Frederick Douglass was not in favor of base ball (the term used in the 1860s). To the prominent abolitionist, who had liberated himself from slavery in 1838, activities — akin to fiddling, dancing, and consuming whiskey — appeared trivial. Time would be better utilized advancing the agenda of freedom.
However, Douglass’ youngest offspring, Charles, had a passion for the game. Following the Civil War, while engaged with the Freedman’s Bureau in Washington, D.C., Charles assisted in forming a Black team, the Alerts. In 1867, Frederick participated in a game and promptly began fundraising efforts. He contributed money and motivated Black residents of Washington to do likewise. He also commenced playing catch with his grandchildren.
“Douglass’ endorsement provided Black baseball with a mark of racial validation,” noted Gerald Early in “Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America.” Far from trivial, Black baseball players began to be perceived “as entrepreneurs, as ‘manly’ (which they were not when they were enslaved), as advocates for a meritocracy upholding standards of excellence, and as role models for Black youth.
“They were also engaging in the American pastime, thereby accentuating their identity as Americans,” Early elaborated. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s notorious Dred Scott ruling, which determined that Blacks could not possess citizenship, “such a statement was significant.”
‘The Souls of the Game’
Early, the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, is a prolific author and one of the country’s keenest analysts of the interplay between race and sports. In recent years, he has also acted as a curatorial advisor for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.
In 2024, the Hall of Fame launched “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball,” a thoughtful and poignant reinstallation of its Black baseball exhibits. The display unfolds via artifacts, interactive elements, and — importantly — through a wealth of quotes from players, managers, team proprietors, and enthusiasts.
“Play Harder” serves as a companion to that exhibition. Commencing in the 19th century, Early details the emergence of Black baseball from Reconstruction to World War II, with a particular focus on the establishment of the Negro Leagues. Subsequent chapters explore baseball’s influence during the civil rights movement and in the context of the Black power struggle; the relationships between Black and Latino athletes; the origin of free agency; and the current status of the sport.
Throughout are featured essays by Early along with contributions from Larry Lester, Leslie Heaphy, Shakeia Taylor, Scott Pitoniak, and Courtney M. Cox. These delve into subjects such as barnstorming, the dynamics between Black players and white sports journalists, and the connections between baseball and hip-hop. Profiles of figures like Sol White, Black baseball’s initial historian; Effa Manley, proprietor of the Newark Eagles; and Toni Stone, one of the rare women to compete in a professional men’s league, are also presented.
“During a certain era, Black baseball represented a universe, a cosmos all its own,” Early remarked. “For its followers, it resembled a form of religion.”
Aspiration and resolve
Early mentioned that for numerous Black athletes, the phrase in the book’s title was a source of self-encouragement.
“’Play harder’ embodied an indication of aspiration, resolve, determination, and bravery,” he conveyed. “It recognized the demanding nature of elite athletic competition, as well as the challenging history faced by Black individuals in a prejudiced America with an uneven playing field across every aspect of life.
“The adage among Black individuals was that one had to excel twice as much to achieve half the success of a white individual,” Early continued. “In this sense, ‘play harder’ could be viewed as a kind of mantra, a two-word motivational speech for Black citizens.
“It is my aspiration that readers of ‘Play Harder’ will always appreciate the contributions of the Black men and women who sacrificed so much for our country through this sport,” Early added. “Walt Whitman was correct: ‘the game of ball is glorious.’”
“Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America” is set to be issued on April 28, 2025. It is published by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, in partnership with Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House.
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