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Title details for A Calculus of Color by Robert Kuhn McGregor - Available

A Calculus of Color

The Integration of Baseball's American League

by Robert Kuhn McGregor
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In 1947, as the integration of Major League Baseball began, the once-daring American League had grown reactionary, unwilling to confront postwar challenges—population shifts, labor issues and, above all, racial integration. The league had matured in the Jim Crow era, when northern cities responded to the Great Migration by restricting black access to housing, transportation, accommodations and entertainment, while blacks created their own institutions, including baseball's Negro Leagues. As the political climate changed and some major league teams realized the necessity of integration, the American League proved painfully reluctant. With the exception of the Cleveland Indians, integration was slow and often ineffective. This book examines the integration of baseball—widely viewed as a triumph—through the experiences of the American League and finds only a limited shift in racial values. The teams accepted few black players and made no effort to alter management structures, and organized baseball remained an institution governed by tradition-bound owners.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 2, 2015

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781476618685
      • File size: 6850 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781476618685
      • File size: 6850 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from February 15, 2015

      McGregor (emeritus, history, Univ. of Illinois-Springfield) traces the integration of baseball's American League following the breaking of the color barrier by Brooklyn's Jackie Robinson in April 1947. The author slams a home run in dealing with racism in baseball and the larger picture of American life. He begins with the assertion that racism is and was an integral aspect of the country's fabric. In small but cautious steps, American League teams fielded black players such as Larry Doby for the Cleveland Indians and "Pumpsie" Green for the Boston Red Sox. If black players were the heroes, owners such as Tom Yawkey in Boston and Clark Griffith in Washington were the villains, as was Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, all men who conspired to keep African Americans out of the national sport. The combination of returning war veterans (including African Americans), the demise of the Negro leagues, baseball's barnstorming teams, and other factors finally ended segregated baseball. VERDICT McGregor's account makes for a compelling read. A best sports book of 2015, and one that will stand the test of time.--Boyd Childress, formerly with Auburn Univ. Libs., AL

      Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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