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Buck
Leonard: The Black Lou Gehrig
The autobiography of Hall of Famer Buck Leonard
Buck Leonard and James A. Riley, Carroll & Graf, 1995.
Reviews
This is Buck's story in his own words, tracing his life from his humble
beginnings to the present. Not only an eyewitness account of the history of the
Negro leagues told by one of the all-time greats, it is also a saga of the black
experience, vividly illustrating what it was like to be a black American in the
years before our country's social conscience was awakened.
The book traces Buck's life from a fatherless eleven-year-old boy, shining
shoes to help support his family, through his seventeen seasons with the
Homestead Grays, who won nine consecutive pennants. He and his legendary
teammate Josh Gibson formed a power tandem that earned them the designation of
the black Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
By proving their ability to perform at a major-league level, the outstanding
players like Leonard nudged the major leagues' door ajar for Jackie Robinson and
subsequent players to step through. But even as he gained acclaim in the nearly
invisible world of black sports in America, he never dared dream that one day he
would be enshrined among the immortals in Baseball's Hall of Fame.
Buy the book below.
 Buck Leonard: The Black Lou Gehrig: The Hall of Famers's Story in His Own Words
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