Carrying Jackie's Torch: The Players who Integrated Baseball-- and AmericaThe real and painful struggles of the black players who followed Jackie Robinson into major and minor league baseball from 1947 through 1968 are chronicled in this compelling volume. Players share their personal and often heart-wrenching stories of intense racism, both on and off the field, mixed with a sometimes begrudged appreciation for their tremendous talents. Stories include incidents of white players who gave up promising careers in baseball because they wouldn't play with a black teammate, the Georgia law that forbade a black player from dressing in the same clubhouse as the white players, the quotas for the number of blacks on a team, and how salary negotiations without agents or free agency were akin to a plantation system for both black and white players. The 20 players profiled include Ernie Banks, Alvin Jackson, Charlie Murray, Chuck Harmon, Frank Robinson, Bob Gibson, Hank Aaron, Curt Flood, Lou Brock, and Bob Watson. |
Contents
Changed Everything | 1 |
Monte Irvin Might Have Been First | 13 |
Larry Doby Bears the Burden with Grace | 27 |
Ed Charles Finds There Is a Chance | 39 |
Mudcat Grant Dodged the Bullets | 53 |
Ernie Banks Was Playing Baseball | 65 |
Elston Howard Hid the Pain | 75 |
Alvin Jackson Reports to Spring Training | 85 |
Frank Robinson Made Them Better | 137 |
Tommy Davis Reminds the Dodgers of Their Heritage | 151 |
Bob Gibson Overcomes the Stereotype | 163 |
Curt Flood Sacrifi ces His Career | 177 |
Henry Aaron Sets the Record | 191 |
Dusty Baker Finds His Answers | 207 |
Lou Brock Outsmarted the Threats | 219 |
Bob Watson Wears a Necktie | 229 |
Too Much Bigotry for Charlie Murray | 95 |
Chuck Harmon Gets His Own Street | 105 |
Maury Wills Finds a White Ally | 115 |
Emmett Ashford Umpires Alone | 127 |
We Integrated Baseball and America Followed | 239 |
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American League Arlene Ashford asked athletes Baker ball ballpark ballplayer Banks base baseball player baseman basketball big leagues black players black teammates Bob Gibson Braves Brock Brooklyn Dodgers called Cardinals career Charles clubhouse coach color Cubs Curt Flood Davis Elston Howard Ernie Banks fans field Florida Frank Robinson Giants Gibson Grant guys Hall of Fame Harmon Hemus Henry Aaron high school home run Irvin Jackie Robinson Jackson kids knew Larry Doby laugh lived Lou Brock major leagues manager McCarver McCovey minor Monte Irvin Mudcat Grant Murray National League Negro Leagues neighborhood never nigger owner pitch pitcher play baseball racist recalled Reds restaurant Rickey rookie Ruth season segregation shortstop South spring training star stay tell Texas thing thought told town umpires Veeck Watson white players white teammates Willie World Series Yankees York young