Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Illustrations from oil paintings by artist Kadir Nelson.

The history of the Negro Leagues is often a forgotten part of baseball history. And despite its popularity and wealth of talent was not well documented. The film sheds light on this period and shows how it laid the groundwork for today's African-American players in Major League Baseball.

"A celebration of the Negro League baseball's triumphs and challenges throught the first half of the twentieth century, The League explores Black baseball as an economic and social pillar of Black communities and a stage for some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game, while also examining the unintended consequencesof integration." --container

Buck O'Neil once described him as "Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Tris Speaker rolled into one." Among experts he is regarded as the best player in Negro Leagues history. During his prime he became a legend in Cuba and one of black America's most popular figures. Yet even among serious sports fans, Oscar Charleston is virtually unknown today. In a long career spanning from 1915 to 1954, Charleston played against, managed, befriended, and occasionally fought...

"A biography about baseball legend Jackie Robinson featuring figures whose lives were altered by "the great experiment," as the integration of baseball was called during his time"--Provided by publisher.