The Rise and Fall of the Negro Baseball League Essay

The Rise and Fall of the Negro Baseball League For the better part of the 20th century, African American baseball players played under unequal opportunity. On one side of the field, European descendants were given a license to play this childrens game for money and national fame. While on the other side of the field, African slave descendants were also given a license to play - as long as they didnt encroach upon the leagues of the Caucasians. What was left over for African American player in terms of riches was meager at best. Though the fortune wasnt there, the love and fame within the African American communities made the players of the Negro Baseball League legends. I chose to explore the Negro Baseball League to form an†¦show more content†¦However, after many unfortunate incidents, blacks were silently banned from playing major league baseball. In a racially segregated America that dictated a separate game for white and black fans, there necessarily developed two distinct baseball cultures. During this separation, baseball was not complete. The majority of Americans rode with the flow of the mainstream, following its course intently, with only an occasional excursion to see the flow of the parallel stream. Thus, for a half-century, white Americans sat watching major league baseball, only vaguely aware of the shadowy world of black baseball that existed beyond the scope of their vision(Riley, J. 1996). To most white baseball observers, black ballplayers were as unreal as the shadows on Platos wall. In this world of reflected images there existed exceptionally talented players whose ability was unsurpassed anywhere. African Americans continued to play baseball by forming their own teams. All the teams barnstormed, or traveled around, to find competition. At this time, there was no formal league to organize these teams. It was during the barnstorming era that the term, shadowball, came into being. During this time, the New York Lincoln Giants warmed up by playing something called shadowball. This activity had all the players pretending that they were hitting or pitching a ball. This act, before the games, really amused the crowds. In 1920,Show MoreRelatedSports, Does Talent Actually Matter?1624 Words   |  7 PagesIn sports, does talent actually matter? We would like to think that the structure of sports allows the cream to rise to the top, that the best of the beset are the ones that move on to the professional leagues, are the ones that get the highest paying jobs. We would like to think because that is what we’ve been taught by society, that through hard work, you can make yourself good enough to make simply make it. 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