SABR Digital Library: Bittersweet Goodbye: The Black Barons, the Grays, and the 1948 Negro League World Series
Bittersweet Goodbye: The Black Barons, the Grays, and the 1948 Negro League World Series
Edited by Frederick C. Bush and Bill Nowlin
Associate Editors: Carl Riechers and Len Levin
Publication Date: July 31, 2017
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-943816-55-2, $44.95
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-943816-54-5, $9.99
8.5″ x 11″, 438 pages
This SABR Digital Library book was inspired by the last Negro League World Series ever played and presents biographies of the players on the two contending teams in 1948 — the Birmingham Black Barons and the Homestead Grays — as well as the managers, the owners, and articles on the ballparks the teams called home.
Also included are articles that recap the season’s two East-West All-Star Games, the Negro National League and Negro American League playoff series, and the World Series itself. Additional context is provided in essays about the effects of Organized Baseball’s integration on the Negro Leagues, the exodus of Negro League players to Canada, and the signing away of top Negro League players, specifically Willie Mays.
The lack of detailed press coverage of the Negro Leagues, the fact that not every player was a star with a lengthy career, and gaps in public records of the era (especially in regard to African Americans) present a situation in which it is not possible to detail the life of every single player as fully as in other SABR publications. In the face of such challenges, the SABR researchers who have contributed player biographies and feature articles to this book have done utmost diligence to uncover every possible nugget of information that is currently available and, in many instances, new discoveries have been made. Many of the players’ lives and careers have been presented to a much greater extent than previously.
SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!
- E-book: Click here to download the e-book version of Bittersweet Goodbye for FREE at SABR.org. Available in PDF, MOBI, and EPUB/Kindle formats.
- Paperback: Get a 50% discount on the Bittersweet Goodbye paperback edition from the SABR Store ($24.95 includes shipping/tax).
Buy the book
- E-book: Click here to purchase the e-book version of Bittersweet Goodbye for $9.99 from the SABR Store. Available in PDF, MOBI, and EPUB/Kindle formats.
- Paperback: Get the paperback edition of Bittersweet Goodbye from the SABR Store ($49.95 includes shipping/tax).
Below: Find player biographies and memorable games from Bittersweet Goodbye: The Black Barons, the Grays, and the 1948 Negro League World Series
Biographies
Game Recaps
Contributors: Niall Adler, Jack Anderson, Brian Baughan, Ralph Berger, Richard Bogovich, Frederick C. Bush, Ralph Carhart, Alan Cohen, William Dahlberg, Dennis D. Degenhardt, Amy Essington, Charles F. Faber, James Forr, Dave Forrester, Charlie Fouche, Joseph Gerard, Irv Goldfarb, Margaret M. Gripshover, Tom Hawthorn, Leslie Heaphy, Jay Hurd, Bill Johnson, Thomas E. Kern, Norm King, John Klima, Japheth Knopp, Bob LeMoine, Michael Mattsey, Brian McKenna, Jack Morris, Justin Murphy, Rob Neyer, Skip Nipper, Bill Nowlin, Will Osgood, Mark Panuthos, Richard J. Puerzer, Chris Rainey, John Saccoman, John Schleppi, Curt Smith, Jeb Stewart, J.W. Stewart, Rick Swaine, Clarence Watkins, Steve West, and Dave Wilkie.