100+ Page Biographies of Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees with Information That Will Never Go Out of Date Shut out of the major leagues, African American players picked up games wherever they could until the official Negro leagues were started. Featuring information that will never go out of date, these six biographies paint the racial and political landscape of the first half of the last century, while featuring the life stories of some of the Negro leagues'--indeed, all of baseball's--greatest players. Satchel Paige was one of the most talented, enduring, and entertaining pitchers, black or white, ever to play the game of baseball. Legendary white players such as Dizzy Dean and Joe DiMaggio claimed he was the best pitcher they ever went up against. His career spanned thirty years, dozens of teams, and several leagues, including the Negro and integrated major leagues. The book's lavish illustrations trace the wild twists and turns of Paige's career while beautifully capturing a moment in American history that was as troubled as it was triumphant.
Reviewed with Kathleen Billus'
Judy Johnson.
Gr. 4-7. Judy Johnson and Satchel Paige are among the players profiled in the new Baseball Hall of Famers of the Negro Leagues series. Each book presents the life of a particular player within the context of the history of the Leagues. That background includes the racist attitudes and laws that led to the leagues' creation, the strength of those leagues in their prime, and their decline after the integration of the major leagues. In Johnson, Billus records the career of an outstanding player, coach, manager, and scout. As a manager, Johnson once recruited teenage fan Josh Gibson from the stands to fill in for his injured catcher. Today both Gibson and Johnson are in the Hall of Fame. In Paige, Schmidt spotlights one of the finest and most colorful pitchers in baseball history. Paige finally broke into the majors in his forties, becoming the oldest rookie ever and, surprisingly, 1948's Rookie of the Year. These books, which portray the difficulties faced by black players, particularly when traveling in the South, will help young readers grasp the reality of racism in the first half of the twentieth century. Illustrated with black-and-white photos, each book ends with a time line, a glossary, and lists of books, organizations, and Web sites recommended for further research. Check the Series Roundup for volumes on Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Monte Irvin, and Buck Leonard. Carolyn Phelan
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