In this Book
- The Pitcher and the Dictator: Satchel Paige's Unlikely Season in the Dominican Republic
- Book
- 2018
- Published by: University of Nebraska Press
summary
Soon after Satchel Paige arrived at spring training in 1937 to pitch for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, he and five of his teammates, including Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell, were lured to the Dominican Republic with the promise of easy money to play a short baseball tournament in support of the country’s dictator, Rafael Trujillo. As it turned out, the money wasn’t so easy. After Paige and his friends arrived on the island, they found themselves under the thumb of Trujillo, known by Dominicans for murdering those who disappointed him.
In the initial games, the Ciudad Trujillo All-Star team floundered. Living outside the shadow of segregation, Satchel and his recruits spent their nights carousing and their days dropping close games to their rivals, who were also stocked with great players. Desperate to restore discipline, Trujillo tapped the leader of his death squads to become part of the team management.
When Paige’s team ultimately rallied to win, it barely registered with Trujillo, who a few months later ordered the killings of fifteen thousand Haitians at the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Paige and his teammates returned to the states to face banishment from the Negro Leagues, but they barnstormed across America wearing their Trujillo All-Stars uniforms.
The Pitcher and the Dictator is an extraordinary story of race, politics, and some of the greatest baseball players ever assembled, playing high-stakes games in support of one of the Caribbean’s cruelest dictators.
For more information about The Pitcher and the Dictator, visit thepitcherandthedictator.com.
In the initial games, the Ciudad Trujillo All-Star team floundered. Living outside the shadow of segregation, Satchel and his recruits spent their nights carousing and their days dropping close games to their rivals, who were also stocked with great players. Desperate to restore discipline, Trujillo tapped the leader of his death squads to become part of the team management.
When Paige’s team ultimately rallied to win, it barely registered with Trujillo, who a few months later ordered the killings of fifteen thousand Haitians at the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Paige and his teammates returned to the states to face banishment from the Negro Leagues, but they barnstormed across America wearing their Trujillo All-Stars uniforms.
The Pitcher and the Dictator is an extraordinary story of race, politics, and some of the greatest baseball players ever assembled, playing high-stakes games in support of one of the Caribbean’s cruelest dictators.
For more information about The Pitcher and the Dictator, visit thepitcherandthedictator.com.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Preface: Recovery of a Lost History
- pp. xi-xiv
- 1. Trujillo City
- pp. 1-2
- 2. Time to Get a Job
- pp. 3-9
- 3. Show Me the Money
- pp. 10-15
- 4. Chapita
- pp. 16-18
- 5. The Americans
- pp. 19-26
- 7. Trujillo Es El Jefe
- pp. 32-38
- 8. Opening Day Away
- pp. 39-45
- 9. Royal Prerogative
- pp. 46-52
- 10. Total Catastrophe
- pp. 53-63
- 11. The Stars Arrive
- pp. 64-74
- 12. Después de la Victoria
- pp. 75-81
- 13. Nuevos Rumbos
- pp. 82-87
- 14. Black Babe Ruth
- pp. 76-100
- 15. Fiesta de la Chapita
- pp. 101-117
- 16. The Maestro’s Coda
- pp. 118-121
- 17. The Heartbreaking End of Josh Gibson
- pp. 122-126
- 18. The Fall of Trujillo
- pp. 127-141
- 19. The Persevering Paige
- pp. 142-163
- 20. “El Gamo”
- pp. 164-167
- 21. Y Otras
- pp. 168-173
- Epilogue: Tenth Inning
- pp. 174-176
- Appendix: Notes on Paige’s Magical Pitching
- pp. 177-186
- Bibliography
- pp. 201-206
Additional Information
ISBN
9781496206718
Related ISBN(s)
9781496205490
MARC Record
OCLC
1015269584
Pages
232
Launched on MUSE
2018-03-09
Language
English
Open Access
No