Episode Details

“Baseball history needs to be looked at again. The statistics don’t make sense unless you understand the story that went behind those numbers.” – Phil S. Dixon

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Phil talk about the racial integration of Major League baseball in 1947, and the decades of high-level black baseball that came before it (4:00); how baseball was segregated in the 19th century, and why the Negro Leagues were formed in the early 20th (9:30); “barnstorming” baseball in local communities in places like Kansas, and what life on the road was like for these black teams (17:00); how Phil researched the history of the Negro Leagues, and the challenge of finding century-old game statistics (29:30); and how the Negro Leagues stars compare to other baseball players from history (39:00).

Phil S. Dixon (@NegroLeagueMan) is the author of seven books about baseball, and cofounder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

Notable Links:

• J. L. Wilkinson (owner of the Kansas City Monarchs)
• All Nations (barnstorming professional baseball team)
• Barnstorming (traveling sports matches)
• Bud Fowler (pre-segregation professional player)
• Pythian Baseball Club (19th century black baseball team)
• Moses Fleetwood Walker (baseball player)
• Rube Foster (founder of the Negro Leagues)
• Topeka Jack Johnson (baseball player)
• House of David (baseball team from a Michigan commune)
• Grover Cleveland Alexander (baseball player)
• George Giles (baseball player)
• Only the Ball Was White, by Robert Peterson (book)
• Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History, by Phil S. Dixon (book)
• The 1931 Homestead Grays, by Phil S. Dixon (book)
• Buck O’Neil (baseball player, manager, and scout)
• Satchel Paige (baseball player)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.