American Sports History

Negro League Owner: My name is DeHart Hubbard, founder of the Negro League, Cincinnati Tigers. Just recently Jackie Robinson-a black man- racially integrated the major leagues of baseball by signing a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. This is both a bitter and sweet victory for Negroes in America on countless levels.

Segregation forces Negroes to create our own educational, social and business institutions. These same black owned and operated institutions help foster pride within the Negro community. They bring money into our neighborhoods and that in turn helps us become economically independent of whites. Having our own gives us a sense of ownership in a nation that denies us basic rights and civil liberties.

The fact that us Negroes forming out own teams shows a spirit of defiance to those that deny our participation in their sports. Forming our own National League has exemplified the perseverance of Blacks and our ability to create our own viable institutions and baseball teams, equal to that of whites. We have families on Sunday evenings coming out after church in their finest clothes to congregate, socialize and support the Negro teams. Nowhere in our country is there a place other than church, where so many Blacks can legally congregate and have such a good time! Negro league baseball brings us together and shows the talents of our many players.

Right now, it is difficult for me to be hopeful with the integration of major league baseball. I am honored that our Black brothers like Jackie Robinson can now prove their worth to white America. Sadly, while space is made for our best Black players, there is none for Black owners in the major leagues. Black owners have not been invited to the bargaining table with our white counterparts. We have been completely set aside in this matter. While our most talented players leave to go play for white team owners, I can

only imagine that they still won't be whole heartedly accepted by the white fans or some of their own teammates. Black players will only be just that, players. I can't imagine that they will ever be able to use the same facilities, or eat and sleep in the same accommodations as their white teammates. What then of our black fans? Will they too be integrated into stands of the white stadiums? Will they be able to sit alongside the whites as well? That I highly doubt. I can only hope that this integration is for the best.

Baseball and the Depression: Baseball prior to the great depression was America's great national pastime. However, American's faced tremendous poverty and debt during the long hard years after the stock market crash of 1929. Baseball on many levels had succumb in response to major losses by it's players, owners, and most important, fans.

The years prior to the depression, baseball attendance soared in local stadiums across the country. However, between the years of 1930 and 1933, attendance fell steeply across all major baseball parks. Most people could not afford the twenty five cents the even enter a ballpark and watch a game. This was an economic crisis that this league had to be innovative in trying to get out of!

Throughout the depression years, team owners themselves went through man ups and downs. Many of them had to disband their teams or sell them off. The owners themselves were in significant debt. But those owners who did hang on to their teams came up with ways to draw crowds to ball parks everywhere. One of these plans was to have park promotions where incentives were offered to fans. Prizes were often given away and clowns would perform for young audiences. This was a way to market to both parents and their kids. Where major league baseball was once a sport that emphasized

the whiteness of the Americans that played it, the new strategy for some MLB teams was to emphasize the cultural background of its more "ethnic" players. Ethnic not in terms of Black or Hispanic, but more along the lines of Italian American, Polish American, German and so on.

The media used the strategy of hyping ethnic athletes to cater and connect within a consciousness of fans. The idea was to have fans identify their own ethnicity with that of the "great player" whom the media was emphasizing, in hopes that