When the Negro National League was formed in Kansas City in 1920, a new chapter in sports history, indeed in American history, began to be written.Whistle Stop: Black Baseball in Detroit chronicles the history of the various teams and players that spent time in the "Motor City." From the aftermath of the First World War, through the Jazz Age and Prohibition, the Great Depression, and through the 1950s, the history of the Negro Leagues parallels the history of Black America, from segregation to full inclusion. With the hiring of pioneers like Jackie Robinson by the major leagues came the end of the Negro Leagues, and the end of an era. You will meet the players—"Ghost" Marcell, "Cool Papa" Bell, "Bingo" DeMoss, and the great Norman "Turkey" Stearnes—who made this sport a vibrant and exciting part of the American landscape.
Larry Lester, Sammy J. Miller and Dick Clark have teamed up to bring us the fascinating story of black baseball in Detroit, a story told in nearly 200 remarkable photographs collected from many varied sources. Whether or not you are a baseball fan, you will never forget Whistle Stop: Black Baseball in Detroit, nor will you forget the images of these brave heroes of the diamond.