Number 421941, Jack Roosevelt Robinson becomes the first athlete to letter in four sports for the UCLA Bruins: baseball, basketball, football and track.
1942, Nate Moreland and Jackie Robinson tryout for manager Jimmy Dykes’ Chicago White Sox at its training camp in Pasadena, California. The White Sox finish the season in sixth place with a 66-82 won-lost record. |
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My Hero - Jackie Robinson
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The summer of 1960 was a special season for me. As a young lad I got my first glimpse of the legendary Jackie Robinson during a political tour. He was campaigning for Republican presidential candidate Richard Milhous Nixon. As a brash, up-and-coming little league player, I knew everything about this icon and the impact that the now-retired Jackie Robinson had had on breaking baseball’s color barrier back in 1947. I copied his pigeon-toed style of running, and tried holding my bat high above my big head, with my potato-chip-flat chest to emulate his batting stance. And now #42 was coming to my town to give a campaign speech on behalf of a presidential candidate.
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Authors-bioLarry Lester was co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, Missouri, and served as its Research Director and Treasurer for five years (1991-1995). He was instrumental in the development of the Museum's business plan, and its Incorporation in 1990. Along with attorney Thomas Busch, he was the driving force in its licensing program that generated $1.4 million in their start-up years. With only black & white photographs, his research of archival newspapers along with interviews of former players, Lester was able to discover the authentic colors & designs, allowing apparel manufacturers to reproduce retro-vintage caps, jerseys, and jackets from black baseball's heyday. In 1995, Major League Baseball Properties reportedly awarding $143,248 to surviving Negro League players from the sale of memorabilia from its licensed program.
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Get In touch with Larry Laester on Calendy
Books, Articles or Forewords
written by Larry Lester
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"Can U Read, Judge Landis?"
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TRUTH, LIES & ALIBIS: Was Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis baseball's gatekeeper of segregation? Was he the "Leader of the Resistance" or a hostage to social norms? What is Landis's true legacy to our National Pastime? Read Lester's perspective of how the "Gentlemen's Agreement" kept African Americans out of Major League baseball, from 1885 to 1946, more than 60 years.
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke, (1729-1797), Irish philosopher. "Racism is a scholarly pursuit, it's taught, it's institutionalized." - Tony Morrison, Nobel prize winning author "The prejudices of race are rapidly disappearing. A week or two ago we chronicled a game between the Pythian (colored) and Olympics (white) clubs of Philadelphia. This affair was a great success, financially and otherwise." - New York Clipper, 1869 |
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Fact SheetDownload a Fact Sheet for published books by Mr. Lester.
|1827 - Freedom's Journal, the first African American owned newspaper's mission statement; "We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the public been deceived by misrepresentation in things which concern us dearly. |
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Testimonials
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"I enjoyed my appearance at the Malloy Conference . . . You guys do a great job putting on a super event that keeps the history of the Negro Leagues alive. We as former players appreciate your efforts and hard work to assure that the younger generation understands the contributions to baseball made by Black superstars and early pioneers. We are truly grateful," wrote three-star MLB all-star George Altman.gdgfdgf"I enjoyed my appearance at the Malloy Conference . . . You guys do a great job putting on a super event that keeps the history of the Negro Leagues alive. We as former players appreciate your efforts and hard work to assure that the younger generation understands the contributions to baseball made by Black superstars and early pioneers. We are truly grateful," wrote three-star MLB all-star George Altman.
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"Congratulations on another wonderful Malloy Conference. What a great opportunity to continue our legacy restoration for John Donaldson." Pete Gorton of the Donaldson Network.
Dr. Karl Lindholm wrote on his Facebook page: "Back from the 19th annual SABR Jerry Malloy Negro Leagues Conference, this year in Kansas City, still basking in the glow - just about my favorite weekend of the year, stimulated by kindred spirits and warm hearts. The program this year was very strong, and as always beautifully organized, taking full advantage of Kansas City's rich Black Baseball heritage." |
