Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience

Pride and Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience, a traveling exhibition for libraries, organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, New York, and the American Library Association Public Programs Office, Chicago will be on display at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library, 101 Washington Street, Toms River, August 17th until September 28. 

The traveling exhibition has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: great ideas brought to life. The Ocean County Library is one of only 25 libraries nationwide selected to host this exhibit.

Ocean County's baseball connection runs deep. The all Black baseball team, the Cuban X Giants formed in Lakewood in the early 1900’s.  In 1942 Ocean County benefited from the ruling that all 16 Major League Baseball teams had to hold their spring training north of the Mason-Dixon Lined due to the resources needed for the WW II effort.  The New York Giants trained in Lakewood at the former estate of John D. Rockefeller.

Some of the Negro Leagues best teams and players called New Jersey home including the Bararach Giants, Cuban X Giants, Newark Browns, Newark Dodgers and the Newark Eagles. Five future Baseball Hall of Famers played for the Eagles, including Paterson’s Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson ‘s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The documentary film Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson: Black Baseball in America in the Era of the Color Line  examines in depth the rich relationships that comprised “Blackball”during America’s era of segregation with commentary by former players Monte Irvin and others will be shown at 2:30 on Saturday, August 18, and continually during the exhibit run.

On Tuesday August 21, 7:00 PM at the Opening Reception, Dr. Lawrence Hogan will discuss the history of Negro League baseball that existed during America’s era of segregation. Dr. Hogan was a key consultant in the creation of the Pride and Passion exhibit. He has taught, researched, written about, and spoken in the field of African American history for more than 40 years. His 2006 book Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball marks a truly significant advance in Negro Leagues scholarship.  Former Negro League Ball Players Pedro Sierra and Robert Scott will talk about their
experiences playing in a segregated league.

On Saturday, September 8, 2:00 PM Dr. Hogan and Dr. Robert Cvornyek, present "It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got that Swing and Music in the Jim Crow Era" with examples of how athletes and musicians are intertwined with one another, which can be seen with black baseball league players and jazz musicians during the 1930s and 40’s.

The exhibit runs until September 28.  Additional information can be found at
www.theoceancountylibrary.org