Black baseball's last team standing The Birmingham Black Barons, 1919-1962

In recent decades, the history of the National Negro League has been the subject of numerous studies. This volume adds to that wealth of material by digging deeply into the storied past of the Birmingham Black Barons, often considered the league's paramount franchise. Baseball historian Plott traces the team's evolution from its formation in 1919, through years in, first, the Negro Southern League and then the Negro American League. Statistical records of Negro League play remain incomplete, though Plott does yeoman work digging out as many facts as possible, including summarizing the careers of numerous Major Leaguers to play for the Black Barons, including Satchel Paige and Willie Mays, whose tenure in the late 1940s came to an end when the Negro Leagues were losing steam as more and more Black players were moving to the now-integrated Major Leagues. Plott recounts the team's triumphs and disappointments effectively, though narrative nonfiction is not his game. This is a no-frills documenting of what happened, year by year, to the Black Barons, and as such it will be valuable for anyone doing research on the Negro Leagues.--Bill Ott Copyright 2010 Booklist