Bob Luke

Bob Luke's The Most Famous Woman in Baseball: Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues is a compelling biography of the only woman enshrined in baseball's Hall of Fame. An executive with the Newark Eagles, Manley struggled to bring much needed reforms to the Negro Leagues, which were plagued by racketeer owners and a slew of organizational problems including no constitution, no player contracts, no formal schedule, and players frequently jumping leagues or choosing to play in Mexico, where they were free from racial discrimination and Jim Crow segregation laws. Luke also provides interesting insights into the on-field exploits of the Eagles, Manley's civil rights activities, Jackie Robinson's breaking of the Major League color barrier, and the ensuing demise of the Negro Leagues.… (more)

Bob Luke's The Baltimore Elite Giants: Sport and Society in the Age of Negro League Baseball is a wonderful little gem of a book that explores not only the history of the Elite Giants, but also effectively weaves in the social and racial fabric of Baltimore during the 1938-1951 existence of the team. Luke traces the ups and downs of the Elites (as weĺl as the struggles of Negro League baseball in general) against the backdrop of the city's social and economic challenges, the persistent discrimination, and the continuation of Jim Crow laws.… (more)