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In his book, "Beyond The Shadow of The Senators", author Brad Snyder tells the untold tale of the Homestead Grays and the integration of baseball. It's also about the story of Sam Lacy, the late Washington, D.C. sportswriter who openly talked about the sport's integration long before Robinson signed with the Dodgers. "I really wanted to share the story of Mr. Lacy and players like Buck Leonard because they were two amazing life stories", said Snyder. "These were two people who came up from the bottom and helped so many others along the way". From 1937 to 1945, the Homestead Grays dominated the Negro Leagues winning eight pennants and two consecutive ('44-45) league championships. Among some of the great Hall of Fame players for the Grays during that era was Leonard, catcher Josh Gibson, outfielder "Cool" Papa Bell, and third baseman Judy Johnson. The Grays would play their home games at two parks during that era, Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. They would play at the stadiums when their white counterparts were on the road. The contrast on the field was especially evident in D.C. where the Grays shared Griffith Stadium with the doormats of the American League. "First In War, First In Peace, and Last In The American League" was the phrase most commonly used to describe the Washington Senators of that era. Washington finished near or in last place while the Grays were one of the most consistently successful teams in the Negro Leagues. Even though the stadium seated just over 27,000, the Grays overwhelmingly outdrew their white counterparts. A fact that Lacy would always talk about in his writings. Lacy would also talk about the racial segregation in the stands for Senator games. "Black fans rarely, if ever, sat in box seats or in the grandstands", Lacy once wrote. "There were places where I couldn't go, places my friends couldn't go, and places my family couldn't go as well". While there weren't any "White" or "Colored" signs at the park, there seemed to be an unwritten rule about the seating arrangements for Senator games. In contrast, Gray games were one of the happenings of the Black community in D.C. Ironically in 1946, Griffith Stadium was the home of the East-West Classic, the Negro League's mid season All-Star Game. Before a crowd of just over 16,000, the East defeated the West 9-3. During the time, Lacy and other Black sportswriters would talk about how the game of baseball was missing out on some the sports best players. Unfortunately, their cries came on deaf ears. Many of the opposition forces came from within the D.C. area. Clark Griffith, the Senators owner, was one of the many Major League owners who thwarted the chance of having the best players in the Negro Leagues put on a Senator jersey or any Major League jersey as well. Snyder's book also discusses how the Black baseball fans in the D.C. area became frustrated with Griffith and the Senators. It also shows how Griffith foolishly alienated himself and his team from the Black sports fans right in his own backyard. While other team owners would eventually embrace black ballplayers in the majors, Griffith's actions would lead to the Senators' demise and their exit from the nation's capital in 1961. Ironically, the site of Griffith Stadium is now the current home of Howard University's Hospital of Medicine. "Beyond The Shadow of The Senators" is not only a great baseball book, but it's also gives a look back at a great era of Black history. If you're a fan of baseball and or history, you'll enjoy this book.  Anthony McClean is a Researcher/Reporter/Writer for ESPN and Black Athlete Sports Network. You can also hear his sports commentaries every Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. on "Sport Talk" on WCLM-AM 1450 in Richmond, Virginia (www.wclmradio.com). WANT TO REACH THIS WRITER Copyright 2006 by BlackAthlete.net, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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