Only the Ball Was White: A History of Legendary Black Players and All-Black Professional Teams (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Life in Negro baseball was tough..." (more)
Key Phrases: white semipro teams, semipro clubs, bus mgr, New York, American Giants, Kansas City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] thorough, well-documented book....A worthy and fascinating addition to anyone's baseball library."--The New York Times Book Review
"Peterson...[is] to be congratulated not only for an original subject but an excellent book for anyone who enjoys reading baseball history."--The Sporting News
"Filled with the fascination that comes from discovering an unknown, complex, forgotten continent."--Newsweek
"Fascinating....One of the truly important sociological contributions to the growing literature of baseball."--The Washington Post Book World
"Highly recommended."--Library Journal

Product Description

Early in the 1920s, the New York Giants sent a scout to watch a young Cuban play for Foster's American Giants, a baseball club in the Negro Leagues. During one at-bat this talented slugger lined a ball so hard that the rightfielder was able to play it off the top of the fence and throw Christobel Torrienti out at first base. The scout liked what he saw, but was disappointed in the player's appearance. "He was a light brown," recalled one of Torrienti's teammates, "and would have gone up to the major leagues, but he had real rough hair." Such was life behind the color line, the unofficial boundary that prevented hundreds of star-quality athletes from playing big-league baseball.

In Only the Ball Was White, Robert Peterson tells the forgotten story of these excluded ballplayers, and gives them the recognition they were so long denied. Reconstructing the old Negro Leagues from contemporary sports publications, accounts of games in the black press, and through interviews with the men who actually played the game, Peterson brings to life the fascinating period that stretched from shortly after the Civil War to the signing of Jackie Robinson in 1947. We watch as the New York Black Yankees and the Philadelphia Crawfords take the field, look on as the East-West All-Star lineups are announced, and listen as the players themselves tell of the struggle and glory that was black baseball. In addition to these vivid accounts, Peterson includes yearly Negro League standings and an all-time register of players and officials, making the book a treasure trove of baseball information and lore.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195076370
• ISBN-13: 978-0195076370
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,323 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Out of the Shadows, Into the Light, September 14, 2000

By	Hank Waddles (www.brokencowboy.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Only the Ball Was White (Hardcover)

Most baseball fans are familiar with the great names and stories that emanated from the Negro Leagues. Satchel Paige, ever the showman, often asked his fielders to sit down while he struck out a dangerous hitter; Cool Papa Bell was so fast that he could blow out a candle and be in bed before the room got dark; and Josh Gibson may or may not have hit a ball completely out of Yankee Stadium. Peterson includes these gems and much more in this incredibly in depth history of the Negro Leagues. He chronicles the history of the black ballplayer, beginning with those few who actually played in the major leagues during the tail end of the nineteenth century, before the doors were closed, and continuing into the 40's and 50's, when Jackie Robinson's arrival in Brooklyn led to the demise of the Negro Leagues. Peterson relies almost exclusively on first-hand accounts culled from the black press of the day and extensive interviews from players and coaches. Also included is an appendix filled with year by year standings and an alphabetical listing of Negro League players. Certainly, this book is invalueable to anyone interested in learning about the unknown greats from the Negro Leagues.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Well Researched and tied together., November 9, 2003

By	Jacques - See all my reviews

This book was not what I thought it would be. Its part stat book, part biography, part history of the leagues. It is not as story-like as I expected and seems a bit fractured in places. Having said that, its a wonderful book that conveys a lot of the zeitgeist of the time. For a book with so many facts, it is surprisingly easy to read. Though, at times it seems to repeat itself, it still conjures up an age when African American players wore their caps sideways, introduced stealing bases on a regular basis etc... It is a shame that so many sad periods in world history become fascinating periods to read about for generations that follow after. Educational, entertaining and solidly researhed, bravo!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their Own Game, July 19, 2000

A Kid's Review

This book beautifully captures the heart and soul of what the Negro League was. Not only does it give a real insight into what the game of baseball meant to the players and fans, but helps one understand how the alienation of blacks from big-league play was a great tradgedy to the game. This book makes me wonder how great the game could be today, if this tradgedy had not occurred.