"They Played for the Love of the Game: Adding to the Legacy of Minnesota Black Baseball" Research and Writing
Statewide Historic and Cultural Grants. $5,250,000 the first year and $5,250,000 the second year are for history programs and projects operated or conducted by or through local, county, regional, or other historical or cultural organizations; or for activities to preserve significant historic and cultural resources.
The five manuscript chapters that Frank White has completed to date demonstrate that he is highly qualified to take on this project. He has diligently identified and contacted African Americans who played baseball in Minnesota and the nearby states in the first half of the twentieth century or their descendants and interviewed them. In addition, he has received from these participants photos, game score cards, and other baseball memorabilia that document who played Minnesota Black Baseball, where the games were played, how the teams were organized, and how they did on the diamond. Many of these photos and artifacts have not been shared outside these families and will be a significant contribution to the public record of Minnesota Black Baseball when the book is completed. Mr. White has also scoured the microfilm files of the African American newspapers published in Minnesota during these years to piece together more information on these many little-known African American ballplayers.
The short-term objective of completing a manuscript was only 71% complete during the grant period. However, at the time of this writing it is clear that this objective will be 100% complete in the very near term.
Mr. White is in high demand as a speaker and consultant on the history of Black Baseball. This reality has brought him into contact with additional resources but has also slowed the writing of the manuscript. As of 1/1/14 two chapters remained incomplete. He is, however, committed to doing the work of writing these chapters and as of the submission date of this report has completed acceptable drafts of those two chapters. All expenses and time incurred after the end date of the grant period is being contributed by Mr. White and is not reliant on grant funds. Mr. White and RCHS believe the results of his research belong in the public domain and we are moving forward together to secure private funding for printing the finished book.
The intermediate- and long-term objectives were not measurable during the grant period or as of this writing.