Barnstorming to Heaven

Syd Pollock and His Great Black Teams

Nonfiction, Sports, Baseball, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Barnstorming to Heaven by Alan J. Pollock, University of Alabama Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alan J. Pollock ISBN: 9780817386337
Publisher: University of Alabama Press Publication: April 3, 2012
Imprint: University Alabama Press Language: English
Author: Alan J. Pollock
ISBN: 9780817386337
Publisher: University of Alabama Press
Publication: April 3, 2012
Imprint: University Alabama Press
Language: English

A rare insider’s perspective on baseball’s great barnstorming age.

   
The Indianapolis Clowns were a black touring baseball team that featured an entertaining mix of comedy, showmanship, and skill. Sometimes referred to as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball—though many of the Globetrotters’ routines were borrowed directly from the Clowns—they captured the affection of Americans of all ethnicities and classes.

Alan Pollock’s father, Syd, owned the Clowns, as well as a series of black barnstorming teams that crisscrossed the country from the late 1920s until the mid-1960s. They played every venue imaginable, from little league fields to Yankee Stadium, and toured the South, the Northeast, the Midwest, the Canadian Rockies, the Dakotas, the Southwest, the Far West—anywhere there was a crowd willing to shell out a few dollars for an unforgettable evening.

Alan grew up around the team and describes in vivid detail the comedy routines of Richard “King Tut” King, “Spec Bebob” Bell, Reece “Goose” Tatum; the “warpaint” and outlandish costumes worn by players in the early days; and the crowd-pleasing displays of amazing skill known as pepperball and shadowball. These men were entertainers, but they were also among the most gifted athletes of their day, making a living in sports the only way a black man could. They played to win.

More than just a baseball story, these recollections tell the story of great societal changes in America from the roaring twenties, through the years of the Great Depression and World War II, and into the Civil Rights era.

 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A rare insider’s perspective on baseball’s great barnstorming age.

   
The Indianapolis Clowns were a black touring baseball team that featured an entertaining mix of comedy, showmanship, and skill. Sometimes referred to as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball—though many of the Globetrotters’ routines were borrowed directly from the Clowns—they captured the affection of Americans of all ethnicities and classes.

Alan Pollock’s father, Syd, owned the Clowns, as well as a series of black barnstorming teams that crisscrossed the country from the late 1920s until the mid-1960s. They played every venue imaginable, from little league fields to Yankee Stadium, and toured the South, the Northeast, the Midwest, the Canadian Rockies, the Dakotas, the Southwest, the Far West—anywhere there was a crowd willing to shell out a few dollars for an unforgettable evening.

Alan grew up around the team and describes in vivid detail the comedy routines of Richard “King Tut” King, “Spec Bebob” Bell, Reece “Goose” Tatum; the “warpaint” and outlandish costumes worn by players in the early days; and the crowd-pleasing displays of amazing skill known as pepperball and shadowball. These men were entertainers, but they were also among the most gifted athletes of their day, making a living in sports the only way a black man could. They played to win.

More than just a baseball story, these recollections tell the story of great societal changes in America from the roaring twenties, through the years of the Great Depression and World War II, and into the Civil Rights era.

 

More books from University of Alabama Press

Cover of the book Blood of Mugwump by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Artistic Liberties by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Sissy! by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Crossing the Borders by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Taking Christianity to China by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book The Transmutation of Love and Avant-Garde Poetics by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Sinclair Lewis Remembered by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book The University of Alabama by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Method and Theory in American Archaeology by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Hum by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Air Power in War by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book American Public Administration by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book What I Say by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book Our Sisters' Keepers by Alan J. Pollock
Cover of the book The Blues Muse by Alan J. Pollock
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy