The Color of History Stan Isaacs

BOOK REVIEWS The Color of History Stan Isaacs Out of Left Field: demeaning comedy shticks that inspired hiring Jackie Robinson, first for their Jews and Black Baseball the white press to depict him as a shuffling, Montreal farm team and then unveil lazy black man. Gottlieb felt he was provid ing him as a Dodger in 1947. Agitation Rebecca T. Alpert ing good work for a number of men who in the black press to breach the color Oxford University Press, would otherwise be “bell hopping or mop line started as early as the 1920s. Jew 2011, $27.95, pp. 272 ping floors.” He and Saperstein ignored the ish reporter Lester Rodney of The Daily complaints of critics who thought comedy Worker joined the fight inthemid-1930s, baseball was a throwback to black-face min and together they kept the issue alive in In Out of Left Field, Rebecca Alpert describes strel traditions and detrimental to the race. one form or another until the Dodgers the role of Jews in promoting professional Because Gottlieb and Saperstein were general manager, Branch Rickey, took black baseball and efforts by Jewish com Jewish, this led to some anti-Jewish stereo the bold step of defying fellow owners munist sportswriters to break the color to sign Robinson. line in major league baseball. Alpert, There were other factors. World War who teaches religion and women’s stud II emphasized the hypocrisy of blacks ies at Temple University, solidly estab fighting for their country but not being lishes the important—and sometimes allowed to play in the so-called national controversial—place of Jewish pro pastime. The efforts of Isadore Much- moters in Negro League baseball. Two nick, a Boston city councilman, helped of the most influential Jews in Negro bring about a tryout of black players by League baseball were men more often the Red Sox. Jackie Robinson and Sam associated with basketball. Eddie Got Jethroe were among those who took tlieb, the founder of the South Phila part in the tryout that was little more delphia Hebrew Association (SPHA) than a farce; they were virtually ignored and then-owner of the National Bas by Red Sox Manager Joe Cronin. The ketball Association’s Philadelphia War Red Sox were the last team to sign a riors, became a significant figure in the black player, Pumpsie Green, in 1959. NBA. Abe Saperstein was famous as the Alpert also traces the long-denied owner and ringmaster of the Harlem role of Daily Worker sportswriters Globetrotters. They were among the whose campaign in the Communist Jews who came “out of left field” to play Party newspaper helped bring Jackie a significant role in black baseball. Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Alpert delivers a keen analysis of these Alpert writes that “the only consistent men’s roles in black baseball as benefac and fundamentally moral stance against tors and exploiters. She writes, “Got segregation and on behalf of justice was tlieb’s multiple roles—as owner of the taken by three Jewish sportswriters for Stars, booking agent for the league, and the communist newspaper, The Daily head of his own booking agency—gave Worker.” Rodney raised the issue when him a lot of power in the Negro Nation he joined the paper in 1936. When he al League.” And though Saperstein achieved typing among black owners and by a black went off to military service, Bill Mardo his fame as the owner of the Globetrotters, sportswriter for The Pittsburgh Courier, and Nat Low took up the cause. “they were but one part of the sports em Wendell Smith. These crude descriptions Branch Rickey would not give the com pire he built.. .Much of Saperstein’s income of Jews were readily accepted by blacks munists any credit for their role in paving the would be derived from promoting and whose only exposure to Jews was as land way for Robinson, though The Daily Worker booking black baseball comedy and novelty lords and merchants in their own neigh reprinted stories in the black press de teams.” borhoods. Alpert writes that black owners manding a place on the rosters for blacks Gottlieb and Saperstein believed that “would use anti-Semitic rhetoric to gain in the major league. Wendell Smith, the black baseball would be financially success some advantage with the white power black sportswriter who was hired by Rick ful only if it offered the attraction of com structure that also found itself uncomfort ey as a sort of liaison to the black commu edy, an aspect that galled blacks and some able with Jewish economic power.” nity, always omitted the part communists whites. Black players might run backwards Out of Left Field is valuable for out played in the integration story. And he or read a newspaper while batting. Even lining the dynamics that led the Brook later ignored Muchnick’s role in a book he pitching great Satchel Paige engaged in lyn Dodgers to break the color line by wrote with Robinson. Continues an page 19 72 JU L Y /A U G U S T 2011 MOMENT CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST Welcome to the M()7nent Cartoon Caption Contest. In each issue, we publish a cartoon drawn by New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff. MAY/JUNE 2011 FINALISTS Suggested captions for this cartoon must be submitted by August 10, 2011, at momentmag.com/cartoon.html. Finalists will appear in the September/October 20 II issue. To vote for the winner of the May1une contest (see finalists at right), email [email protected]. The winner will receive a free subscrip tion to Mwnent to give to a friend. Any U.S. resident age 18 or older can enter. THIS ISSUE'S CONTEST "I guess it~ okay, as long as sbe srays o11the bnlto11y." Lewis Shilane,joplin, MO "LockJ like Tzippomh got EVERYTHING i11 tbe tlivom.'" Abc Ad ler, Woodmere, NY "It bam't hem n week n11tl nlrratly tbey'•'t! 1J1aki11g knock-offi." Cary Amebi, Brooklyn, NY THE WINNING CAPTION FOR MARCH/APRIL 2011 "To tell you the truth, I just felt safe in the 011hodox community." Michael Rosenberg, Skokie, IL Cuntinued frrnn page 72 That version of events pretty much held Robinson, running out a hit, collided with The most intriguing of the subjects up until a 1997 Long Island University him at first base. Robinson was quoted as Alpert pursues in Out of Left Field is, alas, conference on Jackie Robinson cleared the saying that Greenberg, after making sure the most questionable. She overreaches record. Lester Rodney, a reserved and un that Jackie was not hurt, told him, "Stick in her chapter on the Belleville Grays of assuming man (nothing like the stereotype in there. You're doing fine . Keep your chin Virginia, a team active from the 1920s to of a wild-eyed commie that some in the up." Robinson's comment: "Class tells. It the 1940s, claiming it is "the only Jewish audience might have expected), impressed sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg." team in the history of black baseball." In the conference attendees with his recapit Alpert notes that "Jews were eager in the absence of any indication that the play ulation of events. Rodney eventually left the 1960s to claim Hall ofFarne infielder, ers were Jewish, or considered themselves The Daily Worker and the Communist Par Rod Carew, a dark-skinned Panamanian Jews, her claims are not persuasive. ty, resumed his newspaper career on the who had married a Jew, raised Jewish chil Jews 'Were an integral part of the black West Coast and died in 2009 at age 98. dren, wore a Jewish star ... as a member baseball experience-even if there may Alpert also recounts a significant incident of the Jewish people." And they claimed never have been a baseball team of 100 in black-Jewish relations on the diamond Elliott Maddox, "a black man from New percent black Jews. involving Robinson and Hank Greenberg, Jersey who was raised among Jews and the Jewish Hall ofFamer .ln Robinson's em felt so much affinity for Judaism that he Stan Isaacs, a longtime sports columnist for battled first season, 1947, Greenberg, once underwent a traditional conversion while Newsday, writes for the 1vebsite thecolumnists. a star with the Detroit Tigers, was ending playing for the New York Yankees as a com. The title of his column, coincidentally, his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates when Jewish ball player." is Out of Left Field. JULY/AUGUST 2011 /MOMENT 71 .

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