The League

If you are a serious fan of baseball history, you may have read "Only the Ball Was White", an in-depth account of the Negro Leagues which flourished in the first half of the last century and where some of the greatest men who were ever in baseball played. Although the book has many good photos, this documentary has a good quantity of rarely seen live-action film.

This documentary is a must-watch, with photos and film of the Negro Leagues, along with excellent commentators including Maya Angelou.

Players like Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and many others were the equals or betters of many of the top white players of the time, but thanks to the inexcusable bigotry of many white players, team owners and MLB officials were excluded from major league baseball until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947.

Very highly recomended to all baseball fans!

I've read some books and watched some other material on organized black baseball--but nothing has had the impact that this documentary did on me both for understanding and appreciating what they did for black baseball.

In "The League", director Sam Pollard looks at black participation in organized baseball going back to the 1880s. But mostly it focuses on the African-American Leagues of the 1920s/30s and what a boon they were to black communities on the East Coast and in the Midwest. At their zenith, these leagues were often near the top performers of black-owned businesses and prosperous endeavors.

As one would expect, the great stars (Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Oscar Charleston, etc.) of that endeavor are given some screen time here, as well as owners or key figures (such as Rube Foster--who basically created the entire concept). The production value is quite high too, sporting much live-action footage and great music.

But the true hallmark of "The League" is the adroit way it helps enunciate how the leagues began, thrived, and ultimately folded by looking at how the political/cultural/societal events of those time shaped league actions. Jim Crow laws, bigoted--or at very least extremely unhelpful--key figures (like one Commissioner) of MLB, the Great Depression, World War II, and integration movements all played an enormous role in how the leagues evolved. Pollard does an extraordinary job of capturing all of that and having it be as entertaining as informative.

Overall, I can truly say that this is the best piece of media I've ever consumed on the topic of the black baseball. I walked away with a far greater understanding of the role such competition played in the history of professional baseball--black or white.

I like the documentary, The League, and how it celebrates racial justice through a common passion: baseball. The combination of animation and film footage makes it visually appealing. I admire all the people involved in the film, as well as its historical perspective.

This storyline follows the creation of the Negro League and how playing baseball changed the course of history forever. Despite their obstacles, the league is part of an important social movement.

The directors of the film are Jeff Schaffer and Jackie Marcus Schaffer, both of whom are also part of the fifteen person writing team. They excel at spotlighting the various points of view and personal stories for the large number of people involved. The interview subjects include Phil Dixon, Andrea Williams, Larry Lester, Bob Kendrick, Leslie Heaphy, Rob Ruck, James Brunson, Layton Revel, Larry Hogan and Jim Overmyer. Each of them has a story about how the Negro League changed their life or their family's lives. A big part of bringing together the Negro League is collaboration. Every person involved helped grow the league and connect it altogether. Baseball is for everyone. That is shown when the Eastern Colored League and the Negro National League play each other in the very first Colored World Series. Fantastic players such as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays actually started their career in the Negro League. They made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This shows how foundations are built from the ground up. These players were not spectacular when they started, but they kept practicing and were dedicated to learning the sport. In fact, the League was pretty unprivileged at first, but that didn't stop them from playing their hearts out. They did the best they could with what they had and that led the Negro League to victory later on. It brought people together and also brought better opportunities to their lives. The League is full of pride about how much they have accomplished and how it sparked the rise of Black professionals in the 20th Century. I like how animation is used in this film, varying from never-before-seen footage to animated run-throughs of the game in action. The music also adds to the effect because it builds anticipation. Despite the Great Depression and segregation through America, baseball was a tie that kept people together.

The film's message is that passion and stamina are essential for achieving your dreams. It also enforces that idea that your ethnicity, or what someone else thinks about you, doesn't dictate who you are as a person or an athlete.

I give The League 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in Theaters July 7, 2023 and will begin streaming July 14, 2023. By Sydney S., KIDS FIRST!