Stars of the Negro Leagues

Josh Gibson, sometimes known as the 'black Babe Ruth' for his skill at bat, was a power hitter and catcher in the Negro Leagues. He played on the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords between 1930 and 1946. Gibson died tragically from a brain tumor in 1947, just months before Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color barrier. Though he was never able to join an MLB team due to discrimination, Gibson is often considered to have been one of the best catchers and sluggers in baseball's history.

Buck Leonard was a famous first baseman who played for one of the top teams in Negro league history, the Homestead Grays, for sixteen seasons, beginning in 1934. Leonard's skill led him to be known as the 'black Lou Gehrig,' but he was not offered a Major League Baseball contract until 195 - Fifth Grade2. He declined because he felt he was too old and might damage the image of black players in general if he were injured. Leonard's story illuminates the unique challenges Negro League players faced in a time of segregation and racism.

Satchel Paige was an enormously popular pitcher whose career spanned nearly thirty seasons across numerous teams. When he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948 - Eighth Grade, he became the oldest major league rookie on a major league team, and he was the first Negro league player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Paige is often considered one of the most talented and entertaining pitchers of any race to have ever played baseball. This engaging narrative of both his successes and struggles introduces young readers to America's complicated racial and political landscape in the early twentieth century.

Inspire your readers with this biography. The exceptionally athletic Monte Irvin was an outfielder who started in the Negro leagues and eventually became one of the earliest black Major League Baseball players after joining the New York Giants in 1949. He played in two World Series with the Giants and after retiring worked as a baseball scout and served in an administrative role in the MLB commissioner's office. Readers will learn that as a mentor to Willie Mays, Irvin helped pave the way for other black players in the major leagues despite encountering racism on and off the field, and he was honored greatly later in life for his achievements.

Known as one of the best pinch-hitting third baseman to ever play the game, Judy Johnson played seventeen seasons of Negro league baseball before retiring in 1937. Johnson was known for his calm and professional demeanor on the field, and he also managed many of the teams he played for. After his retirement, he went on to become one of the first black men hired to a coaching position for a Major League Baseball team. This book chronicles the life of the sports hero while introducing readers to the difficulties of living in a time of segregation and political upheaval.

How is it possible that the century's most successful NFL coach conducts himself as though social media is merely a target for ridicule? While the strategies employed by this gridiron genius seemingly evolve in an eye-blink, Bill Belichick is willfully out of step with our culture. In an age of self-promotion and media manipulation, the five-time Super Bowl champion shows open disdain for reporters' microphones. Personal glory doesn't just take a backseat to team success in Foxboro; it is viewed as vanity. Scandals have convinced some that 'win at any cost' is the New England Patriots' mantra, but it's undeniable that their leader instills a timeless set of values in his teams. This book shows students how Belichick's legacy was built on universally applicable principles of preparation, teamwork and adaptability. Love him or hate him, 'the Hoody' has much to teach us.