Books by Rick Swaine

The Integration of Major League Baseball: A Team by Team History, is a record of the events of baseball’s protracted integration era. It is not another Jackie Robinson or Negro League history book. Instead The Integration of Major League Baseball focuses on the owners, executives, and managers who were the heroes, villains, or spectators of integration, shedding new light on the unheralded champions of integration and well as those whose culpability has so far been overlooked. Each team’s responsible individuals are identified, its acquisition, treatment, and deployment of black players examined, and the resulting effect on team performance analyzed.

The actions of many of the biggest names in baseball history are documented and scrutinized, often with surprising results. Most baseball fans are aware of the roles that integration trailblazers Branch Rickey and Bill Veeck played in introducing black players, although even some of their actions warrant a deeper second look. But what about giants of industry who also controlled big league clubs like mega-contractor Del Webb, Gussie Busch of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, chewing gum magnate Phil Wrigley, Briggs Motor Company founder Walter O. Briggs, and Dupont Company heir Bob Carpenter. Or beloved long-time owners like Connie Mack, Clark Griffith, Walter O’Malley, Tom Yawkey, and Chuck Comiskey. Or powerful front office executives like George Weiss, Frank Lane, Joe Cronin, Warren Giles, Gabe Paul, John Quinn, Larry MacPhail, and his son Lee MacPhail. Or legendary field managers like Casey Stengel, Leo Durocher, Rogers Hornsby, Paul Richards, Al Lopez, and Lou Boudreau.

The Black Stars Who Made Baseball Whole is the story of the integration of major league baseball, told through the lives and careers of the players who made it happen. Featured players include superstars, as well as lesser lights whose accomplishments indicated that they too might have attained stardom if timing and circumstances had been kinder.

Hall-of-Famers whose feats are documented in these pages are Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, and Hank Aaron. Other featured players are Luke Easter, Sam Jethroe, Sam Jones, Joe Black, Brooks Lawrence, George Crowe, Bob Boyd, Connie Johnson, Gene Baker, Bob Thurman, and Dave Hoskins - guys who spent too much of their prime in the Negro and/or minor leagues waiting for a chance to prove themselves in the big leagues. In addition, under-appreciated stars Minnie Minoso, Elston Howard, and Vic Power, and early casualties Don Newcombe, Hank Thompson, and Dan Bankhead are covered.

Also included are annual summaries of integration progress by year, a recap of circumstances leading up to the breaking of the racial barrier, and brief profiles of other black pioneers.

The Black Stars Who Made Baseball Whole can be ordered directly from McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers or you can ask for it at your favorite bookstore.

Few baseball fans are aware of the number of players with serious disabilities who have succeeded and even starred in professional baseball,or realize the full extent of the challenges they faced. Beating the Breaks: Major League Baseball Players Who Overcame Disabilities, is a collection of profiles of players who overcame significant disabilities to play major league baseball.The players covered range from all-time greats to one-game big leaguers and their disabilities include missing or incomplete limbs, damaged organs or senses, debilitating internal diseases, psychiatric problems, and neurological disorders.

Beating the Breaks: Major League Baseball Players Who Overcame Disabilities can be ordered directly from McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers or you can ask for it at your favorite bookstore.