If You Were Only White: The Life of Leroy "Satchel" Paige

If You Were Only White: The Life of Leroy "Satchel" Paige (Sports and American Culture)
- Used Book in Good Condition
If You Were Only White explores the legacy of one of the most exceptional athletes everâ€”an entertainer extraordinaire, a daring showman and crowd-pleaser, a wizard with a baseball whose artistry and antics on the mound brought fans out in the thousands to ballparks across the country. Leroy â€œSatchelâ€ Paige was arguably one of the worldâ€™s greatest pitchers and a premier star of Negro Leagues Baseball. But in this biography Donald Spivey reveals Paige to have been much more than just a blazing fastball pitcher.
Spivey follows Paige from his birth in Alabama in 1906 to his death in Kansas City in 1982, detailing the challenges Paige faced battling the color line in America and recounting his tests and triumphs in baseball. He also opens up Paigeâ€™s private life during and after his playing days, introducing readers to the man who extended his social, cultural, and political reach beyond the limitations associated with his humble background and upbringing. This other Paige was a gifted public speaker, a talented musician and singer, an excellent cook, and a passionate outdoorsman, among other things.
Paigeâ€™s life intertwined with many of the most important issues of the times in U.S. and African American history, including the continuation of the New Negro Movement and the struggle for civil rights. Spivey incorporates interviews with former teammates conducted over twelve years, as well as exclusive interviews with Paigeâ€™s son Robert, daughter Pamela, Ted â€œDouble Dutyâ€ Radcliffe, and John â€œBuckâ€ Oâ€™Neil to tell the story of a pioneer who helped transform America through the nationâ€™s favorite pastime.
Maintaining an image somewhere between Joe Louisâ€™s public humility and the flamboyant aggression of Jack Johnson, Paige pushed the boundaries of segregation and bridged the racial divide with stellar pitching packaged with slapstick humor. He entertained as he played to win and saw no contradiction in doing so. Game after game, his performance refuted the lie that black baseball was inferior to white baseball. His was a contribution to civil rights of a different kindâ€”his speeches and demonstrations expressed through his performance on the mound.
Country USA
Brand University of Missouri Press
Manufacturer University of Missouri
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber black & white illustrations
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780826220141
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	University of Missouri Press
Manufacturer	University of Missouri
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	black & white illustrations
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780826220141
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

If You Were Only White: The Life of Leroy "Satchel" Paige (Sports and American Culture)

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