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1 of 1 copy available
Spivey follows Paige from his birth in Alabama in 1906 to his death in Kansas City in 1982, detailing the challenges Paige faced battling the color line in America and recounting his tests and triumphs in baseball. He also opens up Paige's private life during and after his playing days, introducing readers to the man who extended his social, cultural, and political reach beyond the limitations associated with his humble background and upbringing. This other Paige was a gifted public speaker, a talented musician and singer, an excellent cook, and a passionate outdoorsman, among other things.
Paige's life intertwined with many of the most important issues of the times in U.S. and African American history, including the continuation of the New Negro Movement and the struggle for civil rights. Spivey incorporates interviews with former teammates conducted over twelve years, as well as exclusive interviews with Paige's son Robert, daughter Pamela, Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, and John "Buck" O'Neil to tell the story of a pioneer who helped transform America through the nation's favorite pastime.
Maintaining an image somewhere between Joe Louis's public humility and the flamboyant aggression of Jack Johnson, Paige pushed the boundaries of segregation and bridged the racial divide with stellar pitching packaged with slapstick humor. He entertained as he played to win and saw no contradiction in doing so. Game after game, his performance refuted the lie that black baseball was inferior to white baseball. His was a contribution to civil rights of a different kind—his speeches and demonstrations expressed through his performance on the mound.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 27, 2012 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780826272805
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780826272805
- File size: 4640 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 1, 2012
Few baseball players have inspired more anecdotes than Satchel Paige, and this is amazing since Paige spent most of his years toiling in the shadows of the Negro Leagues and the barnstorming circuits, not allowed into the Majors until age 42, when Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck gave him a chance. In this scholarly study of the fireballing Hall-of-Famer, Spivey (history, Univ. of Miami; Fire from the Soul: A History of the African-American Struggle) delves beyond the anecdotes. Drawing from copious written sources and interviews with Paige's contemporaries and family, Spivey reveals a superlative performer on the mound and a black man who became a universally loved figure. While not known as a "race man," the pitcher advanced the cause of blacks in baseball and society by such simple means as playing on an integrated semi-pro team in North Dakota in the 1930s and playing against and often beating touring white teams led by Major League stars like Dizzy Dean and Bob Feller. He advocated transferring entire Negro League teams to the majors rather than cherry-picking particular stars, which, just as he predicted, brought about the league's demise. VERDICT Spivey has produced a valuable resource for both baseball scholars and knowledgeable fans. This will strengthen any collection of books on Paige and/or the Negro Leagues.--Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL
Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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