For more than half a century, Black baseball players, barred from the Major Leagues by systemic racism, competed in leagues of their own. This book re-interprets the history of race in baseball from the ground up, telling the story of how the Major Leagues became the ‘Caucasian Leagues,’ and naming the person most responsible for their segregation; showing how Major League owners and executives tried to delay and even prevent integration; and proving, using a broad range of methods, that Negro League players were every inch the equals of their Major League counterparts. Cherished records held by white players since the days of segregation are shown to belong rightfully to Negro League superstars. This book takes a fresh look at a subject that’s both straight from today’s headlines and as old as baseball itself.

Philip Lee worked with children with special needs in the US and UK for 23 years. A lifelong baseball fan, he holds degrees in history and education. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Philip Lee
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 10 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8834-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4701-2
Imprint: McFarland

“One of the best baseball books ever. Well researched and also well written, Black Stats Matter is right up there with The Bill James Historical Abstract and Outsider Baseball on my personal list. Lee covers almost all of what I would consider the important topics that have been neglected in most Negro League writing.”—Kevin Johnson, co-founder of the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database