POPULARITY
10 episodes with jorge iber
11 episodes with jorge iber
8 episodes with jorge iber
6 episodes with jorge iber
3 episodes with jorge iber
2 episodes with jorge iber
2 episodes with jorge iber
2 episodes with jorge iber
2 episodes with jorge iber
Author Jorge Iber joins Talkin' Baseball with Marty to talk about his new book- Beisbol on the Air: Essays on Major League Spanish-Language Broadcasters. It's a collection of new essays that examines the history of the game in Spanish, from the earliest locutores who called the plays for Latin American audiences to the League's expansion into cities with large Latino populations that made talented sportscasters for the fanaticos a business necessity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Author Jorge Iber joins Talkin' Baseball with Marty to talk about his new book- Beisbol on the Air: Essays on Major League Spanish-Language Broadcasters. It's a collection of new essays that examines the history of the game in Spanish, from the earliest locutores who called the plays for Latin American audiences to the League's expansion into cities with large Latino populations that made talented sportscasters for the fanaticos a business necessity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gabe Rivera was a Parade All-American in high school at San Antonio Jefferson. In college, he was a consensus All-American defensive tackle at Texas Tech. A car accident tragically left him paralyzed during his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Author Jorge Iber discusses Rivera's life and his biography of Rivera, Senor Sack: The Life of Gabe Rivera in this episode. This episode is presented by Townplace Suites, Waco Northeast, and is hosted and produced by author Jackson Michael (The Game Before the Money).
When Jeremy Lin shot (pardon the pun) to stardom with his unexpected scoring run with the New York Knickerbockers in 2012 many aficionados of basketball were surprised that an Asian American (Lin is of Taiwanese extraction) played this sport at such a high level. While “Linsanity” did not last, it fueled important questions about the relationship between a particular community and a sport that, at least at the collegiate and professional levels, does not feature many players of this specific ethnic background. While the NBA is not overcrowded with players of Asian descent, the sport is quite popular in places like China (not without controversy, however) and elsewhere in Asia. What roles has the game played in the lives of individuals and communities of Asian Americans in the United States? The answer to that question can be found in Joel Franks’ wonderful monograph Asian American Basketball: A Century of Sport, Community and Culture (McFarland, 2016). The historical record of the sport in Asian American communities, on both coasts, is extensive and of great significance. The sport permitted athletes of such backgrounds with an opportunity to travel and compete against teams of other ethnic groups. More importantly, it permitted both young men and women with a chance to challenge stereotypical notions held about Asian Americans. Franks’ work takes readers from cities such as Seattle and Boston, to the camps for Japanese Americans during World War II, to the hardwoods of high schools, colleges, and yes, even the NBA. All told, the story is similar to works such as that by Ignacio Garcia (who writes about basketball and Mexican Americans in Texas) in that it demonstrates that communities of different backgrounds have utilized “American” games in ways to claim citizenship, space, and recognition within US society. In this regard, as Frank argues, this work continues the process of democratizing US sports history. There is more to this story than the black/white dichotomy (though it is, no doubt, critical). There have been “other” athletes participating in “our” games; and using them not only for recreation, but for their own communal and social purposes. This work adds yet one more layer to the story of American sport. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Jeremy Lin shot (pardon the pun) to stardom with his unexpected scoring run with the New York Knickerbockers in 2012 many aficionados of basketball were surprised that an Asian American (Lin is of Taiwanese extraction) played this sport at such a high level. While “Linsanity” did not last, it fueled important questions about the relationship between a particular community and a sport that, at least at the collegiate and professional levels, does not feature many players of this specific ethnic background. While the NBA is not overcrowded with players of Asian descent, the sport is quite popular in places like China (not without controversy, however) and elsewhere in Asia. What roles has the game played in the lives of individuals and communities of Asian Americans in the United States? The answer to that question can be found in Joel Franks’ wonderful monograph Asian American Basketball: A Century of Sport, Community and Culture (McFarland, 2016). The historical record of the sport in Asian American communities, on both coasts, is extensive and of great significance. The sport permitted athletes of such backgrounds with an opportunity to travel and compete against teams of other ethnic groups. More importantly, it permitted both young men and women with a chance to challenge stereotypical notions held about Asian Americans. Franks’ work takes readers from cities such as Seattle and Boston, to the camps for Japanese Americans during World War II, to the hardwoods of high schools, colleges, and yes, even the NBA. All told, the story is similar to works such as that by Ignacio Garcia (who writes about basketball and Mexican Americans in Texas) in that it demonstrates that communities of different backgrounds have utilized “American” games in ways to claim citizenship, space, and recognition within US society. In this regard, as Frank argues, this work continues the process of democratizing US sports history. There is more to this story than the black/white dichotomy (though it is, no doubt, critical). There have been “other” athletes participating in “our” games; and using them not only for recreation, but for their own communal and social purposes. This work adds yet one more layer to the story of American sport. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Jeremy Lin shot (pardon the pun) to stardom with his unexpected scoring run with the New York Knickerbockers in 2012 many aficionados of basketball were surprised that an Asian American (Lin is of Taiwanese extraction) played this sport at such a high level. While “Linsanity” did not last, it fueled important questions about the relationship between a particular community and a sport that, at least at the collegiate and professional levels, does not feature many players of this specific ethnic background. While the NBA is not overcrowded with players of Asian descent, the sport is quite popular in places like China (not without controversy, however) and elsewhere in Asia. What roles has the game played in the lives of individuals and communities of Asian Americans in the United States? The answer to that question can be found in Joel Franks’ wonderful monograph Asian American Basketball: A Century of Sport, Community and Culture (McFarland, 2016). The historical record of the sport in Asian American communities, on both coasts, is extensive and of great significance. The sport permitted athletes of such backgrounds with an opportunity to travel and compete against teams of other ethnic groups. More importantly, it permitted both young men and women with a chance to challenge stereotypical notions held about Asian Americans. Franks’ work takes readers from cities such as Seattle and Boston, to the camps for Japanese Americans during World War II, to the hardwoods of high schools, colleges, and yes, even the NBA. All told, the story is similar to works such as that by Ignacio Garcia (who writes about basketball and Mexican Americans in Texas) in that it demonstrates that communities of different backgrounds have utilized “American” games in ways to claim citizenship, space, and recognition within US society. In this regard, as Frank argues, this work continues the process of democratizing US sports history. There is more to this story than the black/white dichotomy (though it is, no doubt, critical). There have been “other” athletes participating in “our” games; and using them not only for recreation, but for their own communal and social purposes. This work adds yet one more layer to the story of American sport. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Jeremy Lin shot (pardon the pun) to stardom with his unexpected scoring run with the New York Knickerbockers in 2012 many aficionados of basketball were surprised that an Asian American (Lin is of Taiwanese extraction) played this sport at such a high level. While “Linsanity” did not last, it fueled important questions about the relationship between a particular community and a sport that, at least at the collegiate and professional levels, does not feature many players of this specific ethnic background. While the NBA is not overcrowded with players of Asian descent, the sport is quite popular in places like China (not without controversy, however) and elsewhere in Asia. What roles has the game played in the lives of individuals and communities of Asian Americans in the United States? The answer to that question can be found in Joel Franks’ wonderful monograph Asian American Basketball: A Century of Sport, Community and Culture (McFarland, 2016). The historical record of the sport in Asian American communities, on both coasts, is extensive and of great significance. The sport permitted athletes of such backgrounds with an opportunity to travel and compete against teams of other ethnic groups. More importantly, it permitted both young men and women with a chance to challenge stereotypical notions held about Asian Americans. Franks’ work takes readers from cities such as Seattle and Boston, to the camps for Japanese Americans during World War II, to the hardwoods of high schools, colleges, and yes, even the NBA. All told, the story is similar to works such as that by Ignacio Garcia (who writes about basketball and Mexican Americans in Texas) in that it demonstrates that communities of different backgrounds have utilized “American” games in ways to claim citizenship, space, and recognition within US society. In this regard, as Frank argues, this work continues the process of democratizing US sports history. There is more to this story than the black/white dichotomy (though it is, no doubt, critical). There have been “other” athletes participating in “our” games; and using them not only for recreation, but for their own communal and social purposes. This work adds yet one more layer to the story of American sport. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A few years ago, I came across an article entitled “‘Who Do I Root for Now?’: The Impact of Franchise Relocation on the Loyal Fans Left Behind: A Case Study of Hartford Whaler Fans,” by Craig G. Hyatt. This essay focused on the void left in the lives of aficionados of a team that, like the jilted lover in a relationship, must now suffer and find a way to move forward in life without the object of one’s affection. In terms of sports, the pain is even more traumatic when the team that left its fans behind then proceeds to win a title; which they never accomplished in their former city. Thus, the unique pain of folks in places such as Harford (when the former-Whalers won the Stanley Cup as the Carolina Hurricane) and Quebec (when the former-Nordiques won the same trophy as the Colorado Avalanche). Ron Snyder’s The Baltimore Stallions: The Brief, Brilliant History of the CFL Champion Franchise (McFarland, 2020) presents a similar story, but with a twist, wherein the jilted lovers of the Colts enjoyed a brief fling with another object of affection, though it played a different type of football, until their ex (the NFL) spurned yet another city (in this case, Cleveland) and rushed back into the arms of Marylanders in the guise of the Ravens. While many in Baltimore had stated that, as to the NFL, they would embrace the league again (to quote the Raven), “nevermore,” as soon as the racier league and brand of football came knocking, all of the bad blood that had existed between the city, state and the league was put aside for a new love affair (and the Stallions were dropped like a hot potato). Snyder does an excellent job of reviewing the two years of the team’s existence, and provides insight into what the Stallions meant to the city and its fans as a (temporary) replacement for the Colts. In many ways, the CFLers mirrored important aspects of the Colts’ history: the players were viewed as “working class,” and embraced the city’s blue collar image, for example. Additionally, the team also won a title (the only US-based team to ever win the Grey Cup), as the Colts had on more than one occasions. Thus, the CFLers earned a place in the heart of many fans in the city, only to be then cast off (and sent back to Montreal) when a “sexier” team courted Baltimore. Overall, this is an excellent work that displays the connection between a city and its team, and the impact that franchise relocation can have on a metropolis’ psyche. Baltimore was jilted when the Colts left, embraced the Stallions as a substitute for a brief time, and then moved on to bigger and better things with the arrival of the Ravens. The fact that another city had to suffer the loss of its team is justified, given that the Browns got to keep their colors, logo, and history, and were guaranteed a “replacement” for the “original” franchise in just a few short years. A small price for the folks in Ohio to pay for helping the spurned people of Baltimore. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A few years ago, I came across an article entitled “‘Who Do I Root for Now?’: The Impact of Franchise Relocation on the Loyal Fans Left Behind: A Case Study of Hartford Whaler Fans,” by Craig G. Hyatt. This essay focused on the void left in the lives of aficionados of a team that, like the jilted lover in a relationship, must now suffer and find a way to move forward in life without the object of one’s affection. In terms of sports, the pain is even more traumatic when the team that left its fans behind then proceeds to win a title; which they never accomplished in their former city. Thus, the unique pain of folks in places such as Harford (when the former-Whalers won the Stanley Cup as the Carolina Hurricane) and Quebec (when the former-Nordiques won the same trophy as the Colorado Avalanche). Ron Snyder’s The Baltimore Stallions: The Brief, Brilliant History of the CFL Champion Franchise (McFarland, 2020) presents a similar story, but with a twist, wherein the jilted lovers of the Colts enjoyed a brief fling with another object of affection, though it played a different type of football, until their ex (the NFL) spurned yet another city (in this case, Cleveland) and rushed back into the arms of Marylanders in the guise of the Ravens. While many in Baltimore had stated that, as to the NFL, they would embrace the league again (to quote the Raven), “nevermore,” as soon as the racier league and brand of football came knocking, all of the bad blood that had existed between the city, state and the league was put aside for a new love affair (and the Stallions were dropped like a hot potato). Snyder does an excellent job of reviewing the two years of the team’s existence, and provides insight into what the Stallions meant to the city and its fans as a (temporary) replacement for the Colts. In many ways, the CFLers mirrored important aspects of the Colts’ history: the players were viewed as “working class,” and embraced the city’s blue collar image, for example. Additionally, the team also won a title (the only US-based team to ever win the Grey Cup), as the Colts had on more than one occasions. Thus, the CFLers earned a place in the heart of many fans in the city, only to be then cast off (and sent back to Montreal) when a “sexier” team courted Baltimore. Overall, this is an excellent work that displays the connection between a city and its team, and the impact that franchise relocation can have on a metropolis’ psyche. Baltimore was jilted when the Colts left, embraced the Stallions as a substitute for a brief time, and then moved on to bigger and better things with the arrival of the Ravens. The fact that another city had to suffer the loss of its team is justified, given that the Browns got to keep their colors, logo, and history, and were guaranteed a “replacement” for the “original” franchise in just a few short years. A small price for the folks in Ohio to pay for helping the spurned people of Baltimore. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today we are joined by Jorge Iber, Professor of History and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Texas Tech, and Mario Longoria, a long-time author and educator who received his PhD in English in 2014. The two are the authors of Latinos in American Football: Pathbreakers on the Gridiron, 1927 to the Present (McFarland and Co Publishers, 2020). In our conversation we discussed the origins of Latino American football, the role of World War II and the Civil Rights movement in expanding opportunities for Latino sportsmen, and the ongoing obstacles to Latino participation in the game that many love. In Latinos in American Football, Iber and Longoria recover the history of Latino participation in American football at the high school, college, and professional level. Although each chapter includes a series of case studies of Latino players, often undergirded by interviews conducted by the two scholars over thirty years, their work does more than recount histories on the field. They instead contextualize Latinos determination to play gridiron football within the broader history of migration, assimilation, and liberation. Iber and Longoria’s account encompasses football across America and to a lesser extent in Cuba and Mexico. They illustrate the early days of Latino football when Latino athletes challenged stereotypes of physical inferiority and mental incapability – the first Latin professional football player was Cuban Ignacio Molinet who played football for Cornell in the 1920s before being hired by the forerunner of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1927. Over the next hundred years, Latino’s presence in the gridiron game expands almost inexorable alongside their demographic expansion. Nevertheless, even as Latino footballers won great and growing acclaim on the field and on the sidelines, they faced significant obstacles to their participation including being overlooked by NFL and NCAA coaches despite their talent, poorly financed schools and athletic programs, and prejudice from opponents and referees. Latinos in American Football will appeal broadly to people interested in sports history, but also particularly to anyone interested in the history of American football and in Latinos place in American society. Keith Rathbone is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He researches twentieth-century French social and cultural history. His manuscript, entitled A Nation in Play: Physical Culture, the State, and Society during France’s Dark Years, 1932-1948, examines physical education and sports in order to better understand civic life under the dual authoritarian systems of the German Occupation and the Vichy Regime. If you have a title to suggest for this podcast, please contact him at keith.rathbone@mq.edu.au. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today we are joined by Jorge Iber, Professor of History and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Texas Tech, and Mario Longoria, a long-time author and educator who received his PhD in English in 2014. The two are the authors of Latinos in American Football: Pathbreakers on the Gridiron, 1927 to the Present (McFarland and Co Publishers, 2020). In our conversation we discussed the origins of Latino American football, the role of World War II and the Civil Rights movement in expanding opportunities for Latino sportsmen, and the ongoing obstacles to Latino participation in the game that many love. In Latinos in American Football, Iber and Longoria recover the history of Latino participation in American football at the high school, college, and professional level. Although each chapter includes a series of case studies of Latino players, often undergirded by interviews conducted by the two scholars over thirty years, their work does more than recount histories on the field. They instead contextualize Latinos determination to play gridiron football within the broader history of migration, assimilation, and liberation. Iber and Longoria’s account encompasses football across America and to a lesser extent in Cuba and Mexico. They illustrate the early days of Latino football when Latino athletes challenged stereotypes of physical inferiority and mental incapability – the first Latin professional football player was Cuban Ignacio Molinet who played football for Cornell in the 1920s before being hired by the forerunner of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1927. Over the next hundred years, Latino’s presence in the gridiron game expands almost inexorable alongside their demographic expansion. Nevertheless, even as Latino footballers won great and growing acclaim on the field and on the sidelines, they faced significant obstacles to their participation including being overlooked by NFL and NCAA coaches despite their talent, poorly financed schools and athletic programs, and prejudice from opponents and referees. Latinos in American Football will appeal broadly to people interested in sports history, but also particularly to anyone interested in the history of American football and in Latinos place in American society. Keith Rathbone is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He researches twentieth-century French social and cultural history. His manuscript, entitled A Nation in Play: Physical Culture, the State, and Society during France’s Dark Years, 1932-1948, examines physical education and sports in order to better understand civic life under the dual authoritarian systems of the German Occupation and the Vichy Regime. If you have a title to suggest for this podcast, please contact him at keith.rathbone@mq.edu.au. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today we are joined by Jorge Iber, Professor of History and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Texas Tech, and Mario Longoria, a long-time author and educator who received his PhD in English in 2014. The two are the authors of Latinos in American Football: Pathbreakers on the Gridiron, 1927 to the Present (McFarland and Co Publishers, 2020). In our conversation we discussed the origins of Latino American football, the role of World War II and the Civil Rights movement in expanding opportunities for Latino sportsmen, and the ongoing obstacles to Latino participation in the game that many love. In Latinos in American Football, Iber and Longoria recover the history of Latino participation in American football at the high school, college, and professional level. Although each chapter includes a series of case studies of Latino players, often undergirded by interviews conducted by the two scholars over thirty years, their work does more than recount histories on the field. They instead contextualize Latinos determination to play gridiron football within the broader history of migration, assimilation, and liberation. Iber and Longoria’s account encompasses football across America and to a lesser extent in Cuba and Mexico. They illustrate the early days of Latino football when Latino athletes challenged stereotypes of physical inferiority and mental incapability – the first Latin professional football player was Cuban Ignacio Molinet who played football for Cornell in the 1920s before being hired by the forerunner of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1927. Over the next hundred years, Latino’s presence in the gridiron game expands almost inexorable alongside their demographic expansion. Nevertheless, even as Latino footballers won great and growing acclaim on the field and on the sidelines, they faced significant obstacles to their participation including being overlooked by NFL and NCAA coaches despite their talent, poorly financed schools and athletic programs, and prejudice from opponents and referees. Latinos in American Football will appeal broadly to people interested in sports history, but also particularly to anyone interested in the history of American football and in Latinos place in American society. Keith Rathbone is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He researches twentieth-century French social and cultural history. His manuscript, entitled A Nation in Play: Physical Culture, the State, and Society during France’s Dark Years, 1932-1948, examines physical education and sports in order to better understand civic life under the dual authoritarian systems of the German Occupation and the Vichy Regime. If you have a title to suggest for this podcast, please contact him at keith.rathbone@mq.edu.au. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today we are joined by Jorge Iber, Professor of History and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Texas Tech, and Mario Longoria, a long-time author and educator who received his PhD in English in 2014. The two are the authors of Latinos in American Football: Pathbreakers on the Gridiron, 1927 to the Present (McFarland and Co Publishers, 2020). In our conversation we discussed the origins of Latino American football, the role of World War II and the Civil Rights movement in expanding opportunities for Latino sportsmen, and the ongoing obstacles to Latino participation in the game that many love. In Latinos in American Football, Iber and Longoria recover the history of Latino participation in American football at the high school, college, and professional level. Although each chapter includes a series of case studies of Latino players, often undergirded by interviews conducted by the two scholars over thirty years, their work does more than recount histories on the field. They instead contextualize Latinos determination to play gridiron football within the broader history of migration, assimilation, and liberation. Iber and Longoria’s account encompasses football across America and to a lesser extent in Cuba and Mexico. They illustrate the early days of Latino football when Latino athletes challenged stereotypes of physical inferiority and mental incapability – the first Latin professional football player was Cuban Ignacio Molinet who played football for Cornell in the 1920s before being hired by the forerunner of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1927. Over the next hundred years, Latino’s presence in the gridiron game expands almost inexorable alongside their demographic expansion. Nevertheless, even as Latino footballers won great and growing acclaim on the field and on the sidelines, they faced significant obstacles to their participation including being overlooked by NFL and NCAA coaches despite their talent, poorly financed schools and athletic programs, and prejudice from opponents and referees. Latinos in American Football will appeal broadly to people interested in sports history, but also particularly to anyone interested in the history of American football and in Latinos place in American society. Keith Rathbone is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He researches twentieth-century French social and cultural history. His manuscript, entitled A Nation in Play: Physical Culture, the State, and Society during France’s Dark Years, 1932-1948, examines physical education and sports in order to better understand civic life under the dual authoritarian systems of the German Occupation and the Vichy Regime. If you have a title to suggest for this podcast, please contact him at keith.rathbone@mq.edu.au. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today we are joined by Jorge Iber, Professor of History and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Texas Tech, and Mario Longoria, a long-time author and educator who received his PhD in English in 2014. The two are the authors of Latinos in American Football: Pathbreakers on the Gridiron, 1927 to the Present (McFarland and Co Publishers, 2020). In our conversation we discussed the origins of Latino American football, the role of World War II and the Civil Rights movement in expanding opportunities for Latino sportsmen, and the ongoing obstacles to Latino participation in the game that many love. In Latinos in American Football, Iber and Longoria recover the history of Latino participation in American football at the high school, college, and professional level. Although each chapter includes a series of case studies of Latino players, often undergirded by interviews conducted by the two scholars over thirty years, their work does more than recount histories on the field. They instead contextualize Latinos determination to play gridiron football within the broader history of migration, assimilation, and liberation. Iber and Longoria’s account encompasses football across America and to a lesser extent in Cuba and Mexico. They illustrate the early days of Latino football when Latino athletes challenged stereotypes of physical inferiority and mental incapability – the first Latin professional football player was Cuban Ignacio Molinet who played football for Cornell in the 1920s before being hired by the forerunner of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1927. Over the next hundred years, Latino’s presence in the gridiron game expands almost inexorable alongside their demographic expansion. Nevertheless, even as Latino footballers won great and growing acclaim on the field and on the sidelines, they faced significant obstacles to their participation including being overlooked by NFL and NCAA coaches despite their talent, poorly financed schools and athletic programs, and prejudice from opponents and referees. Latinos in American Football will appeal broadly to people interested in sports history, but also particularly to anyone interested in the history of American football and in Latinos place in American society. Keith Rathbone is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He researches twentieth-century French social and cultural history. His manuscript, entitled A Nation in Play: Physical Culture, the State, and Society during France’s Dark Years, 1932-1948, examines physical education and sports in order to better understand civic life under the dual authoritarian systems of the German Occupation and the Vichy Regime. If you have a title to suggest for this podcast, please contact him at keith.rathbone@mq.edu.au. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are two key elements of today’s professional baseball that are informed by Lou Hernandez’s wonderful book Bobby Maduro and the Cuban Sugar Kings (McFarland, 2019): the increased presence of Latinos both on the field and off in MLB, and the interest of MLB to promote its game internationally, particularly in places such as Latin America. The life and career of Bobby Maduro sheds light on both of these topics. First, Maduro was greatly responsible for the Cuban League’s recognition by professional baseball (in the US). Within this framework, many Americanos played baseball in Cuba, and were exposed to the level of talent not only from that nation, but from elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking baseball world. This helped open the door to even more Latinos to make it into the higher levels of the minors, as well as eventually into the Majors. Second, Maduro was responsible for bringing AAA-level competition to Cuba. With the positive response of the fans (even in the midst of revolutionary turmoil), it did seem that, someday, the Sugar Kings’ slogan would come to fruition: “Un paso mas, y llegamos” (“One more step/level, and we’ll arrive”) meaning that Havana would have had its own MLB franchise before cities such as Montreal and Toronto. Unfortunately, as with so many other tragic results of the Castro dictatorship, that dream is now not only on hold, but it is surely dead for at least one or two more lifetimes. Bobby Maduro almost made that dream a reality. An examination of his career, and that of the Sugar Kings, provides great contextualization to the realities of MLB in the early 21st century. Hernandez’s book accomplishes this task very effectively. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are two key elements of today’s professional baseball that are informed by Lou Hernandez’s wonderful book Bobby Maduro and the Cuban Sugar Kings (McFarland, 2019): the increased presence of Latinos both on the field and off in MLB, and the interest of MLB to promote its game internationally, particularly in places such as Latin America. The life and career of Bobby Maduro sheds light on both of these topics. First, Maduro was greatly responsible for the Cuban League’s recognition by professional baseball (in the US). Within this framework, many Americanos played baseball in Cuba, and were exposed to the level of talent not only from that nation, but from elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking baseball world. This helped open the door to even more Latinos to make it into the higher levels of the minors, as well as eventually into the Majors. Second, Maduro was responsible for bringing AAA-level competition to Cuba. With the positive response of the fans (even in the midst of revolutionary turmoil), it did seem that, someday, the Sugar Kings’ slogan would come to fruition: “Un paso mas, y llegamos” (“One more step/level, and we’ll arrive”) meaning that Havana would have had its own MLB franchise before cities such as Montreal and Toronto. Unfortunately, as with so many other tragic results of the Castro dictatorship, that dream is now not only on hold, but it is surely dead for at least one or two more lifetimes. Bobby Maduro almost made that dream a reality. An examination of his career, and that of the Sugar Kings, provides great contextualization to the realities of MLB in the early 21st century. Hernandez’s book accomplishes this task very effectively. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are two key elements of today’s professional baseball that are informed by Lou Hernandez’s wonderful book Bobby Maduro and the Cuban Sugar Kings (McFarland, 2019): the increased presence of Latinos both on the field and off in MLB, and the interest of MLB to promote its game internationally, particularly in places such as Latin America. The life and career of Bobby Maduro sheds light on both of these topics. First, Maduro was greatly responsible for the Cuban League’s recognition by professional baseball (in the US). Within this framework, many Americanos played baseball in Cuba, and were exposed to the level of talent not only from that nation, but from elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking baseball world. This helped open the door to even more Latinos to make it into the higher levels of the minors, as well as eventually into the Majors. Second, Maduro was responsible for bringing AAA-level competition to Cuba. With the positive response of the fans (even in the midst of revolutionary turmoil), it did seem that, someday, the Sugar Kings’ slogan would come to fruition: “Un paso mas, y llegamos” (“One more step/level, and we’ll arrive”) meaning that Havana would have had its own MLB franchise before cities such as Montreal and Toronto. Unfortunately, as with so many other tragic results of the Castro dictatorship, that dream is now not only on hold, but it is surely dead for at least one or two more lifetimes. Bobby Maduro almost made that dream a reality. An examination of his career, and that of the Sugar Kings, provides great contextualization to the realities of MLB in the early 21st century. Hernandez’s book accomplishes this task very effectively. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are two key elements of today’s professional baseball that are informed by Lou Hernandez’s wonderful book Bobby Maduro and the Cuban Sugar Kings (McFarland, 2019): the increased presence of Latinos both on the field and off in MLB, and the interest of MLB to promote its game internationally, particularly in places such as Latin America. The life and career of Bobby Maduro sheds light on both of these topics. First, Maduro was greatly responsible for the Cuban League’s recognition by professional baseball (in the US). Within this framework, many Americanos played baseball in Cuba, and were exposed to the level of talent not only from that nation, but from elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking baseball world. This helped open the door to even more Latinos to make it into the higher levels of the minors, as well as eventually into the Majors. Second, Maduro was responsible for bringing AAA-level competition to Cuba. With the positive response of the fans (even in the midst of revolutionary turmoil), it did seem that, someday, the Sugar Kings’ slogan would come to fruition: “Un paso mas, y llegamos” (“One more step/level, and we’ll arrive”) meaning that Havana would have had its own MLB franchise before cities such as Montreal and Toronto. Unfortunately, as with so many other tragic results of the Castro dictatorship, that dream is now not only on hold, but it is surely dead for at least one or two more lifetimes. Bobby Maduro almost made that dream a reality. An examination of his career, and that of the Sugar Kings, provides great contextualization to the realities of MLB in the early 21st century. Hernandez’s book accomplishes this task very effectively. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are two key elements of today’s professional baseball that are informed by Lou Hernandez’s wonderful book Bobby Maduro and the Cuban Sugar Kings (McFarland, 2019): the increased presence of Latinos both on the field and off in MLB, and the interest of MLB to promote its game internationally, particularly in places such as Latin America. The life and career of Bobby Maduro sheds light on both of these topics. First, Maduro was greatly responsible for the Cuban League’s recognition by professional baseball (in the US). Within this framework, many Americanos played baseball in Cuba, and were exposed to the level of talent not only from that nation, but from elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking baseball world. This helped open the door to even more Latinos to make it into the higher levels of the minors, as well as eventually into the Majors. Second, Maduro was responsible for bringing AAA-level competition to Cuba. With the positive response of the fans (even in the midst of revolutionary turmoil), it did seem that, someday, the Sugar Kings’ slogan would come to fruition: “Un paso mas, y llegamos” (“One more step/level, and we’ll arrive”) meaning that Havana would have had its own MLB franchise before cities such as Montreal and Toronto. Unfortunately, as with so many other tragic results of the Castro dictatorship, that dream is now not only on hold, but it is surely dead for at least one or two more lifetimes. Bobby Maduro almost made that dream a reality. An examination of his career, and that of the Sugar Kings, provides great contextualization to the realities of MLB in the early 21st century. Hernandez’s book accomplishes this task very effectively. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are two key elements of today’s professional baseball that are informed by Lou Hernandez’s wonderful book Bobby Maduro and the Cuban Sugar Kings (McFarland, 2019): the increased presence of Latinos both on the field and off in MLB, and the interest of MLB to promote its game internationally, particularly in places such as Latin America. The life and career of Bobby Maduro sheds light on both of these topics. First, Maduro was greatly responsible for the Cuban League’s recognition by professional baseball (in the US). Within this framework, many Americanos played baseball in Cuba, and were exposed to the level of talent not only from that nation, but from elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking baseball world. This helped open the door to even more Latinos to make it into the higher levels of the minors, as well as eventually into the Majors. Second, Maduro was responsible for bringing AAA-level competition to Cuba. With the positive response of the fans (even in the midst of revolutionary turmoil), it did seem that, someday, the Sugar Kings’ slogan would come to fruition: “Un paso mas, y llegamos” (“One more step/level, and we’ll arrive”) meaning that Havana would have had its own MLB franchise before cities such as Montreal and Toronto. Unfortunately, as with so many other tragic results of the Castro dictatorship, that dream is now not only on hold, but it is surely dead for at least one or two more lifetimes. Bobby Maduro almost made that dream a reality. An examination of his career, and that of the Sugar Kings, provides great contextualization to the realities of MLB in the early 21st century. Hernandez’s book accomplishes this task very effectively. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The game of basketball is perceived by most today as an “urban” game with a locale such as Rucker Park in Harlem as the game’s epicenter (as well as a pipeline to the NBA). While that is certainly a true statement, basketball is not limited to places such as New York City. In recent years scholars have written about the meaning of the game (and triumphs on the hardwood) to other groups, such as Asian Americans (Kathleen Yep and Joel Franks) and Mexican Americans (Ignacio Garcia). To this important literature one can now add an examination of the sport in the lives of Native Americans, through Wade Davies' Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball, 1895-1970 (University Press of Kansas, 2020). The game, as Davies notes, was not just something imposed upon Natives in locales such as the Indian Industrial Training School in Haskell, Kansas (and elsewhere). The game provided linkages to the Native past, and was embraced as a way to “prove their worth” within a hostile environment designed to strip students of all vestiges of their cultural inheritance. The sport provided both young men and women with an opportunity to compete against members of other institutions (both Native and white) and to challenge notions of inferiority and inherent weaknesses. Davies’ work does an excellent job of detailing the role of the sport in the lives of individuals, schools, and eventually, Native communities. Additionally, it examines how these players competed against sometimes seven opponents (the five players on the court and the two officials) to claim their rightful place on the court. They also often had to deal with the taunts and racism of crowds at opposing gyms. Still, most of these schools managed to field competitive teams that created their own “Indian” style of basketball that proved quite difficult to defeat. Wade Davies is professor of Native American studies at the University of Montana, Missoula. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The game of basketball is perceived by most today as an “urban” game with a locale such as Rucker Park in Harlem as the game’s epicenter (as well as a pipeline to the NBA). While that is certainly a true statement, basketball is not limited to places such as New York City. In recent years scholars have written about the meaning of the game (and triumphs on the hardwood) to other groups, such as Asian Americans (Kathleen Yep and Joel Franks) and Mexican Americans (Ignacio Garcia). To this important literature one can now add an examination of the sport in the lives of Native Americans, through Wade Davies' Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball, 1895-1970 (University Press of Kansas, 2020). The game, as Davies notes, was not just something imposed upon Natives in locales such as the Indian Industrial Training School in Kansas (and elsewhere). The game provided linkages to the Native past, and was embraced as a way to “prove their worth” within a hostile environment designed to strip students of all vestiges of their cultural inheritance. The sport provided both young men and women with an opportunity to compete against members of other institutions (both Native and white) and to challenge notions of inferiority and inherent weaknesses. Davies’ work does an excellent job of detailing the role of the sport in the lives of individuals, schools, and eventually, Native communities. Additionally, it examines how these players competed against sometimes seven opponents (the five players on the court and the two officials) to claim their rightful place on the court. They also often had to deal with the taunts and racism of crowds at opposing gyms. Still, most of these schools managed to field competitive teams that created their own “Indian” style of basketball that proved quite difficult to defeat. Wade Davies is professor of Native American studies at the University of Montana, Missoula. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The game of basketball is perceived by most today as an “urban” game with a locale such as Rucker Park in Harlem as the game’s epicenter (as well as a pipeline to the NBA). While that is certainly a true statement, basketball is not limited to places such as New York City. In recent years scholars have written about the meaning of the game (and triumphs on the hardwood) to other groups, such as Asian Americans (Kathleen Yep and Joel Franks) and Mexican Americans (Ignacio Garcia). To this important literature one can now add an examination of the sport in the lives of Native Americans, through Wade Davies' Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball, 1895-1970 (University Press of Kansas, 2020). The game, as Davies notes, was not just something imposed upon Natives in locales such as the Indian Industrial Training School in Kansas (and elsewhere). The game provided linkages to the Native past, and was embraced as a way to “prove their worth” within a hostile environment designed to strip students of all vestiges of their cultural inheritance. The sport provided both young men and women with an opportunity to compete against members of other institutions (both Native and white) and to challenge notions of inferiority and inherent weaknesses. Davies’ work does an excellent job of detailing the role of the sport in the lives of individuals, schools, and eventually, Native communities. Additionally, it examines how these players competed against sometimes seven opponents (the five players on the court and the two officials) to claim their rightful place on the court. They also often had to deal with the taunts and racism of crowds at opposing gyms. Still, most of these schools managed to field competitive teams that created their own “Indian” style of basketball that proved quite difficult to defeat. Wade Davies is professor of Native American studies at the University of Montana, Missoula. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The game of basketball is perceived by most today as an “urban” game with a locale such as Rucker Park in Harlem as the game’s epicenter (as well as a pipeline to the NBA). While that is certainly a true statement, basketball is not limited to places such as New York City. In recent years scholars have written about the meaning of the game (and triumphs on the hardwood) to other groups, such as Asian Americans (Kathleen Yep and Joel Franks) and Mexican Americans (Ignacio Garcia). To this important literature one can now add an examination of the sport in the lives of Native Americans, through Wade Davies' Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball, 1895-1970 (University Press of Kansas, 2020). The game, as Davies notes, was not just something imposed upon Natives in locales such as the Indian Industrial Training School in Haskell, Kansas (and elsewhere). The game provided linkages to the Native past, and was embraced as a way to “prove their worth” within a hostile environment designed to strip students of all vestiges of their cultural inheritance. The sport provided both young men and women with an opportunity to compete against members of other institutions (both Native and white) and to challenge notions of inferiority and inherent weaknesses. Davies’ work does an excellent job of detailing the role of the sport in the lives of individuals, schools, and eventually, Native communities. Additionally, it examines how these players competed against sometimes seven opponents (the five players on the court and the two officials) to claim their rightful place on the court. They also often had to deal with the taunts and racism of crowds at opposing gyms. Still, most of these schools managed to field competitive teams that created their own “Indian” style of basketball that proved quite difficult to defeat. Wade Davies is professor of Native American studies at the University of Montana, Missoula. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The game of basketball is perceived by most today as an “urban” game with a locale such as Rucker Park in Harlem as the game’s epicenter (as well as a pipeline to the NBA). While that is certainly a true statement, basketball is not limited to places such as New York City. In recent years scholars have written about the meaning of the game (and triumphs on the hardwood) to other groups, such as Asian Americans (Kathleen Yep and Joel Franks) and Mexican Americans (Ignacio Garcia). To this important literature one can now add an examination of the sport in the lives of Native Americans, through Wade Davies' Native Hoops: The Rise of American Indian Basketball, 1895-1970 (University Press of Kansas, 2020). The game, as Davies notes, was not just something imposed upon Natives in locales such as the Indian Industrial Training School in Kansas (and elsewhere). The game provided linkages to the Native past, and was embraced as a way to “prove their worth” within a hostile environment designed to strip students of all vestiges of their cultural inheritance. The sport provided both young men and women with an opportunity to compete against members of other institutions (both Native and white) and to challenge notions of inferiority and inherent weaknesses. Davies’ work does an excellent job of detailing the role of the sport in the lives of individuals, schools, and eventually, Native communities. Additionally, it examines how these players competed against sometimes seven opponents (the five players on the court and the two officials) to claim their rightful place on the court. They also often had to deal with the taunts and racism of crowds at opposing gyms. Still, most of these schools managed to field competitive teams that created their own “Indian” style of basketball that proved quite difficult to defeat. Wade Davies is professor of Native American studies at the University of Montana, Missoula. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In 1957, 14 boys from Monterrey, Mexico, walked into Texas to take part in a game of Little League baseball. What followed surprised and inspired two nations. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Monterrey Industrials and their unlikely path into baseball history. We'll also have dinner for one in Germany and puzzle over a deadly stick. Intro: In a poetry contest, Mark Twain offered an entry of undeniable value. Lewis Carroll composed a bewildering puzzle about a pig. Sources for our feature on the Monterrey Industrials: W. William Winokur, The Perfect Game, 2008. Robin Van Auken, The Little League Baseball World Series, 2002. Lance Van Auken, Play Ball!: The Story of Little League Baseball, 2001. Jorge Iber, "Mexico: Baseball's Humble Beginnings to Budding Competitor," in George Gmelch and Daniel A. Nathan, eds., Baseball Beyond Our Borders: An International Pastime, 2017, 75–84. Jim Morrison, "The Little League World Series' Only Perfect Game," Smithsonian.com, April 5, 2010. Ramona Shelburne, "Giant Steps: A 12-Mile Walk to a Small Texas Town Started a Little League Championship Run for a Team From Monterrey, Mexico. Fifty Years Later, Its Story Is Retold," Los Angeles Daily News, Aug. 26, 2007, S.1. Pablo Jaime Sáinz, "1957 Little League Champions Treated Like Heroes in San Diego," La Prensa San Diego, Nov. 24, 2010, 3. Ben Brigandi, "Macias Returns to LLWS for Ceremony," Williamsport [Pa.] Sun-Gazette, Aug. 24, 2017. "Reynosa Little Leaguers Inspired by 1957 Mexico Champions," Associated Press, Aug. 26, 2017. Steve Wulf, "As Williamsport Opened Its Arms to Mexico's Team, Its Players Embraced the Legacy of Their Predecessors From Monterrey," ESPN, Aug 18, 2016. "Cinderella Club Wins LL Crown," United Press, Aug. 24, 1957. Michael Strauss, "88-Pounder Hope of Monterrey in Little League Series Today; Angel Macias, Ambidextrous, Is Team's No. 1 Pitcher, Batter and Fielder," New York Times, Aug. 22, 1957. "Little League World Series Opens With Big-Time Pomp," [Kittanning, Pa.] Simpson's Leader-Times, Aug. 21, 1957, 13. Michael Strauss, "Macias Hurls Perfect No-Hitter As Monterrey Captures Series," New York Times, Aug. 24, 1957. Elaine Ayala, "Movie, Book Look Back at 'Perfect' Little League Game," My San Antonio, Sept. 2, 2009. Reed Johnson, "'The Perfect Game' Dodged Many Curveballs En Route to Big Screen," Los Angeles Times, April 20, 2010. "Pitcher Has Perfect Game As Taiwan Advances, 18-0," New York Times, Aug. 24, 1979. Edward Wong, "Baseball: Bronx Team Wins Opener On Almonte's Perfect Game," New York Times, Aug. 19, 2001. David Falkner, "Boys' Baseball and Men's Memories," New York Times, Aug. 20, 1986. Marshall G. Most and Robert Rudd, "A Less Than Perfect Game, in a Less Than Perfect Place: The Critical Turn in Baseball Film," Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2011-2012, 180-195. "Inspired by Film, Mexico Wins Little Series," Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 1997, B.7. "First Perfect Game in 44 Years in Little League World Series: Bronx Pitcher Strikes Out 16 of 18 Batters," Ottawa Citizen, Aug. 19, 2001, B2. "Gómez Inspired by Story Behind 'The Perfect Game': Cuban Actor Saw Similarities Between Role and His Upbringing," [Chicago] Extra, April 28, 2010. Jeffrey Bair, "Little League World Series History Repeats Itself for Mexico With Dramatic, Last-Inning Victory," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 24, 1997, 18. Nancy Cleeland, "Two Cities That Are ... Going to Town; Monterrey: Exploits of Guadalupe Stir 40-Year-Old Memories of First Team to Wrest Little League World Series Title From U.S.," Los Angeles Times, Aug. 23, 1997, C, 1:5. "1957 Little League Baseball World Series Champion, Angel Macias, to Be Enshrined Into the Little League Hall of Excellence," Little League, Aug. 4, 2017. 1957 Little League World Series line scores (accessed May 3, 2020). Baseball Reference, "Angel Macias" (accessed May 3, 2020). Listener mail: Jack Ritchie, "A Square Foot of Texas," Good Housekeeping 148:3 (March 1959), 90-91, 109-114. (Protected under copyright; used by permission of the Jack Ritchie Estate and the Sternig & Byrne Literary Agency.) Wikipedia, "Dinner for One" (accessed May 7, 2020). Stefanie Bolzen, "Dinner for One: The British Comedy Germans Have Been Laughing at for Years," Guardian, Dec. 30, 2018. Joanna Robertson, "Dinner for One: English Comedy Spices Up German New Year," BBC News, Dec. 30, 2018. Travis M. Andrews, "This British Comedy Sketch Is a Record-Breaking New Year's Eve Tradition in Germany. No One Knows Why," Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2017. The "Dinner for One" sketch. The "Dinner for One" sketch with the German introduction. "Hermitage Remains Uninhabited This Year," Radio Salzburg, March 31, 2020 (translated from the original). "An AI's Prank Suggestions," Pluralistic, April 2, 2020. "An AI's Idea of a Prank," AI Weirdness, April 1, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Miles, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!
The city of Chicago is one of the US' most diverse cosmopolitan areas. Given the array of people who live in the city, it is reasonable to assume that the goals of the various communities differ in regard to sport and its social functions. Gerald R. Gems' new book, Sport and the Shaping of Civic Identity in Chicago (Lexington Books, 2020) provides readers with an extensive overview of how the diverse stakeholders of the metropolis have "used" sport in their neighborhoods (as well as the broader community) to claim their share of athletic life in the Windy City. Gems' research enlightens readers as to how, for example, African Americans, Latinos, and others, have played certain sports and used such endeavors to challenge assumptions about their respective groups' racial/ethnic, physical and intellectual capabilities. Additionally, the study provides insight into how women and members of different class and religious groups have done likewise. Finally, the work considers how the aficionados of the city's pro-sport franchises, particularly the denizens of the "Friendly Confines" have created a unique identity that is recognized nationwide. All in all, Gems' research enables those of us who live elsewhere to see how sport has helped to shape daily life among the numerous and varied communities that make the city of Chicago. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The city of Chicago is one of the US' most diverse cosmopolitan areas. Given the array of people who live in the city, it is reasonable to assume that the goals of the various communities differ in regard to sport and its social functions. Gerald R. Gems' new book, Sport and the Shaping of Civic Identity in Chicago (Lexington Books, 2020) provides readers with an extensive overview of how the diverse stakeholders of the metropolis have "used" sport in their neighborhoods (as well as the broader community) to claim their share of athletic life in the Windy City. Gems' research enlightens readers as to how, for example, African Americans, Latinos, and others, have played certain sports and used such endeavors to challenge assumptions about their respective groups' racial/ethnic, physical and intellectual capabilities. Additionally, the study provides insight into how women and members of different class and religious groups have done likewise. Finally, the work considers how the aficionados of the city's pro-sport franchises, particularly the denizens of the "Friendly Confines" have created a unique identity that is recognized nationwide. All in all, Gems' research enables those of us who live elsewhere to see how sport has helped to shape daily life among the numerous and varied communities that make the city of Chicago. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The city of Chicago is one of the US' most diverse cosmopolitan areas. Given the array of people who live in the city, it is reasonable to assume that the goals of the various communities differ in regard to sport and its social functions. Gerald R. Gems' new book, Sport and the Shaping of Civic Identity in Chicago (Lexington Books, 2020) provides readers with an extensive overview of how the diverse stakeholders of the metropolis have "used" sport in their neighborhoods (as well as the broader community) to claim their share of athletic life in the Windy City. Gems' research enlightens readers as to how, for example, African Americans, Latinos, and others, have played certain sports and used such endeavors to challenge assumptions about their respective groups' racial/ethnic, physical and intellectual capabilities. Additionally, the study provides insight into how women and members of different class and religious groups have done likewise. Finally, the work considers how the aficionados of the city's pro-sport franchises, particularly the denizens of the "Friendly Confines" have created a unique identity that is recognized nationwide. All in all, Gems' research enables those of us who live elsewhere to see how sport has helped to shape daily life among the numerous and varied communities that make the city of Chicago. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The city of Chicago is one of the US' most diverse cosmopolitan areas. Given the array of people who live in the city, it is reasonable to assume that the goals of the various communities differ in regard to sport and its social functions. Gerald R. Gems' new book, Sport and the Shaping of Civic Identity in Chicago (Lexington Books, 2020) provides readers with an extensive overview of how the diverse stakeholders of the metropolis have "used" sport in their neighborhoods (as well as the broader community) to claim their share of athletic life in the Windy City. Gems' research enlightens readers as to how, for example, African Americans, Latinos, and others, have played certain sports and used such endeavors to challenge assumptions about their respective groups' racial/ethnic, physical and intellectual capabilities. Additionally, the study provides insight into how women and members of different class and religious groups have done likewise. Finally, the work considers how the aficionados of the city's pro-sport franchises, particularly the denizens of the "Friendly Confines" have created a unique identity that is recognized nationwide. All in all, Gems' research enables those of us who live elsewhere to see how sport has helped to shape daily life among the numerous and varied communities that make the city of Chicago. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The city of Chicago is one of the US' most diverse cosmopolitan areas. Given the array of people who live in the city, it is reasonable to assume that the goals of the various communities differ in regard to sport and its social functions. Gerald R. Gems' new book, Sport and the Shaping of Civic Identity in Chicago (Lexington Books, 2020) provides readers with an extensive overview of how the diverse stakeholders of the metropolis have "used" sport in their neighborhoods (as well as the broader community) to claim their share of athletic life in the Windy City. Gems' research enlightens readers as to how, for example, African Americans, Latinos, and others, have played certain sports and used such endeavors to challenge assumptions about their respective groups' racial/ethnic, physical and intellectual capabilities. Additionally, the study provides insight into how women and members of different class and religious groups have done likewise. Finally, the work considers how the aficionados of the city's pro-sport franchises, particularly the denizens of the "Friendly Confines" have created a unique identity that is recognized nationwide. All in all, Gems' research enables those of us who live elsewhere to see how sport has helped to shape daily life among the numerous and varied communities that make the city of Chicago. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
College sport is a multi-billion dollar industry. The men and women who lead the teams in the most important conferences often make millions of dollars between their coaching salaries and endorsement deals. But what about the athletes themselves? Most get a “free ride” (tuition, food and board), but is that sufficient? Given that the majority of the athletes in the major sports (read that to be football and men’s basketball) are African American, what type of recompense are they getting for their toil and sweat on the gridiron and the hardcourt? Since the overwhelming majority of these men do not make it to the NFL or the NBA, are they benefiting from being student-athletes, or are they being taken advantage of by schools and universities that make money off of their efforts and provide little in return? It is important questions such as these that John N. Singer addresses in his book, Race, Sports, and Education: Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Male College Athletes (Harvard Education Press, 2019). By interviewing athletes, Singer gets to the heart of the debate about the value (or not) of collegiate athletics. Many of the subjects interviewed did benefit, but they relate how the machinery of college athletics still continues to exploit its principal workers: African American young men. Singer’s work opens the door to the voices of such individuals, and they have much to say about the current (sorry) state of things, and how the athletes themselves can work (with concerned faculty and administrators) to bring about change. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
College sport is a multi-billion dollar industry. The men and women who lead the teams in the most important conferences often make millions of dollars between their coaching salaries and endorsement deals. But what about the athletes themselves? Most get a “free ride” (tuition, food and board), but is that sufficient? Given that the majority of the athletes in the major sports (read that to be football and men’s basketball) are African American, what type of recompense are they getting for their toil and sweat on the gridiron and the hardcourt? Since the overwhelming majority of these men do not make it to the NFL or the NBA, are they benefiting from being student-athletes, or are they being taken advantage of by schools and universities that make money off of their efforts and provide little in return? It is important questions such as these that John N. Singer addresses in his book, Race, Sports, and Education: Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Male College Athletes (Harvard Education Press, 2019). By interviewing athletes, Singer gets to the heart of the debate about the value (or not) of collegiate athletics. Many of the subjects interviewed did benefit, but they relate how the machinery of college athletics still continues to exploit its principal workers: African American young men. Singer’s work opens the door to the voices of such individuals, and they have much to say about the current (sorry) state of things, and how the athletes themselves can work (with concerned faculty and administrators) to bring about change. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
College sport is a multi-billion dollar industry. The men and women who lead the teams in the most important conferences often make millions of dollars between their coaching salaries and endorsement deals. But what about the athletes themselves? Most get a “free ride” (tuition, food and board), but is that sufficient? Given that the majority of the athletes in the major sports (read that to be football and men’s basketball) are African American, what type of recompense are they getting for their toil and sweat on the gridiron and the hardcourt? Since the overwhelming majority of these men do not make it to the NFL or the NBA, are they benefiting from being student-athletes, or are they being taken advantage of by schools and universities that make money off of their efforts and provide little in return? It is important questions such as these that John N. Singer addresses in his book, Race, Sports, and Education: Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Male College Athletes (Harvard Education Press, 2019). By interviewing athletes, Singer gets to the heart of the debate about the value (or not) of collegiate athletics. Many of the subjects interviewed did benefit, but they relate how the machinery of college athletics still continues to exploit its principal workers: African American young men. Singer’s work opens the door to the voices of such individuals, and they have much to say about the current (sorry) state of things, and how the athletes themselves can work (with concerned faculty and administrators) to bring about change. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
College sport is a multi-billion dollar industry. The men and women who lead the teams in the most important conferences often make millions of dollars between their coaching salaries and endorsement deals. But what about the athletes themselves? Most get a “free ride” (tuition, food and board), but is that sufficient? Given that the majority of the athletes in the major sports (read that to be football and men’s basketball) are African American, what type of recompense are they getting for their toil and sweat on the gridiron and the hardcourt? Since the overwhelming majority of these men do not make it to the NFL or the NBA, are they benefiting from being student-athletes, or are they being taken advantage of by schools and universities that make money off of their efforts and provide little in return? It is important questions such as these that John N. Singer addresses in his book, Race, Sports, and Education: Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Male College Athletes (Harvard Education Press, 2019). By interviewing athletes, Singer gets to the heart of the debate about the value (or not) of collegiate athletics. Many of the subjects interviewed did benefit, but they relate how the machinery of college athletics still continues to exploit its principal workers: African American young men. Singer’s work opens the door to the voices of such individuals, and they have much to say about the current (sorry) state of things, and how the athletes themselves can work (with concerned faculty and administrators) to bring about change. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
College sport is a multi-billion dollar industry. The men and women who lead the teams in the most important conferences often make millions of dollars between their coaching salaries and endorsement deals. But what about the athletes themselves? Most get a “free ride” (tuition, food and board), but is that sufficient? Given that the majority of the athletes in the major sports (read that to be football and men’s basketball) are African American, what type of recompense are they getting for their toil and sweat on the gridiron and the hardcourt? Since the overwhelming majority of these men do not make it to the NFL or the NBA, are they benefiting from being student-athletes, or are they being taken advantage of by schools and universities that make money off of their efforts and provide little in return? It is important questions such as these that John N. Singer addresses in his book, Race, Sports, and Education: Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Male College Athletes (Harvard Education Press, 2019). By interviewing athletes, Singer gets to the heart of the debate about the value (or not) of collegiate athletics. Many of the subjects interviewed did benefit, but they relate how the machinery of college athletics still continues to exploit its principal workers: African American young men. Singer’s work opens the door to the voices of such individuals, and they have much to say about the current (sorry) state of things, and how the athletes themselves can work (with concerned faculty and administrators) to bring about change. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
College sport is a multi-billion dollar industry. The men and women who lead the teams in the most important conferences often make millions of dollars between their coaching salaries and endorsement deals. But what about the athletes themselves? Most get a “free ride” (tuition, food and board), but is that sufficient? Given that the majority of the athletes in the major sports (read that to be football and men's basketball) are African American, what type of recompense are they getting for their toil and sweat on the gridiron and the hardcourt? Since the overwhelming majority of these men do not make it to the NFL or the NBA, are they benefiting from being student-athletes, or are they being taken advantage of by schools and universities that make money off of their efforts and provide little in return? It is important questions such as these that John N. Singer addresses in his book, Race, Sports, and Education: Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Male College Athletes (Harvard Education Press, 2019). By interviewing athletes, Singer gets to the heart of the debate about the value (or not) of collegiate athletics. Many of the subjects interviewed did benefit, but they relate how the machinery of college athletics still continues to exploit its principal workers: African American young men. Singer's work opens the door to the voices of such individuals, and they have much to say about the current (sorry) state of things, and how the athletes themselves can work (with concerned faculty and administrators) to bring about change. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies
The thriving metropolis of Chicago was the land of opportunity for a wide variety of ethnic groups. As individuals from nations where soccer reigned began arriving in the area, they instituted teams and leagues that supported “their” game. Ultimately the sport grew, and with the passage of time, eventually developed a following among native-born sons and daughters of these immigrants (including the development of high school teams throughout the city and leagues affiliated with the parks movement). The sport was also an attraction for athletes who worked at various corporations; a mechanism whereby employers often tried to increase the loyalty of their workers. Additionally, there were players and associations that challenged employer dominance by creating teams that favored unions and even radical political affiliations (such as the communists). Gabe Logan’s new book The Early Years of Chicago Soccer, 1887-1939 (Lexington Books, 2019) shows why the sport was significant to a substantial percentage of the population of Chicago, and how it was utilized to build associations of various kinds: be they ethnic, union, or political. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The thriving metropolis of Chicago was the land of opportunity for a wide variety of ethnic groups. As individuals from nations where soccer reigned began arriving in the area, they instituted teams and leagues that supported “their” game. Ultimately the sport grew, and with the passage of time, eventually developed a following among native-born sons and daughters of these immigrants (including the development of high school teams throughout the city and leagues affiliated with the parks movement). The sport was also an attraction for athletes who worked at various corporations; a mechanism whereby employers often tried to increase the loyalty of their workers. Additionally, there were players and associations that challenged employer dominance by creating teams that favored unions and even radical political affiliations (such as the communists). Gabe Logan’s new book The Early Years of Chicago Soccer, 1887-1939 (Lexington Books, 2019) shows why the sport was significant to a substantial percentage of the population of Chicago, and how it was utilized to build associations of various kinds: be they ethnic, union, or political. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The thriving metropolis of Chicago was the land of opportunity for a wide variety of ethnic groups. As individuals from nations where soccer reigned began arriving in the area, they instituted teams and leagues that supported “their” game. Ultimately the sport grew, and with the passage of time, eventually developed a following among native-born sons and daughters of these immigrants (including the development of high school teams throughout the city and leagues affiliated with the parks movement). The sport was also an attraction for athletes who worked at various corporations; a mechanism whereby employers often tried to increase the loyalty of their workers. Additionally, there were players and associations that challenged employer dominance by creating teams that favored unions and even radical political affiliations (such as the communists). Gabe Logan’s new book The Early Years of Chicago Soccer, 1887-1939 (Lexington Books, 2019) shows why the sport was significant to a substantial percentage of the population of Chicago, and how it was utilized to build associations of various kinds: be they ethnic, union, or political. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The thriving metropolis of Chicago was the land of opportunity for a wide variety of ethnic groups. As individuals from nations where soccer reigned began arriving in the area, they instituted teams and leagues that supported “their” game. Ultimately the sport grew, and with the passage of time, eventually developed a following among native-born sons and daughters of these immigrants (including the development of high school teams throughout the city and leagues affiliated with the parks movement). The sport was also an attraction for athletes who worked at various corporations; a mechanism whereby employers often tried to increase the loyalty of their workers. Additionally, there were players and associations that challenged employer dominance by creating teams that favored unions and even radical political affiliations (such as the communists). Gabe Logan’s new book The Early Years of Chicago Soccer, 1887-1939 (Lexington Books, 2019) shows why the sport was significant to a substantial percentage of the population of Chicago, and how it was utilized to build associations of various kinds: be they ethnic, union, or political. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The thriving metropolis of Chicago was the land of opportunity for a wide variety of ethnic groups. As individuals from nations where soccer reigned began arriving in the area, they instituted teams and leagues that supported “their” game. Ultimately the sport grew, and with the passage of time, eventually developed a following among native-born sons and daughters of these immigrants (including the development of high school teams throughout the city and leagues affiliated with the parks movement). The sport was also an attraction for athletes who worked at various corporations; a mechanism whereby employers often tried to increase the loyalty of their workers. Additionally, there were players and associations that challenged employer dominance by creating teams that favored unions and even radical political affiliations (such as the communists). Gabe Logan’s new book The Early Years of Chicago Soccer, 1887-1939 (Lexington Books, 2019) shows why the sport was significant to a substantial percentage of the population of Chicago, and how it was utilized to build associations of various kinds: be they ethnic, union, or political. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All aficionados of baseball are familiar with the pathbreaking role of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating the game back in 1947. What many fans are less familiar with are the issues that Latinos of color endured both in the minor leagues and the Majors starting back in the 1950s. How difficult was it for a mulato, a person who had never endured (or even heard of) Jim Crow, to come to grips with the “peculiarities” of life in the United States, while simultaneously trying to learn a new language as well as trying play well enough in order to move up the various rungs of a particular franchise’s farm system? The story of Major League great (as a player and manager) Felipe Alou sheds light on this important topic. Alou started playing organized baseball late in life (early teens), endured poverty and hardship in his native Dominican Republic, and then helped to break down barriers of language and perception throughout his long career on the field and in the dugout. All the while, he played with skill, dignity, and intelligence; helping to shatter the stereotypes that professional baseball (and many in the United States) embraced about Spanish-speakers. Felipe utilized his position as a player, coach, and manager to help various clubs win ball games; but he also did even more important things. He challenged the notion that Latinos are lazy and not tactical in their approach and understanding of baseball. By doing this, he has opened many possibilities for the current and upcoming generation of Latinos in the game. No longer are Spanish-surnamed players merely perceived as athletes, now they have Alou, and others, to look toward as role models for entering into the off-the-field aspect of the game. The book, Alou: My Baseball Journey (University of Nebraska Press, 2018), which is co-authored with Peter Kerasotis, documents the life, struggles, and successes of this great ambassador of the game of baseball. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All aficionados of baseball are familiar with the pathbreaking role of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating the game back in 1947. What many fans are less familiar with are the issues that Latinos of color endured both in the minor leagues and the Majors starting back in the 1950s. How difficult was it for a mulato, a person who had never endured (or even heard of) Jim Crow, to come to grips with the “peculiarities” of life in the United States, while simultaneously trying to learn a new language as well as trying play well enough in order to move up the various rungs of a particular franchise’s farm system? The story of Major League great (as a player and manager) Felipe Alou sheds light on this important topic. Alou started playing organized baseball late in life (early teens), endured poverty and hardship in his native Dominican Republic, and then helped to break down barriers of language and perception throughout his long career on the field and in the dugout. All the while, he played with skill, dignity, and intelligence; helping to shatter the stereotypes that professional baseball (and many in the United States) embraced about Spanish-speakers. Felipe utilized his position as a player, coach, and manager to help various clubs win ball games; but he also did even more important things. He challenged the notion that Latinos are lazy and not tactical in their approach and understanding of baseball. By doing this, he has opened many possibilities for the current and upcoming generation of Latinos in the game. No longer are Spanish-surnamed players merely perceived as athletes, now they have Alou, and others, to look toward as role models for entering into the off-the-field aspect of the game. The book, Alou: My Baseball Journey (University of Nebraska Press, 2018), which is co-authored with Peter Kerasotis, documents the life, struggles, and successes of this great ambassador of the game of baseball. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All aficionados of baseball are familiar with the pathbreaking role of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating the game back in 1947. What many fans are less familiar with are the issues that Latinos of color endured both in the minor leagues and the Majors starting back in the 1950s. How difficult was it for a mulato, a person who had never endured (or even heard of) Jim Crow, to come to grips with the “peculiarities” of life in the United States, while simultaneously trying to learn a new language as well as trying play well enough in order to move up the various rungs of a particular franchise’s farm system? The story of Major League great (as a player and manager) Felipe Alou sheds light on this important topic. Alou started playing organized baseball late in life (early teens), endured poverty and hardship in his native Dominican Republic, and then helped to break down barriers of language and perception throughout his long career on the field and in the dugout. All the while, he played with skill, dignity, and intelligence; helping to shatter the stereotypes that professional baseball (and many in the United States) embraced about Spanish-speakers. Felipe utilized his position as a player, coach, and manager to help various clubs win ball games; but he also did even more important things. He challenged the notion that Latinos are lazy and not tactical in their approach and understanding of baseball. By doing this, he has opened many possibilities for the current and upcoming generation of Latinos in the game. No longer are Spanish-surnamed players merely perceived as athletes, now they have Alou, and others, to look toward as role models for entering into the off-the-field aspect of the game. The book, Alou: My Baseball Journey (University of Nebraska Press, 2018), which is co-authored with Peter Kerasotis, documents the life, struggles, and successes of this great ambassador of the game of baseball. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All aficionados of baseball are familiar with the pathbreaking role of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating the game back in 1947. What many fans are less familiar with are the issues that Latinos of color endured both in the minor leagues and the Majors starting back in the 1950s. How difficult was it for a mulato, a person who had never endured (or even heard of) Jim Crow, to come to grips with the “peculiarities” of life in the United States, while simultaneously trying to learn a new language as well as trying play well enough in order to move up the various rungs of a particular franchise’s farm system? The story of Major League great (as a player and manager) Felipe Alou sheds light on this important topic. Alou started playing organized baseball late in life (early teens), endured poverty and hardship in his native Dominican Republic, and then helped to break down barriers of language and perception throughout his long career on the field and in the dugout. All the while, he played with skill, dignity, and intelligence; helping to shatter the stereotypes that professional baseball (and many in the United States) embraced about Spanish-speakers. Felipe utilized his position as a player, coach, and manager to help various clubs win ball games; but he also did even more important things. He challenged the notion that Latinos are lazy and not tactical in their approach and understanding of baseball. By doing this, he has opened many possibilities for the current and upcoming generation of Latinos in the game. No longer are Spanish-surnamed players merely perceived as athletes, now they have Alou, and others, to look toward as role models for entering into the off-the-field aspect of the game. The book, Alou: My Baseball Journey (University of Nebraska Press, 2018), which is co-authored with Peter Kerasotis, documents the life, struggles, and successes of this great ambassador of the game of baseball. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All aficionados of baseball are familiar with the pathbreaking role of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating the game back in 1947. What many fans are less familiar with are the issues that Latinos of color endured both in the minor leagues and the Majors starting back in the 1950s. How difficult was it for a mulato, a person who had never endured (or even heard of) Jim Crow, to come to grips with the “peculiarities” of life in the United States, while simultaneously trying to learn a new language as well as trying play well enough in order to move up the various rungs of a particular franchise’s farm system? The story of Major League great (as a player and manager) Felipe Alou sheds light on this important topic. Alou started playing organized baseball late in life (early teens), endured poverty and hardship in his native Dominican Republic, and then helped to break down barriers of language and perception throughout his long career on the field and in the dugout. All the while, he played with skill, dignity, and intelligence; helping to shatter the stereotypes that professional baseball (and many in the United States) embraced about Spanish-speakers. Felipe utilized his position as a player, coach, and manager to help various clubs win ball games; but he also did even more important things. He challenged the notion that Latinos are lazy and not tactical in their approach and understanding of baseball. By doing this, he has opened many possibilities for the current and upcoming generation of Latinos in the game. No longer are Spanish-surnamed players merely perceived as athletes, now they have Alou, and others, to look toward as role models for entering into the off-the-field aspect of the game. The book, Alou: My Baseball Journey (University of Nebraska Press, 2018), which is co-authored with Peter Kerasotis, documents the life, struggles, and successes of this great ambassador of the game of baseball. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All aficionados of baseball are familiar with the pathbreaking role of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating the game back in 1947. What many fans are less familiar with are the issues that Latinos of color endured both in the minor leagues and the Majors starting back in the 1950s. How difficult was it for a mulato, a person who had never endured (or even heard of) Jim Crow, to come to grips with the “peculiarities” of life in the United States, while simultaneously trying to learn a new language as well as trying play well enough in order to move up the various rungs of a particular franchise's farm system? The story of Major League great (as a player and manager) Felipe Alou sheds light on this important topic. Alou started playing organized baseball late in life (early teens), endured poverty and hardship in his native Dominican Republic, and then helped to break down barriers of language and perception throughout his long career on the field and in the dugout. All the while, he played with skill, dignity, and intelligence; helping to shatter the stereotypes that professional baseball (and many in the United States) embraced about Spanish-speakers. Felipe utilized his position as a player, coach, and manager to help various clubs win ball games; but he also did even more important things. He challenged the notion that Latinos are lazy and not tactical in their approach and understanding of baseball. By doing this, he has opened many possibilities for the current and upcoming generation of Latinos in the game. No longer are Spanish-surnamed players merely perceived as athletes, now they have Alou, and others, to look toward as role models for entering into the off-the-field aspect of the game. The book, Alou: My Baseball Journey (University of Nebraska Press, 2018), which is co-authored with Peter Kerasotis, documents the life, struggles, and successes of this great ambassador of the game of baseball. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies
All aficionados of baseball are familiar with the pathbreaking role of Jackie Robinson in reintegrating the game back in 1947. What many fans are less familiar with are the issues that Latinos of color endured both in the minor leagues and the Majors starting back in the 1950s. How difficult was it for a mulato, a person who had never endured (or even heard of) Jim Crow, to come to grips with the “peculiarities” of life in the United States, while simultaneously trying to learn a new language as well as trying play well enough in order to move up the various rungs of a particular franchise’s farm system? The story of Major League great (as a player and manager) Felipe Alou sheds light on this important topic. Alou started playing organized baseball late in life (early teens), endured poverty and hardship in his native Dominican Republic, and then helped to break down barriers of language and perception throughout his long career on the field and in the dugout. All the while, he played with skill, dignity, and intelligence; helping to shatter the stereotypes that professional baseball (and many in the United States) embraced about Spanish-speakers. Felipe utilized his position as a player, coach, and manager to help various clubs win ball games; but he also did even more important things. He challenged the notion that Latinos are lazy and not tactical in their approach and understanding of baseball. By doing this, he has opened many possibilities for the current and upcoming generation of Latinos in the game. No longer are Spanish-surnamed players merely perceived as athletes, now they have Alou, and others, to look toward as role models for entering into the off-the-field aspect of the game. The book, Alou: My Baseball Journey (University of Nebraska Press, 2018), which is co-authored with Peter Kerasotis, documents the life, struggles, and successes of this great ambassador of the game of baseball. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The game of basketball is not necessarily associated with Mexicans or Mexican Americans. In Mexico, soccer (futbol) is the number one sport, followed by baseball. There is even professional (and collegiate) American football. In some parts of the country, however, due to the geography, another sport, hoops has become a major part of community life. One such locale is the state of Oaxaca. When Oaxacans began coming to the United States in large numbers in the 1970s, they brought “their” game with them to locales such as Los Angeles. The sport has now become a tool to (re)create community among Oaxacans in southern California, and elsewhere. The book Transnational Sport in the American West: Oaxaca California Basketball (Lexington Books, 2019) by Bernardo Ramirez Rios documents the importance of this sport to the community north of the border, as well as a mechanism to retain/strengthen ties to the homeland they have left behind. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The game of basketball is not necessarily associated with Mexicans or Mexican Americans. In Mexico, soccer (futbol) is the number one sport, followed by baseball. There is even professional (and collegiate) American football. In some parts of the country, however, due to the geography, another sport, hoops has become a major part of community life. One such locale is the state of Oaxaca. When Oaxacans began coming to the United States in large numbers in the 1970s, they brought “their” game with them to locales such as Los Angeles. The sport has now become a tool to (re)create community among Oaxacans in southern California, and elsewhere. The book Transnational Sport in the American West: Oaxaca California Basketball (Lexington Books, 2019) by Bernardo Ramirez Rios documents the importance of this sport to the community north of the border, as well as a mechanism to retain/strengthen ties to the homeland they have left behind. Jorge Iber is a professor of history at Texas Tech University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 107th World Series is underway, with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers vying for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals’ star, Albert Pujols, has already entered the record books, joining Hall-of-Famers Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players ever to hit three home... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 107th World Series is underway, with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers vying for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals’ star, Albert Pujols, has already entered the record books, joining Hall-of-Famers Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players ever to hit three home runs in one World Series game. This historic slugging performance follows that of Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, who broke a record earlier in the postseason by hitting six home runs in one playoff series. Pujols and Cruz share not only an ability to crush home runs. They are also both originally from the Dominican Republic. Of the 50 total players on the Cardinals’ and Rangers’ rosters, 14 are of Latino background, with seven of those coming from the Dominican Republic. Many of the biggest stars in American baseball today are originally from Latin America, players like Pujols and Cruz, top hitters Miguel Cabrera, and JoseBautista,and two of the game’s premier pitchers, Felix Hernandez and Mariano Rivera. Indeed, players of Latino background have long been an important part of professional baseball in the US. More than a half century before Pujols, and even decades before Reginald Martinez Jackson was hitting his World Series home runs, a Cuban named Miguel Gonzalez was managing the Cardinals. But the history of Latinos in baseball and other American sports is not a convenient story of opportunity and inclusion. When white settlers first introduced modern team sports to the American Southwest in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, their approach resembled that of other colonial powers taking over a subject land, like the British in South Asia and the Japanese in Taiwan. As Jorge Iber explains in our interview, team sports was a means of both distinguishing Latinos as inferior and assimilating them into white American society. In their book Latinos in U.S. Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance (Human Kinetics, 2011) Iber and his co-writers make the point that the use of sports as a vehicle of social integration is still visible today, but has moved beyond the borderlands of the Southwest to places like Arkansas, Nebraska, and Michigan. And just as political parties today have recognized the importance of courting the growing “Hispanic demographic,” so have the marketers of professional and college sports realized that Latinos in the U.S. have potential not just as athletes but also as viewers and ticket-buyers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 107th World Series is underway, with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers vying for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals’ star, Albert Pujols, has already entered the record books, joining Hall-of-Famers Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players ever to hit three home runs in one World Series game. This historic slugging performance follows that of Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, who broke a record earlier in the postseason by hitting six home runs in one playoff series. Pujols and Cruz share not only an ability to crush home runs. They are also both originally from the Dominican Republic. Of the 50 total players on the Cardinals’ and Rangers’ rosters, 14 are of Latino background, with seven of those coming from the Dominican Republic. Many of the biggest stars in American baseball today are originally from Latin America, players like Pujols and Cruz, top hitters Miguel Cabrera, and JoseBautista,and two of the game’s premier pitchers, Felix Hernandez and Mariano Rivera. Indeed, players of Latino background have long been an important part of professional baseball in the US. More than a half century before Pujols, and even decades before Reginald Martinez Jackson was hitting his World Series home runs, a Cuban named Miguel Gonzalez was managing the Cardinals. But the history of Latinos in baseball and other American sports is not a convenient story of opportunity and inclusion. When white settlers first introduced modern team sports to the American Southwest in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, their approach resembled that of other colonial powers taking over a subject land, like the British in South Asia and the Japanese in Taiwan. As Jorge Iber explains in our interview, team sports was a means of both distinguishing Latinos as inferior and assimilating them into white American society. In their book Latinos in U.S. Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance (Human Kinetics, 2011) Iber and his co-writers make the point that the use of sports as a vehicle of social integration is still visible today, but has moved beyond the borderlands of the Southwest to places like Arkansas, Nebraska, and Michigan. And just as political parties today have recognized the importance of courting the growing “Hispanic demographic,” so have the marketers of professional and college sports realized that Latinos in the U.S. have potential not just as athletes but also as viewers and ticket-buyers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 107th World Series is underway, with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers vying for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals’ star, Albert Pujols, has already entered the record books, joining Hall-of-Famers Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players ever to hit three home runs in one World Series game. This historic slugging performance follows that of Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, who broke a record earlier in the postseason by hitting six home runs in one playoff series. Pujols and Cruz share not only an ability to crush home runs. They are also both originally from the Dominican Republic. Of the 50 total players on the Cardinals’ and Rangers’ rosters, 14 are of Latino background, with seven of those coming from the Dominican Republic. Many of the biggest stars in American baseball today are originally from Latin America, players like Pujols and Cruz, top hitters Miguel Cabrera, and JoseBautista,and two of the game’s premier pitchers, Felix Hernandez and Mariano Rivera. Indeed, players of Latino background have long been an important part of professional baseball in the US. More than a half century before Pujols, and even decades before Reginald Martinez Jackson was hitting his World Series home runs, a Cuban named Miguel Gonzalez was managing the Cardinals. But the history of Latinos in baseball and other American sports is not a convenient story of opportunity and inclusion. When white settlers first introduced modern team sports to the American Southwest in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, their approach resembled that of other colonial powers taking over a subject land, like the British in South Asia and the Japanese in Taiwan. As Jorge Iber explains in our interview, team sports was a means of both distinguishing Latinos as inferior and assimilating them into white American society. In their book Latinos in U.S. Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance (Human Kinetics, 2011) Iber and his co-writers make the point that the use of sports as a vehicle of social integration is still visible today, but has moved beyond the borderlands of the Southwest to places like Arkansas, Nebraska, and Michigan. And just as political parties today have recognized the importance of courting the growing “Hispanic demographic,” so have the marketers of professional and college sports realized that Latinos in the U.S. have potential not just as athletes but also as viewers and ticket-buyers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
