Extra Bases: Reflections on Jackie Robinson, Race, and Baseball History

Few sports have as much power and magic as baseball. Events on the field can offer more than just a thrill for the fans on a Sunday afternoon; they often change our society itself. No better example of this phenomenon can be found than Jackie Robinson and his legendary accomplishments as the first African American in major league baseball. This collection of articles by noted historian Jules Tygiel illuminates significant events and issues in the history of baseball, including Robinson’s turbulent military career in World War II; the story behind Robinson’s signing and the evolution of his legacy; the history of the Negro Leagues and baseball’s Jim Crow era; race relations in baseball since 1947; Roy Campanella’s career and his life after the tragic automobile accident that left him paralyzed; Tygiel’s analysis of what baseball history has to offer, how it should be written, the intersection of television and baseball; and a reflection on the current state of the game. In his role as a sports historian, Tygiel purposefully takes his eye off the ball, and focuses on the broader cultural scene that surrounds the game-how developments in the game reflect American society and the ways in which our nation has changed over time. In doing so, he captures a part of baseball that many have forgotten and he considers its legacy. Jules Tygiel is a professor of history at San Francisco State University. He is the author of Past Time: Baseball as History, and Baseball’s Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy.