Episode Six: Bringing Down the Color Line

The Negro Leagues are Major Leagues

In the conclusion of our three-part miniseries about the rise, maintenance, and eventual fall of the color line in the American and National Leagues, Curtis is joined by Michael Lomax, an author and retired professor of sport management. They discuss the journey that led to Jackie Robinson taking the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, ending decades of segregation in professional baseball.

But the process of integrating the AL and NL wasn't a smooth one, and it largely happened on the terms of the white owners, at the expense of the Black people who owned, managed, and operated Negro League ballclubs. Curtis and Michael also discuss the day-to-day operations of Negro League clubs, the business behind successful baseball teams, and why the Negro Leagues ultimately came to an end.

You can read Michael's piece on the business and legacy of Black baseball on our site https://www.baseball-reference.com/articles/a-black-baseball-legacy-michael-e-lomax.shtml