Pitching for the Stars: My Seasons Across the Color Line

Gr 3–6—In the summer of 1959, Texas Tech senior Jerry Craft received a phone call that would change his life. The voice at the other end of the line belonged to Carl Sedberry, manager of the local semipro baseball team Wichita Falls/Graham Stars, and he was offering Craft a tryout to pitch for the team. What he didn't know was that the Stars were a top squad in the West Texas Colored League. The catch was that he was a white man. After an initial bout of uneasiness, Craft became a mainstay on the Stars for two seasons. Adapted for young readers from Our White Boy (Texas Tech Univ., 2010), this book largely revolves around Craft's bond with his teammates at a time when segregation was still the norm. He obviously has fond memories of his experience as "Jackie Robinson in reverse," and his story is compelling. However, his skills as a writer are lacking. Especially problematic is the cringe-worthy dialogue; when read out loud, the interactions sound unnatural and awkward. The narrative is a jumbled mess of anecdotes-one story follows another in a disorganized, confusing string of episodes. Kids everywhere would benefit from hearing about Craft's extraordinary life, so it's unfortunate that the presentation isn't more professional.—Sam Bloom, Blue Ash Library, Cincinnati, OH