Overview

"In a rare memoir about the Negro Leagues and its celebrated players, Frazier ""Slow"" Robinson offers an inspiring and often entertaining view of the black baseball diamond through a catcher's mask. In 1939, at the age of 29--after playing professional baseball for twelve years--Frazier Robinson caught the legendary Satchel Paige in barnstorming games from New Orleans to Walla Walla. Robinson played several more seasons in the Negro Leagues before finishing his career in Canada. While his career was a solid one, it was less spectacular than that of his friend and Hall-of-Famer, Satchel Paige, and so more typical of the experience of most Negro Leaguers. Richly embroidered with the threads of black society and of life as a black athlete in a racially divided nation, Robinson recounts his long career with the skill and ease of a natural storyteller. He covers, in remarkable detail, the personal perspective of the men, the teams, and the times that shaped this uniquely American subculture. From playing catcher for obscure industrial teams to barnstorming with Satchel Paige, he chronologically traces his nationwide path through the 1920s, '30s, '40s, and early '50s. The Foreword by John ""Buck"" O'Neil and Introduction by Gerald Early place Robinson squarely in the world of sports, African American culture, and American history."

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9780815605638

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Reviews

[Robinson] recalls the details of games played half a century ago as vividly as if they happened yesterday. . . . By using his last years to immortalize these stories, he contributed as much to the game with a tape recorder as he ever did with a bat and glove.--The New York Times Book Review Authentic Americana, with enough balls, strikes, players, and pennant chases to keep the hardcore fans happy.--Kirkus Reviews Robinson serves up enough juicy anecdotes about his buddy Satchel Paige (and others) to make the journey worthwhile. It's the type of book to enjoy while sitting in a rocking chair and sipping ice tea, a meandering pleasure for a hot summer's day.--San Francisco Chronicle There are those whose life stories are dominated by 'woulda.' 'shoulda, ' and 'coulda.' And there are others who accept life's twists and turns with grace. Frazier 'Slow' Robinson was among the latter. A journeyman catcher during the heyday of the Negro baseball leagues, Robinson just wanted to play ball. . . . He minimizes the tough times to accentuate the camaraderie and the simple joy of being paid to play baseball. The racism that kept him from the major leagues and the bigots who scorned him couldn't diminish his appetite for life.--Booklist

A behind-the-plate memoir by a catcher from the Negro Leagues' glory years. Perhaps Robinson (who died in 1997) was nicknamed Slow for lumbering around the bases, but his memories and observations are quick and lively, capturing a homey slice of African-American history. Co-author Bauer, a baseball book antiquarian, allows the Oklahoma native to speak with local color. Back in 1940, when Robinson made $325 a month with the Kansas City Monarchs, he recalls a trash-talking opposing batter in friendly terms: He'd jive to you and we'd jive at him. You might be mad that he got you [homered off your pitcher], but you couldn't be mad at him. This laid-back spirit suffuses the book's best portions. In a haphazard baseball world where team rosters were a matter of which stars were barnstorming where, some impromptu games pitted a Negro League team against a colorful white bunch of Gospel fundamentalists like the Israelite House of David, whose players sported waist-long hair and shaggy beards. When games with the New York Cubans brought him to New York, Robinson visited the Apollo Theater or hung with Red Foxx and Count Basie, but off-field life's most memorable episodes involved cruising country roads with Satchel Paige, who could barely drive his Chrysler and once wouldn't pitch because he had 52 traffic violations and was afraid he'd be arrested on the mound. Robinson also caught for other greats, like Leon Day and John Markham. Jackie Robinson's breakthrough changed all their lives for the better but meant the end of the Negro Leagues. The fan gets a rare glimpse at some Negro League players, like Larry Doby, before they crossed over, and at many stars who would have had Hall of Fame careers if they'd had the chance. Authentic Americana, with enough balls, strikes, players, and pennant chases to keep the hardcore fans happy. (Kirkus Reviews)

He recalls the details of games played half a century ago as vividly as if they happened yesterday.

[Robinson] recalls the details of games played half a century ago as vividly as if they happened yesterday. . . . By using his last years to immortalize these stories, he contributed as much to the game with a tape recorder as he ever did with a bat and glove.--The New York Times Book Review There are those whose life stories are dominated by 'woulda.' 'shoulda, ' and 'coulda.' And there are others who accept life's twists and turns with grace. Frazier 'Slow' Robinson was among the latter. A journeyman catcher during the heyday of the Negro baseball leagues, Robinson just wanted to play ball. . . . He minimizes the tough times to accentuate the camaraderie and the simple joy of being paid to play baseball. The racism that kept him from the major leagues and the bigots who scorned him couldn't diminish his appetite for life.--Booklist Authentic Americana, with enough balls, strikes, players, and pennant chases to keep the hardcore fans happy.--Kirkus Reviews Robinson serves up enough juicy anecdotes about his buddy Satchel Paige (and others) to make the journey worthwhile. It's the type of book to enjoy while sitting in a rocking chair and sipping ice tea, a meandering pleasure for a hot summer's day.--San Francisco Chronicle

Author Information

"Frazier ""Slow"" Robinson played professional baseball in parts of four decades beginning in the 1920s. He caught for Hall-of-Fame pitchers Satchel Paige and Leon Day and played with many other legendary Negro Leaguers. He died in 1997. Paul Bauer is a rare book dealer specializing in baseball. He lives in Kent, Ohio."

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