A Calculus of Color: The Integration of Baseball's American League

by Robert Kuhn McGregor

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786494408
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	04/14/2015
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Robert Kuhn McGregor, professor emeritus of history at the University of Illinois-Springfield, taught environmental history, early American history, and the history of popular culture, including baseball. He lives in Spencerport, New York.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments deleteix
Preface
Introduction: The Costs of Racism
I. The Negro Leagues: Baseball by and for Black People
II. The American League: The Trials of a Major League
III. The Masks of Separation: Why Integration Was Unlikely to Happen
IV. A More Honest Face: How Integration Happened
V. The American League Tries: The Pioneer Experiments
Interlude. The End of The Road: The Negro Leagues Wither
VI. Reluctant Realists: A Change Gathers Momentum
VII. Ungracious Surrender: The Ongoing Resistance of the Final Two
VIII. Looking Back—and Looking Ahead
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

his focus on the American League adds another dimension to the discussion of the integration of baseball…he raises important questions about the meaning of integration, particularly how it needed to go beyond the simple fact of having one or more black players on a roster...highly recommended” —Choice; “The author slams a home run in dealing with racism in baseball and the larger picture of American life...McGregor’s account makes for a compelling read. A best sports book of 2015, and one that will stand the test of time.”—Library Journal; “A Calculus of Color should not only be required reading in every baseball history class, but every twentieth-century American history class...an outstanding piece of work...amazingly comprehensive...recommended”—Nine; “Stands out amongst the extensive list of scholarship that covers early baseball, the Negro leagues, and desegregation. The tremendous detail, critical analysis, and humorous accessibility make a A Calculus of Color a must read for any sport historian interested in early twentieth century baseball.”—Sport in American History; “A Calculus of Color does a stellar job of examining the integration of the American League, the rise and fall of the Negro leagues, and the implications of these changes on the social landscape of American society...should be used as a source for those who seek to gain a broader understanding of the ebbs and flows of professional baseball in the United States”—Journal of Sport History; “A sweeping story of the racial integration of baseball, with a focus on the American League. A long-overdue achievement!”—Joseph Thomas Moore, author of Larry Doby: The Struggle of the American League’s First Black Player.

From the Publisher

★ 02/15/2015
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

Library Journal