Award-Winning Author and Cultural Critic Gerald Early “Play Harder"

Award-winning author Gerald Early, in collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame, presents an authoritative exploration of how Black Americans have shaped baseball. No sport has been more associated with American identity than baseball. And no professional sport in America has been as dramatically connected to social change. “Play Harder” showcases the Black stars of the game—from its emergence after the Civil War to the Negro Leagues and Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier, up to today’s game. Playing out against the cultural and political events of 150 years, the story bears witness to the richness of this country’s diversity while remaining clear-eyed about the racial injustice endured by Black Americans.

Books available from Left Bank Books.