I have long been intrigued by baseball’s old Negro Leagues. Like many other baseball fans, I have long wondered how the greats like Josh Gibson, or Satchel Paige in his prime, would have stacked up with the legends of Major League Baseball. Scant opportunities through exhibition games suggest they would have more than held there own.

For some months now, I have enjoyed listening to the podcast Black Diamonds, hosted by Bob Kendrick, historian and president of the Negro League Baseball Museum, in Kansas City. Kendrick not only winsomely recounts the history of Negro League baseball, but he offers a peek into the personalities of those who played, and those who played important roles behind the scenes. I have long been familiar with some of the more well known players from the Negro Leagues era – Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, etc. But through Kendricks’ storytelling and interviews, I now feel as if I have met some of the greats – guys like Oscar Charleston, Leon Day, Martin Dihigo, etc. – who paved the way for the many who came along after them.

Worth the listen for any fan of baseball or student of 20th Century American history.

Link: Black Diamonds