The play Fences by August Wilson is set in the American urban setting in 1957. After the end of the Civil War and the Reconstruction, it is clear that the White Americans and the Black Americans had been segregated in almost all areas of life (Tribute To August Wilson 1). These arenas included buses, schools, and even in sport, for instance, baseball. The play gives a practical example of a great player whose dream is crushed along racial lines, despite being good in the game of baseball. Troy Maxson, who is the protagonist in the play, defines his life on the lines of his life as a player of the Negro League Football; which his current way of life reflects from. Troy Maxson, is preoccupied with obstacles or "Fences" that the black baseball players face in the sports arena and act as a catalyst of what he feels about himself, his actions, his family and the society (Lee 2).
Troy did not have the chance of playing in the major leagues narrowly, as a youthful player and he was on top of his game but due to segregation, he could not join the team (Mccarter Theatre Center par 3). After being scarred by the world of sport about twenty years back, Troy is now a garbage collector, who lives in a humble roof and spends most of his time making a fence around his home. His lifestyle not only affects himself but his close friends and family (Tribute to August Wilson Breaking down Fences 2). His decision of not even letting his son play in college baseball deeply affects his relationship with him. In his defense for reasons why his son cannot play baseball, he claims that his son should pursue other careers that would take him as far, but not baseball. His wages were not enough, but he uses a large amount of his brother's money to pay for the house mortgage.
Careful examination of the title "fence" is metaphorical. Ideally, Wilson tries to bring out the use of slang in the world of Baseball. The word Fence in this scenario is used to mean the outfield wall that has to be cleared for a home run game. The phrase that is used for instance "swing for the fences" derives its meaning from that (Tribute to August Wilson 4). Troy feels that his life is now trapped in the fence when he could initially clear it easily. Sports held a promise of escape for him, but instead, it has swallowed him fully, and he feels he cannot escape that fate.
These experiences were common among the black baseball players who took part in the Negro leagues. However, about fifty years had passed since the Negro teams were dissolved that appreciation of talent and skills of players in the Negro league started receiving recognition. It was also then that people started to appreciate the world baseball (African-American Baseball 1). A vivid look into the world of Negro League Baseball gives the bitter truth of the world of segregation in former America, but it also gives a brighter side of the few yet very talented and skilled Negro Players that participated in the national states.
History of the Negro Baseball League
Jackie Robinson was among the first one of the first African-Americans to play in the major baseball league arena. What most do not know is or rather having never thought about his how exactly Robinson rose to that level in during the most difficult era of the Negro history (Life And Death, Baseball, Football, And Family In Fences par 2). We should put in mind that in the periods between the 1890s and 1950s the African Americans faced the most challenging historical transformations in almost all circles of life. The history of the Negro League leads us to find out how Robinson managed to secure a win during the great Brookline debut in the year 1947.
The Baseball Before 1890
Before the integration of professional baseball during the end of the Civil War and the 1890s, the black Americans played baseball together with their white counterparts on small and main team leagues (The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed 2). However, despite the black players being banned from the game after formation of the original National Association of Baseball competitors in 1868, they continued playing the game. By late 1870s, a number of African-American baseball competitors were involved in the game rosters for the white players especially in the minor league teams (Negro League History 101 1). However, most of these black players fell victims of prejudice and racial discrimination including a complete ban from the game, there were some exceptions that were notable, and they proceeded to build unyielding, long, and solid careers.
1n 1884, John W. "Bud" Fowler, the Stillwater Minnesota club signed him to the Northwestern League for having exceptionally long experience as an itinerate professional baseball player (Negro League History 101 2). In 1883, Moses "Fleetwood" Walker started playing for the Toledo, which took part in the Northwestern League. He had earlier on been an Oberlin College star. He was one of the finest catchers at the beginning of his career. In 1884, he was the first player to be the face in a focal league franchise. In 1886, both Fowler and Walker played in minor white leagues alongside other African-American stars such as Frank Grant and George Stovey. These African Americans played in the "outlaw" leagues in the independent barnstorming clubs (African-American Baseball par 4). In the North and the Midwest, the black competitors did not find a chance to play in white baseball until the close of the 1880s. Surprisingly, things changed in the 1890s and no player participated in any international league, which is considered as one of the most prestigious of the minor leagues circuits (Negro League History 101 4). The agreement among the men was that the black players were to be barred off from the game for the coming fifty years though the black competitors continued participating in the minor leagues that time.
The Rise of Professional Black Baseball
As players such as Fowler and Walker among others were working hard to gain a sport in the organized football, the blacks formed independent leagues that performed throughout the country in the 1880s onwards. Some of the teams that developed strongly included the Cuban Giants, Harrisburg Giants among others; in the early 1990s, the black professional baseball built its form (Negro League History 4). The early 20th Century was characterized with the rise of black clubs that were powerful, especially in the Midwest. There were several teams which included; Indianapolis ABCs, Chicago Giants and Lincoln Giants among others. The black baseball flourished in industrial estate of Birmingham hosting teams, for instance, Nashville Standard Giants (Negro League | History Net 2). By the end of WWI, the black baseball formed entertainment sites for the black populations throughout the country. Negro Baseball League was born in Kansas City when Andrew Foster, took ownership over Chicago American Giants. Foster also had a huge influence in baseball, especially where black players were involved. He was also the most influential personality in the black baseball (Negro League | History net 2). He felt there was a need for a more organized Negro League. Under Andrew Foster leadership, the league was formed in 1920 as Negro National League(Negro League | History net 2).
In 1920, the owner of Nashville Elite Giants Thomas T. Wilson, prearranged a southern Negro League. In essence, the Eastern Colored League was formed three years later. It included Cuban Stars, Brooklyn Royal Stars among other clubs. These leagues enjoyed strong foundations throughout the 1920s until the great depression struck and disrupted the season of 1931 (Negro League | History Net 4). In 1936, the Negro American League was started, organized by Pittsburgh, took over the Fosters' League and became a principal force in the black baseball from 1939 to 1948. Despite the Great Depression challenges, three major Negro league circuits suffered but would later on emerge to be among the most successful enterprises owned by blacks in America.
The Golden Years of Black Baseball
Upon the organization of the National Negro League in 1933, Thomas T. Wilson’s firm intended to institute the most efficient league in America. In 1935, Pittsburgh Crawford presented some of the greatest talents in the Baseball history including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Judy Johnson among other legendary players. Homestead Grays won nine consecutive Negro leagues under Crawford. Between the 1930s and 1940s, East-West-All-Star Gue Comiskey Park, Chicago hosted games that were played annually (Negro League | History net 3). Gus Greenlee that was originally taught as a promotional tool became the baseball's most popular action and moneymaker. After the World War II, the social justice demands became rampant and apparently, some of the league players had joined the war. The baseball color barrier also crushed down, but it was a great achievement for the African Americans because they had proven themselves to the world.
The Break of the Color Barrier
The color barrier in baseball cracked in April 1946 when Jackie Robinson signed the Dodger's organization had appeared for the first time in the Montreal Royals that played in the International League. Later on, Robinson joined a parent club that propelled the Dodgers to the National League pennant. He was later on accorded the National League Rookie of the Year honors (Negro League | Historynet 3). His success opened doors for other black players that joined organized football who were initially Negro League stars. Four years later, the Negro League-best talent had been given opportunities with major leagues. The Negro National League was formally disbanded after the 1949 season. Though it continued in the shadows, it lacked skilled players and fan appeal. After almost a decade, it closed doors permanently in 1962.
It was not until the 1950’s that the baseball in the United States portrayed the wider racial culture that was consuming the American society. In Baseball, it was almost that all the White and the American League’s garnered money, attention and prestige from professional sports enthusiasts (Mccarter Theatre Center 2). The black/negro players played in the Negro tournaments that began in the late nineteenth and on the onset of twentieth century. The leagues had professional players who were played for organized teams. The teams participated in the circuits (Barnstormer leagues). These is where the baseball players traveled across the US in major cities and towns that would provide fields and fans.
The Legends of the Negro Leagues
In 1920, Rube Forster organized the first team of black baseball team players, and it was called Negro Countrywide League. The League comprised of eight giant teams called the Cuban Stars, Indianapolis ABC's, Detroit Stars, and The Chicago American Giants (African-American Baseball | History Detectives 3). The great history of the Americana Negro Baseball League can be traced back to the great baseball players such as Josh Gibson Satchel Paige and. It is important to note that Wilson mentions these great legends in his play. Paige is considered a legend because in the entire game of baseball history there has never been pitcher greater than him. Though Paige never gave his exact year of birth, the historian approximated that he might have been born around 1906 to 1909 in Alabama (Negro Baseball Leagues The Black Past: Remembered And Reclaimed 5). Paige had a very rough childhood, born in poverty and he began stealing at a very tender age that saw him detained in Mt. Meigs Juvenile confinement center (Lee 4). It was at the Juvenile center that Paige learned baseball, and he discovered that had a very exceptional talent for baseball.
It is believed that Paige spent most of his baseball sports career in Negro League, and he played in the eight teams (The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed 3). It is also believed that Paige spent most of his time Barnstorming League and in the South American winter tournaments, proving baseball to him was prolific (Lee 4). Data and figures were not consistently obtained throughout his career though he has kept his legacy throughout the baseball history as a legend that on numbers.
Wilson, who has portrayed Gibson in the film as Troy's role model, was not just described as a coincidence in the play. Gibson too was a great player in the Negro League Baseball (Life and Death, Baseball, Football, And Family in Fences 4). After being inducted in the year 1972, it is reported that Gibson had 800 home run hits; in his professional career, the current base player with the highest number of home run hits is Barry Bond who has 762. It is, however, impractical to authenticate this figure because reportedly, his statistics were not kept consistently. The stories of these two legends are only kept in the minds of the baseball fans and baseball historians.
Just as the play Fences puts it again, apparently Josh Gibson could not continue playing in the major white Major Baseball Leagues. That took a completely different turn of Gibson's life. It is said that in the much later part of his life he started drinking too much alcohol hence suffered alcoholism in the long run, and he became depressed (Lee 4). History records that his teammates reported that these conditions developed due to Gibson's frustrations and disappointments about the game. It was established much later that Gibson succumbed to stroke and died.
Another player that contributed in the Negro Baseball World was Satchel Paige, who got a chance to play in the Major League. He signed a contract in 1942 with Cleveland's to play for their bullpen title at the age of forty-two years (African-American Baseball | History Detectives | PBS 5). However, his pitching was not as great as it was when he was young but at least he helped the team to secure the American tournament that year. In a publicity stunt endorsement in 1965, Paige was chosen to pitch for the Kansas Royals. Thus, he become the oldest player to have ever played in the main League.
In conclusion, the Negro League survived through the continued good performance of the players who took part in it. Several players who played for the league, including the likes of Hank Aaron, went through, and even played in the main Leagues, hence, making legendary careers at those levels. It is unfortunate that majority of these great players were denied the chance to participate against their white baseball players during the leagues. Great players such as Paige Gibson, Monte Irvin, and Judy Johnson are often remembered for not only their personal accomplishment and establishing a golden age of baseball played by blacks to prove that baseball was a game for all people and not just the whites only.
Works Cited
"African-American Baseball | History Detectives | PBS." Pbs.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
"FENCES - Mccarter Theatre Center." Mccarter.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
"It’S Life And Death, Baseball, Football, And Family In “Fences”: Mccarter Revives Intense August Wilson Drama At Berlind | Town Topics".Towntopics.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 5 May 2016.
Lee, Laura. Major Themes. 1st ed. 2003. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Negro Baseball Leagues (1920-1950) | The Black Past: Remembered And Reclaimed." Blackpast.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Negro League History 101 - An Introduction To The Negro Leagues." Negroleaguebaseball.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Negro League | Historynet." HistoryNet. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Tribute To August Wilson: Breaking Down Fences."Common Dreams. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 May 2016.
