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Turkey Stearnes and the Detroit Stars The Negro Leagues in Detroit, 1919-1933 Richard Bak

In Turkey Stearnes and the Detroit Stars, Richard Bak documents the extraordinary history of Detroit's first and foremost black professional baseball team. This groundbreaking analysis of Detroit's entry in the Negro National League brings to life a fascinating story of skill, pride, and perseverance. The greatest Star of them all—Norman "Turkey" Stearnes— established virtually all of the team's individual and career records during his nine seasons with Detroit. Brimming with anecdotal tales, this thorough examination includes oral histories: biographical sketches of players, owners, and fans; and scores of unique photographs. A bonus is the comprehensive statistical overview, the first-ever for a single Negro league team. The numbers buttress Bak's argument that Stearnes deserves serious consideration for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"This book takes a long historical, social, and cultural look at the history of Detroit as well as Negro League Baseball. As much as any civil rights march or Senate bill, the pioneers of black baseball, such as Stearnes and his friends, forced the integration of America. Bak brings to life a long lost chapter in the history of baseball and the history of Detroit . . . a must read for fans of baseball and for all Americans." —Bruce Chadwick, author of When the Game Was Black and White

Great Lakes Books Series $19.95t paper / ISBN 0-8143-2582-3 297 pages 72 b&w illustrations 1994