McFarland & Company (series)

Baseball

Description by OLDIES.com:

"We used to work hard, hauling pinewood logs, hay, everything. And we were ready to play that ball on Saturday and Sunday. We'd talk about that ball all through the week. I guess we made our work easy, because we were working hard and talking about playing ball" - Jim Dowell, Covesville Tigers & Astros.

This work is the story of black baseball in Virginia, beginning with the 1930s, when black baseball was gaining popularity, to the 1980s, when the last few games were played. From Winchester to Tidewater, Danville to Fairfax, baseball was the most enduring form of entertainment and recreation for black communities in Virginia. For fifty years, the state's black teams played in rural pastures, cleared-out forests, city parks, and, for a fortunate few, minor league stadiums.

This work re-creates this bygone era through the words of the men who played and whose spirited memories are evidence of their love of the game. Some of black baseball's most memorable teams, leagues, and personalities, such as Kelly's Allstars, the Interstate League, the Negro American Association, the Roanoke Black Cardinals, and Cool Papa Winston, to name a few, are included.