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Baseball: History, Players, & Coaching: 1950s

A research topic guide on the history and legendary players of baseball.

Internet Resources

Mickey Mantle

Willie Mays

Jackie Robinson

Archives, Research & Reference

Mr. Mantle

Mickey Mantle, one of baseball's strongest switch hitters, runs faster than any man in baseball, and he is one of the greatest players in baseball history. Season after season, everything seemed to betray Mantle. His physical ailments were numerous. After the death of his father, Mantle carouses and drinks as if each day were his last. Distributed by PBS Distribution.

Source: Films on Demand

The Catch - Willie Mays

Willie Mays signs with the New York Giants in 1951. Mays' spectacular hit went over the left field roof of the ball park. Mays does it all: hits, runs, and fields like a champ. Archival film footage shows highlights of Mays' triumphs. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Viewer Discretion Advised!!! This content contains images of people consuming alcohol. This video contains violent images. Some language in this video may be offensive.

Source: Films on Demand

Perspectives

I Never Had It Made

The bestselling autobiography of American baseball and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson Before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball's stars had one undeniable trait in common: they were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's own candid, hard-hitting account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues. I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson's early years and influences: his time at UCLA, where he became the school's first four-letter athlete; his army stint during World War II, when he challenged Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the "Noble Experiment"--Robinson would step up to bat to integrate and revolutionize baseball. More than a baseball story, I Never Had It Made also reveals the highs and lows of Robinson's life after baseball. He recounts his political aspirations and civil rights activism; his friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, William Buckley, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller; and his troubled relationship with his son, Jackie, Jr. I Never Had It Made endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.

The Last Boy

Award-winning sports writer Jane Leavy follows her New York Times runaway bestseller Sandy Koufax with the definitive biography of baseball icon Mickey Mantle. The legendary Hall-of-Fame outfielder was a national hero during his record-setting career with the New York Yankees, but public revelations of alcoholism, infidelity, and family strife badly tarnished the ballplayer's reputation in his latter years. In The Last Boy, Leavy plumbs the depths of the complex athlete, using copious first-hand research as well as her own memories, to show why The Mick remains the most beloved and misunderstood Yankee slugger of all time.

Jackie Robinson

Examines the athletic prowess of the first African American to play professional baseball.

Jackie Robinson Part 1

Robinson rises from humble origins to integrate Major League Baseball, performing brilliantly despite the threats and abuse he faces on and off the field and, in the process, challenges the prejudiced notions of what a black man can achieve.

Source: Kanopy

Jackie Robinson Part 2

Robinson uses his fame to speak out against injustice, alienating many who had once lauded him for "turning the other cheek." After baseball, he seeks ways to fight inequality, but as he faces a crippling illness, he struggles to remain relevant.

Source: Kanopy

Mickey Mantle - Athlete

Watch a short biography video of Mickey Mantle, who is considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUyPD_DIWvM