Book Talk, My Misconceptions!

 

A year ago I presented my research on the origins of Black baseball in the area to the 19th Annual Southern Association Baseball Research Conference. Twelve months later that work has become the book "Black Baseball in Alabama 1870-1950: The Rough Diamonds of Dixie", the first ever published on that topic as far as I am aware of, a trend that gives me immense pride to buck. That no one had taken the time to research and document the stories of Alabama's rich baseball history seems almost criminal. Few states, if any, have such a wealth of history, for it to remain hidden simply could not continue, someone had to help tell the stories of these incredible men and women.

Yes, women. There were multiple teams of Black women playing baseball as early the the 1880's, all across Alabama. Some women's teams travel from other places to Alabama, touring the country and taking on teams of men and women wherever they went. Few individuals are named in connection to the clubs, which often prefer to play games away from prying eyes and hooting fans.

Alabama's influence in Black baseball is not just local, it stretches across the country and beyond. The entire nation of Cuba has baseball largely because Alabama shared it with them, they returned the favor by hosting Alabama's top Black baseball stars in popular Caribbean leagues. Chicago became a Black baseball metropolis thanks in a large part to the efforts of a formerly-enslaved Alabamian.

Early baseball teams were closely connected with politics, infusing ideals with the game that still exist. Soon, however, the rowdy nature of the players often found them being portrayed as low class, which simply was not true. Many Black athletes were well-schooled gentlemen educated in the finest institutions in the country. They are often doctors, politicians, teachers and citizens of the highest social standing.

Communities were connecting and baseball was a perfect vehicle for social interaction. The result was a mix of well-to-do gentlemen and blue-collar laborers playing to defend their respective perceived honors in mock societal combat. With bragging rights at stake, people took interest and started showing up to watch in such numbers that it demanded organization.

The stories of the players and games in my area were one of the things that first interested me in Black baseball history, to that end I included as much information about the players and games in all locations across the state. I hope that anyone in Alabama will find at least one item connected to their city, or within forty miles of it.

 

I had many, many misconceptions about Negro League baseball before I began this project. Such as:

I thought the seasons were shorter. Instead I found Black teams played a lot more games than white clubs. They had to, in order to survive. An idle team makes no money.

I thought the players were unknown/undocumented. I found that false in the sense that "official" documentation is still an ongoing process, leaving many players waiting for their due credit, even though their names are easily found and attached to teams and events. Also, Alabama's teams have largely been pooh-poohed by baseball historians, who overlook huge events and brush off important details.

I thought Black teams were disadvantaged in terms of equipment. I found this unequivocally false, they utilized cutting edge gear. Black teams, like their white counterparts, were equipped on the level of their financial backing, and varied widely. The first catchers masks in Alabama were worn by a Black team.

I thought Black teams played at their own parks away from white teams. I found that after 1920, white and Black teams often shared fields. When any team acquired a new field, local teams of the opposite race were usually given access, as finances dictated the success of any team or ballpark. An idle ballpark makes no money.

I thought Black teams played for Black fans. I found that after the 1880's crowds were primarily mixed, with the general feeling among white fans that it was much more enriching to sit alongside Black fans who knew the players and teams well and were active baseball supporters.

I thought Black teams struggled financially. I found that in Alabama, Black teams often earned more at the gate by drawing larger crowds than white teams in the same city and had executives on par with the best in the country.

I thought Negro League history just laid there. I found that it was actively changing, almost daily new information is becoming available. A thriving community of researchers, biographers, baseball enthusiasts and historians are busy uncovering details and updating our understanding all the time. 

Lastly, I thought Black baseball was about baseball. It is so much more than that alone, influencing every aspect of American society and culture. Movies, music, politics, food, dance, law, finance, there was no area that Black baseball was not somehow closely tied to.

 

It's been an incredibly enriching experience to expand my understanding of Alabama's baseball history as regards it's amazing Black baseball legacy. I hope you will consider giving it a look when it appears on shelves later this summer.