Playing America's Game by Michael L. Cooper
"Playing America's Game" by Michael L. Cooper explores the rich history of the Negro Leagues, a vital chapter in the story of professional baseball in the United States between 1890 and 1947. During this period, African American players were systematically excluded from Major League Baseball due to racial discrimination, leading to the establishment of the Negro Leagues, where these athletes showcased their exceptional skills. The narrative begins with a discussion of the early years of professional baseball, emphasizing that the belief that Jackie Robinson was the first African American in Major League Baseball is a misconception; many played for white clubs in the 1880s before segregation took hold.
Cooper highlights significant events, such as "The Dream Game," an annual East-West All-Star Classic that drew thousands of fans and celebrated the talents of Negro League players. He chronicles the efforts of key figures like Rube Foster, who helped organize the leagues, as well as the challenges teams faced, from financial instability to the perils of "barnstorming" as they traveled across the country to compete. The book ultimately culminates in the post-World War II era, where the signing of Robinson by the Brooklyn Dodgers marked a turning point, leading to the gradual decline of the Negro Leagues as players moved to Major League teams. This work not only serves as an introduction to a lesser-known history but also seeks to educate younger audiences about the contributions and struggles of African American athletes in the face of systemic racism.
Playing America's Game by Michael L. Cooper
First published: 1993; illustrated
Subjects: Race and ethnicity and sports
Type of work: History
Time of work: The first half of the twentieth century
Recommended Ages: 13-18
Locale: The United States
Principal Personages:
Rube Foster , a pitcher instrumental in the establishment of the Negro LeaguesLeroy (“Satchel”) Paige , among the most talented and charismatic of pitchersJosh Gibson , a catcher noted for his home run powerTed (“Double Duty”) Radcliffe , a pitcher, catcher, and all-around star athlete for several Negro League teamsJames (“Cool Papa”) Bell , an outfielder noted for his outstanding speedJohn Henry Lloyd , one of the greatest infielders playing in the Negro LeaguesJackie Robinson , the athlete who broke Major League Baseball’s wall of segregation when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers
Form and Content
During the decades between 1890 and 1947, African Americans were barred by an unwritten agreement among management from playing professional baseball with white players. Nevertheless, these athletes developed their own brand of professional baseball epitomized by the Negro Leagues. Within this organization was played a quality game often equivalent to that in all-white Major League Baseball. Playing America’s Game is a story of the Negro Leagues.
In his opening chapter, Michael L. Cooper describes the excitement of “The Dream Game,” the annual East-West All-Star Classic played between the stars from the Negro Leagues. It was in this annual event that African American athletes truly were able to demonstrate their talents. Held at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, the game regularly was attended by as many as fifty thousand fans, most of them African American.
In both text and pictures, Cooper illustrates the talent that was generally missed by white baseball fans because of the racism inherent in organized baseball. From Rube Foster, the organizer of the Negro Leagues and one of its early stars, to Jackie Robinson, perhaps the most famous of league alumni, the author moves through the events that made up much of the leagues’ history.
Cooper begins his history with a summary of professional baseball’s early years in the nineteenth century. The belief that Robinson was the first African American Major League ballplayer is common but incorrect. During the 1880’s, numerous African Americans played on (primarily) white professional clubs. An increasingly racist climate, however, led to an unwritten agreement that black men would not be hired, and, by the 1890’s, African Americans would no longer be found on these or any other clubs within organized baseball.
In succeeding chapters, Cooper describes how Foster and others formed their own leagues. Many of the teams were poorly organized outfits, frequently filing for bankruptcy. Others became very successful, however, allowing fans to see these men display their talents in legitimate competition. The author moves on to a description of “barnstorming,” the criss-crossing of the country by many of these teams as they brought baseball to small towns and hamlets. Often, they played local white teams and held their own in such competition.
Cooper finishes his brief saga with the story of Robinson and other African American stars who finally made it to the Major Leagues. With the end of World War II and knowledge of the contribution made by African Americans in that war, it was clear that segregation in baseball would have to end. After Robinson was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 and had a chance to show what he could do on the ballfield in competition with white athletes, other clubs began signing African American players. The Cleveland Indians quickly signed Larry Doby, who became the first African American to play in the American League. The Dodgers themselves signed numerous stars from the Negro Leagues. Ironically, the end of segregation in organized baseball was to be the death knell for the Negro Leagues. When given a choice between playing in the Negro Leagues or in the formerly white Major Leagues, most African American athletes deserted their former clubs. By the 1950’s, even the most successful Negro League clubs had gone out of business.
Critical Context
Michael L. Cooper’s Playing America’s Game is one of the first major works on Negro League baseball addressed to a young adult audience. The topic is an important one, given that few readers within this age group are aware of the obstacles that were encountered by African Americans in “playing America’s game” during the first half of the twentieth century. Many are aware of the contribution made by Jackie Robinson; few have ever heard of the other athletes who came before Robinson and made his way a little easier. The Negro Leagues did not exist in a void; they filled a real need as an outlet for men unable to compete in their chosen profession of baseball. The leagues provided entertainment for an audience that wished to follow their own sons in that profession.
As the author states, few white-owned newspapers covered these events, and African American-owned papers rarely had the resources for the extensive coverage of sports. Consequently, many of the stories are anecdotal. Most of these athletes were either elderly or dead at the time that the book was written, and with their deaths are lost the history of their times. Detailed stories of the Negro Leagues had been written, but, with the exception of a few biographies, most were addressed to an adult audience. Cooper reversed that trend with this book. It is ironic that an increasing number of young people in the generations that followed that of Robinson are unaware of his contributions. This book is also an attempt to address such a problem.