Too Dark for the Hall

A rare collection of biographical sketches, statistics & portraits of the 35 greatest baseball players from the Negro Leagues. For a half-century prior to Jackie Robinson's breaking baseball's color line, some of the most talented athletes to ever play our national pastime were required by custom & circumstance to play in their own separate leagues. This period of separation & the sociological factors which prohibited interracial competition is remote from younger generations, creating a dearth of knowledge about the men who were destined to demonstate their abilities during a time unique in America's history. In this book the reader will be introduced to the diamond's superstars from this neglected segment of baseball history. Included are Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell & other members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as legends of black baseball who are also deserving of enshrinement at Cooperstown, but who have been excluded because of the darkness of their skin. As the only source for this information, it is an invaluable reference book for both sports history & African American studies. Whether for research or classroom enrichment, this publication must be classified as essential for any library. 175pp, 35 illustrations. ISBN 0-9614023-6-9.