Joe Black: More than a Dodger

by Martha Jo Black, Chuck Schoffner

Overview

He was told that the color of his skin would keep him out of the big leagues, but Joe Black worked his way up through the Negro Leagues and the Cuban Winter League. He burst into the Majors in 1952 when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the face of segregation, verbal harassment, and even death threats, Joe Black rose to the top of his game; he earned National League Rookie of the Year and became the first African American pitcher to win a World Series game. With the same tenacity he showed in his baseball career, Black became the first African American vice president of a transportation corporation when he went to work for Greyhound. In this first-ever biography of Joe Black, his daughter Martha Jo Black tells the story not only of a baseball great who broke through the color line, but also of the father she knew and loved.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897337533
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/01/2015
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Martha Jo Black is the daughter of Joe Black and sells fan experiences for the Chicago White Sox. She lives in Chicago. Chuck Schoffner is a veteran college sports writer whose reporting and editing for United Press International, and later The Associated Press spanned 33 years.

Editorial Reviews

"An intriguing work. Fans of baseball history will enjoy this glimpse of a lesser-known figure who holds a special place in the sport’s record books.” —Library Journal


“A sentimental tribute. But Martha Jo Black, along with longtime sportswriter Chuck Schoffner, blends family memories and good research to provide a balanced portrait.” —Tampa Tribune


“[An] intricate look at Black's life. If you like baseball, the Dodgers, looks into the Civil Rights era, or even just vivid collections of stories, you'll enjoy this book.” —Gaper's Block

From the Publisher

12/01/2014
This biography of baseball player Joe Black, the first African American pitcher to win a game in Major League Baseball's World Series, recounts all facets of his personal life starting with his journey from a small town in New Jersey to the big show with the Brooklyn Dodgers. While Joe Black does not have the illustrious career of Jackie Robinson, as an African American player in a time when only six major league clubs accepted men of color, he endured the same struggles. Author Black, the player's daughter, teamed with veteran sportswriter Schoffner to create this intriguing work. Although the lack of a chronological order makes the chapters feel clumsy at times, that does not get in the way of enjoying the book. VERDICT Because the work describes the speech and attitudes of American society before racial integration, strong language is used, a consideration for YA audiences. However, fans of baseball history will enjoy this glimpse of a lesser-known figure who holds a special place in the sport's record books.—Matt Schirano, Magnus Wahlstrom Lib., Bridgeport, CT

Library Journal