Only The Ball Was White
It seems elementary in the age of mega-league professional sports, many of which have been revolutionized by African American athletes, to point out that before Jackie Robinson major league baseball was lily white. The Negro Leagues were the crucible where African American players honed their skills. But it took over two decades, until Robert Peterson published Only the Ball Was White in 1972, to get a good glimpse at the stars and journeyman players of the Negro Leagues.