials and journals devoted exclusively to the Negro Leagues.