Documenting the Forgotten Champions: The Making of 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes Film Documentary

This article was published in From Setbacks to Success: The 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes (SABR, 2025), edited by Vince Guerrieri, Thomas Kern, and Bill Nowlin.

At the SABR Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference on August 8, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky, a screening of the new film documentary “I Forgot to Tell You About: The Story of the Cleveland Buckeyes” was followed by a panel with (from left): moderator Leslie Heaphy, former major-league All-Star Kenny Lofton, filmmaker Evelyn Pollard-Gregory, and authors Wayne Pearsall and Vince Guerrieri.

The story of the 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes represents more than just a championship season. It embodies the resilience, determination, and indomitable spirit of Black America during one of our nation’s most challenging periods. As a filmmaker and native Clevelander, discovering this buried chapter of my city‘s history transformed my understanding of both baseball and the Black experience in midcentury America.

Unearthing Cleveland’s Hidden Baseball Legacy

When I grew up in Cleveland, the narrative of baseball centered almost exclusively on the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians). The city’s rich Negro Leagues history remained conspicuously absent from our collective memory. This glaring omission became apparent during my research into Cleveland’s African American heritage, undertaken initially to educate my own children about their roots. The discovery of the Cleveland Buckeyes’ extraordinary 1945 championship season emerged as a revelation – one that demanded to be shared with a broader audience.

The process of uncovering this history revealed not just a championship team, but a complex web of social relationships, economic structures, and community pride that defined Black Cleveland in the 1940s. Local newspapers of the era, particularly the Call and Post, provided invaluable insights into how the team’s success resonated throughout the city’s African American community.

The Buckeyes’ Journey: Triumph from Tragedy

The Cleveland Buckeyes’ story begins with profound loss. In 1942 a devastating automobile accident claimed the lives of two players and left four others seriously injured, threatening the team’s very existence. This tragedy occurred against the backdrop of World War II, when many Negro League teams struggled to survive due to players serving in the military and wartime travel restrictions.

The team’s resurrection from these setbacks makes their subsequent achievement even more remarkable. Operating on a shoestring budget, players drove their own vehicles to games, navigating the dangerous landscape of Jim Crow America. Each road trip required careful planning to find safe places to eat, sleep, and refuel – considerations their White counterparts never faced.

The team’s resilience manifested itself in creative solutions to these challenges. Players developed informal networks of safe houses and friendly businesses along their travel routes. Team members often stayed in private homes rather than hotels, creating lasting bonds with Black communities across the country. These connections helped sustain not just the team, but the entire Negro Leagues infrastructure during challenging times.

The Championship Season

The 1945 season marked the pinnacle of the Buckeyes’ resilience. The team dominated the Negro American League, finishing with an impressive regular-season record and winning both halves of the season. During the regular season, the Buckeyes showcased their exceptional talent through stellar pitching performances and clutch hitting. Their roster included several players who in a more just era might have become major-league stars.

Their World Series sweep of the Homestead Grays, featuring five future Hall of Famers, represented a triumph not just for Cleveland, but for the entire Black community during a pivotal moment in American history. The championship series itself was a master class in competitive baseball, with the Buckeyes demonstrating their skill and determination across several closely contested games.

Beyond Baseball: The Negro Leagues’ Cultural Impact

The Negro Leagues served as more than athletic entertainment – they were vital institutions within the Black community. Teams like the Buckeyes provided economic opportunities, created jobs, and established spaces where African Americans could gather with dignity during the Jim Crow era. League games became social events, drawing crowds that crossed racial boundaries and challenging prevailing segregation norms.

Local businesses thrived on game days, with restaurants, hotels, and transportation services all benefiting from the team’s presence. The Buckeyes’ success helped establish Cleveland as a major center for Black baseball, contributing to the city’s reputation as a relatively progressive Northern destination during the Great Migration.

The Integration Paradox

Jackie Robinson’s historic integration of major-league baseball in 1947 marked a crucial civil rights milestone. However, this progress came at a cost to Negro League institutions. As top talent moved to the National and American League teams, Negro League attendance declined, leading to the eventual dissolution of these once-thriving organizations. The Cleveland Buckeyes’ story exemplifies this bittersweet transition – their championship achievement fading from public memory as integration changed the baseball landscape.

The documentary explores this complex legacy, highlighting how the success of integration paradoxically contributed to the erosion of Black-owned businesses and institutions that had sustained communities through decades of segregation. This perspective adds nuance to the traditional narrative of baseball integration as an unalloyed triumph.

Documenting History: The Filmmaker’s Journey

Creating this documentary required extensive archival research, combining newspaper accounts, photographs, and oral histories. Interviews with surviving family members of Buckeyes players provided intimate perspectives on the personal sacrifices and triumphs these athletes experienced. The challenge lay in weaving together fragmented historical records to construct a compelling narrative that honors these forgotten heroes.

The research process revealed numerous previously unknown stories and connections. Through painstaking investigation of personal archives, church records, and community newsletters, I uncovered rich details about the players’ lives off the field and their connections to Cleveland’s Black community.

The Educational Imperative

As Director of the Black Film Institute at Simmons College of Kentucky, I recognize this project’s educational significance. The documentary serves multiple purposes: preserving vital history, celebrating African American achievement, and illuminating the complex relationship between racial progress and community institutions. By incorporating this story into curriculum materials, we can ensure that future generations understand the full scope of baseball’s role in American civil rights history.

Technical Challenges and Creative Solutions

Documenting historical events from an era with limited visual records presented unique challenges. The production team worked closely with historical societies and archives across the country to locate and restore rare footage and photographs. Advanced digital techniques helped bring black-and-white images to life, while careful sound design recreated the atmosphere of 1940s baseball games.

Community Impact and Contemporary Relevance

The documentary’s impact extends beyond historical preservation. By highlighting the Buckeyes’ triumph over adversity, we draw parallels to contemporary struggles for equality and recognition. The film demonstrates how sports can serve as both a mirror reflecting societal challenges and a catalyst for social change.

Local screenings have sparked important discussions about preserving Black history and recognizing the ongoing impact of historical inequities. The project has also inspired initiatives to commemorate the team’s achievements through historical markers and educational programs.

Legacy and Lessons

The Cleveland Buckeyes’ championship season offers valuable lessons about perseverance, community solidarity, and the importance of preserving marginalized histories. Their story reminds us that progress often comes at a cost, and that celebrating breakthrough achievements shouldn’t overshadow the vibrant institutions that sustained communities through difficult times.

The documentary serves as a catalyst for broader discussions about how we remember and honor Black achievement in American history. It challenges viewers to consider what other important stories might be waiting to be rediscovered and retold.

Conclusion

I Forgot to Tell You About … The Cleveland Buckeyes World Championship represents more than just a sports documentary. It’s a crucial piece of American history that illuminates the intersection of race, sports, and social justice. As communities nationwide grapple with questions of representation and historical memory, the Buckeyes’ story offers insights into both past struggles and present challenges.

The documentary serves as a testament to the power of resilience and community, while highlighting the ongoing need to preserve and celebrate overlooked achievements in African American history. Through this project, we ensure that the Cleveland Buckeyes’ remarkable journey from tragedy to triumph remains a source of inspiration for future generations.

To see the film, please visit agvfilms.com and the IMDB website at imdb.com/title/tt29623761.

EVELYN R. GREGORY is a dynamic director, screenwriter, and film production educator recently appointed as Director of the Black Film Institute at Simmons College of Kentucky. Her work spans collaborations with PBS American Portrait, State Educational Departments, and various organizations, focusing on telling diverse stories that connect generations through multiple media platforms. In her current role, she is creating compelling documentaries that illuminate the college’s rich history and its pivotal connections to civil rights and Black advancement, while nurturing the next generation of diverse voices in cinema.