Just finished reading "Willie's Boys"
judgebuck
Posts: 1,006 ✭✭✭
It's the story of the 1948 Birmingham Black Barons and the rise of Willie Mays from high school to the Negro League to the majors. Written by John Klima. Very detailed and well researched.
It is amazing how close the Red Sox came to having both Ted Williams and Mays in the same outfield. Mays also could have just have easily been a Brave or a White Sox or a Cub or a Yankee. If the Red Sox and the Yankees had not had such racism in management, one or the other would likely have had Mays. How about Mays and Mantle in the same Yankees outfield? The book details how tough it was for a Negro League player to make it to the majors, no matter how good he was, because of the policies and practices or certain owners and scouts.
It is amazing how close the Red Sox came to having both Ted Williams and Mays in the same outfield. Mays also could have just have easily been a Brave or a White Sox or a Cub or a Yankee. If the Red Sox and the Yankees had not had such racism in management, one or the other would likely have had Mays. How about Mays and Mantle in the same Yankees outfield? The book details how tough it was for a Negro League player to make it to the majors, no matter how good he was, because of the policies and practices or certain owners and scouts.
Always looking for Mantle cards such as Stahl Meyer, 1954 Dan Dee, 1959 Bazooka, 1960 Post, 1952 Star Cal Decal, 1952 Tip Top Bread Labels, 1953-54 Briggs Meat, and other Topps, Bowman, and oddball Mantles.
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I read it a few years ago and enjoyed it. I reviewed it online, you can read it here.
http://www.examiner.com/article/willie-s-boys-the-making-of-a-baseball-legend