Two parts to this post because we need to look at the two parts of this text: writing and illustrations.
1. How did the illustrations enhance the story? Which one was your favorite and why?
2. Inning 4 ends with a quote from Satchel Paige: "We were worked. Worked like the mule that plows the field during the week and pulls the carriage to church on Sunday." What are your thoughts on this line? If the players were the mules, who were the farmers? If the players were tearing up the land(scape) of baseball, do you think they were doing it for future generations?
1. The illustrations were really amazing. I was especially impressed by how well they captured the emotions of the players and other figures. They enhanced the story by putting faces on many of the people discussed in the text, thus making the story more real and meaningful. My favorite was the one of Jackie Robinson sliding home on page 16. I think this image really shows the energy and rapidity of the game as played in the Negro Leagues.
ReplyDelete2. Paige's comparison here is definitely moving. Coming from an icon such as Paige, who is really thought of as a celebrity in the baseball world, it is interesting to hear how even he had to endure tough conditions. If the players were the mules, I think the owners and the other people profiting off of baseball would be the farmers. The reason the players had to play through such condition was because the administrators of the league and of the teams were trying to maximize their own profit. To take the simile even further, I think that the negro leagues definitely were "tearing up" the soil for the future of baseball. They were pioneering the sport as defined for African Americans, and they were undoubtedly vital to the integration of major league baseball.
1. The illustrations really bring the stories to life. Instead of just saying players names, and describing the situations there are also incredible pictures to go with them. I like a lot of the illustrations and how they enhance the reading, but my favorite is the home plate scene on page 16. It is such a detailed drawing (down to the veins on the players’ hands) and it makes you feel like you are right there watching the game. I love all the expressions on the faces and how focused the umpire looks.
ReplyDelete(I wrote this before I saw that it was also Nate's favorite...)
2. This is a really meaningful line that captures the essence and feeling of early baseball. If the players were the mules then their hopes, dreams, and love of baseball were the farmers. The players’ dreams were to play baseball, play it well, and hopefully one day make it to the majors. It was their hope and love of the game that was pushing them to get up early, travel all day, and play three or four games in one day. I agree that they were “tearing up the land(scape) of baseball” for the future generations but I also think that they were pushing ahead for those that had come before them. They were behaving professionally, making good impressions, and striding forward for the players who had not been given the same chances and who never would. Because of their actions players after them got to physically play in the majors, but the actions of the players who had come before them helped to achieve their success and they lived through the current players.
The illustrations were fantastic to look at while reading the book. I would read about a certain player and could also see exactly what they looked like. The expressions on the players faces also gave me some insight on what their personality might have been like. My favorite illustration is the one on page 27 - Will Foster and young fans, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1932. It depicts one tall baseball player surrounded by four little boys holding bats and gloves. It shows that the men who played in the Negro leagues were looked up to. They meant more to these kids than just a player in a game. They were people that they could aspire to be. A dream that they could live up to.
ReplyDeleteThis quote illustrates the hard conditions that the players in the Negro Leagues had to endure. There was no relief from this harsh life, something was always being demanded of them. I think that this alludes to some of the players pure love of the game. They were working with little and sometimes no pay, with little food and often no place to sleep, just so they could live the dream of baseball. If the players were the mules, then I think that the farmers would be the owners of the team. They profit off the players work, only giving them in return the bare necessities so that they could continue to play. The players knew that they were not being treated fairly, and I think that they were enduring these conditions in part for the future generations of black baseball players. Without their part in the Negro Leagues, no one would have seen how talented they really were. The players in the Negro Leagues stepped up so that later change could come.
1. I think the illustrations add a lot to the book as a whole. I love how the author used color in the illustrations instead of sticking to the era-appropriate black and white; I thought this decision made the illustrations pop off the page and engaged the reader a lot more, since it gives the reading seem more present than past. Additionally, the illustrations give the players faces. Coupled with the detailed descriptions and stories of players, these pictures make names stick in the mind of the reader. It's easy to read a name and forget it in the shuffle of history, but the illustrations really made me visualize Rube Foster or Gus Greenlee as people, not just as fleeting figures from the past, and to remember them as such. My favorite illustration was of the Newark Eagles from page 23. I thought this illustration conveyed the most emotion and showcased a different side of the players than most of the other illustrations did, and I liked the contrast.
ReplyDelete2. I think this quote conveys just how exhausting life was for Negro League players. These men played and played and played, which alone would have fatigued them, but they had to work just as hard off the field too—just as mules had to pull carriages on Sunday, when everyone else was able to rest. Just finding decent accommodation seemed like pretty hard work in itself. I can only imagine how exhausted these men must have been each day. In this analogy, I'd agree that the men put up with all the work partly for the love of the game, but I second Nate and Adela that the farmers would ultimately be the owners. Just as farmers use mules in order to turn a profit, the owners used baseball players to turn a profit, and sometimes more: "Baseball was just a hobby for [most owners,] a way to make their illegal money look good" (34). Even if the players played for themselves, played for the love of the game, they worked for the owners. Finally, yes, I agree these players played partly with the interests of future generations in mind. Proving their athletic capabilities on the field would prove their equality with any other person, regardless of skin color, and so I think baseball players certainly saw their sport as a means by which to gain equal treatment. It's hard to imagine that these men would want that treatment simply for their own generation, and not for others to follow. Additionally, their actions during the Great Depression further show this commitment to future generations. The struggle to play wherever players could, even if that just meant barnstorming, show how they loved the game and how they wanted to keep the League going. There's little reason to continue such a big organization without the future in mind.
1) The illustrations were an awesome addition to the reading. Something that stood out to me about them was the low angle and thus larger size of the players. This is particularly evident in my favorite illustration on pg. 4 of Rube Foster. This illustration resonated with me the most because it really captures the business aspect of baseball. It also seems that Rube is a guardian of the entrance of the Negro Leagues as he stands in front of some players, which relates back to all the success that the Negro League had under his leadership.
ReplyDelete2) The metaphor using the mules to describe the baseball players in the Negro League seemed very fitting. In terms of organization, the league was a mess, contracts were commonly disregarded, and the players had an extremely difficult work schedule. They were absolutely the mules who also had to carry the wagon to church on sunday. While the players may have had a hope that baseball would one day become better for the players, I believe that the players did it because baseball was all they knew; they did it for the game. We've heard in class quotes about how the players never had a real job, but just played baseball. Therefore, I believe that the players worked so hard primarily because they loved baseball and knew nothing besides it.
1. The illustrations were definitely integral to the book. Something that stood out about them was the sheer size of the players pictured. It gave me a larger than life sense of the players. These guys were amazing ballplayers and the scale of the illustrations shows how baseball is defined by the people who play it and manage it. My favorite illustration was of the first night game in baseball circa 1932 (Pgs. 35-36). Again the scale of the illustration stands out to me, but this illustration also demonstrates the scale of Negro League baseball. The league was organized and respected, and creating the first lighting system in baseball is something to be proud of. The way the illustration is fixated on the glow and luster of the lights focuses on the accomplishments and successes of Negro League baseball.
ReplyDelete2. Paige’s quote is definitely reminiscent of what we have read so far about the Negro Leagues. They played up to four games a day, trying to maximize their and their owners’ profits as much as possible. At the time, this was the only way to make survivable money playing baseball. It tested the players’ passion and love for the game. However, as owners experienced and tried out new ways to make better money, schedules became less ridiculous. In this way the players were no doubt tearing up the landscape of baseball for future generations. They were the mules that had it worst shaping baseball, so that down the line it became more profitable and made the struggle of the Negro Leagues more reasonable and livable.
The illustrations bring the words to life. My favorite one was the fold out of the ticket on the front and the two teams playing in the world series on the inside. A Negro League World Series was unheard of at the time and I think think illustrator did a great job of bringing the authors words to life. Througout the first few innings the author touched on some points that were hard to believe, such as: the limited access the black players ad to food, water, and shelter. I thought te illustrations depicted that great.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote refers to the hard work and suffering that the black players are going through for future generations to integrate black players into the Major Leagues. Rube Foster was an owner/player who was the man who started the Negro leagues as well as the one who provided money for his team to dress well and travel well to the games. This was because he had hopes of integrating baseball and this was why he started the Negro leagues.
The illustrations gave us a view into the world of Negro League baseball. I think the pictures were really successful because, besides from being extremely well drawn, they showed that Negro League baseball was just that: baseball. They still played in stadiums, and had uniforms, and took buses and trains to their next game. My favorite picture was the one on page 27, titled "Willie Foster and young fans." This picture showed that the Negro Leagues gave young African-American children hope that they would still get to play professional baseball when they were older, even if it wasn't in the Major Leagues.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely an interesting line from Satchel Paige. They black players had to suffer a lot of discrimination, on and off the field, but they knew that it was an unavoidable situation for them in that day, and they went through it so that future generations could play in the Majors. They were determined to prove themselves to the white owners and players in the Major Leagues, so that at some point, when America was ready, baseball could be integrated.
The illustrations really added to the story being told. It was amazing to see the images of great ballplayers that were being discussed. My favorite was the illustration of Satchel Paige that follows his description. He is described as being extremely skinny with long dangling arms, and the illustration captures that perfectly. Something else about it that really captured me was the difference in detail between him and the crowd. Paige was shown in such high detail that you could see every wrinkle, yet the crowd was simply a mass of shapes, exemplifying his celebrity status and how he was the focal point of baseball whenever he pitched.
ReplyDeleteThe players in the Leagues were treated horribly and it is amazing that they were still able to overcome those actions simply because they loved the game that much. All of the players were worked very hard by such managers as Rube Foster, in order to show that they were professional just like those teams in the Major Leagues. It was through the hard work of those players that baseball integration was made possible, as they were the ones paving the way for someone to finally break the color barrier in baseball. They were the ones being worked so that someday, probably not in their playing careers, someone from their league would be able to enter into (formerly) white baseball.
Since the Negro Leagues existed in a time where photography was not able to display important details in a picture, these paintings really help to capture the spirit of baseball that high definition photography is able to do for the game today. The illustrations in We Are The Ship enhance the story by providing a context for what happened during the Negro Leagues. These illustrations all show the viewer exactly who the people are with extensive detail. My favorite picture is the one of Rube Roster. I believe this painting does a great job at portraying his character. He was a very smart man who knew how to get what he wanted. His facial expression gives off lots of self confidence. The pipe also gives off an element of sophistication which exemplifies who Rube Foster was.
ReplyDeleteThe Negro League players worked very hard in order to keep their seasons going, especially with the barnstorming tactic. If the players are the mules, I believe that they are also the farmers because they are choosing to play and go through these rough conditions simply because they love to play the game and they would rather endure these conditions than work in a factory. I think they did do it for the future of the game in hopes that one day a racially diverse league would exist, but also because they all loved to play the game of baseball.
I think that the pictures were the most important and meaningful aspect of this book. As interesting as the text was describing the pictures, the pictures are what made it stand out. It put the text into a sort of real context that we could all relate to seeing as the pictures are both realistic and telling of the story. More than anything, the pictures give context to what is happening during the expansion of the Negro Leagues and the emergence of Jackie Robinson. The most moving picture for me comes on page 27, the picture of Willie Foster and his young fans. I loved this picture because of the artistic qualities and the attention to detail but also because it shows that baseball is loved by all ages and throughout the country. The universal liking is shown here and it makes it a special picture from this book.
ReplyDeleteMy ideas on this line are like many of my classmates as I believe that if the players were the mules, the owners and those who profit from their hard work would be the farmers. I think another possibility for the farmers would be the white people of that time. Not only are they able to keep baseball secluded, but they in turn get to watch both leagues without restraint whereas African Americans still are not able to play in the Major Leagues and hardly any African American fans watch the major league teams play. I do believe that if the players were "tearing up the landscape" that they were indeed doing it for future generations. I believe that the Negro leagues were created for the purpose of allowing African Americans to play ball, but also to allow for a feeder league into the majors. When the white people watch some of these men play, that's when we know good things are going to come. The Negro leagues exposed the true talent of African Americans throughout the nation.
The illustrations were a really fun and interesting part of the book that I enjoyed to look at. The paintings almost are more realistic than the few photos you see of the Negro Leagues because photography was not great back then. I especially like the photo of the night game in 1932. It is extremely interesting to think that the Negro Leagues played night games before the major leagues. It is almost comical to see what the first lights for baseball games looked like and how poorly lit the playing fields were.
ReplyDeleteI believe the quote partially refers to night games being integrated in the negro leagues. This is because when night games started, it did not mean that players played games at night instead of during the day. PLayers would play night games in addition to day games. This is similar to a mule having to work all week and then work even on Sunday when everyone is going to church. There was no break for Negro League baseball players. THe farmers in this situation would have to be the owners. The owners are the ones making the players work without breaks and trying to maximize profits. These terrible conditions did help future generations greatly. The players were able to play through the conditions and show their love for the game. This eventually helped owners in the Majors recognize their talent and ultimately let them play with white players.
The illustration in the book gives the players recognition that was exactly given to them when they were plating in the Negro Leagues. They were detailed and full of different color. The one that intrigued me especially was that of the Colored World Series. It flashes an enormous ticket of from the game and then opens up tot eh first teams that participated in the Colored World Series. It illuminates how enormous this series was to the teams of the Negro Leagues, similar to how the world series is viewed today.
ReplyDeleteThis line expresses the nature of baseball during the late 1800’s. The mules were the players and the farmers were obviously the owners. In the novel there were owners that are shown to be tough on their players. Especially, owners like Rube Foster were the pioneers of Negro Leagues and this toughness was so that the players had the same discipline as if they were in the majors. This discipline then changed the players to win in anyway possible. They were the mules so that in the future, it would be easy for blacks to enter in the majors without complications.
1. The illustrations help enhance the stories of Negro League baseball by capturing specific moments that mad the Negro Leagues unique. For instance, the illustration on pages 36 and 37 helps enhance the story of night games being started by the Negro Leagues by giving the reader a visual of what the experience was like. My favorite picture is on page 22 with all the players having fun on the bus. I liked this picture the most because I felt like it captured the life on a player in the Negro Leagues the best, constantly on a bus driving from city to city.
ReplyDelete2. I believe Paige compared the players in the Negro Leagues to a "mule" because he was trying to say how the players worked so hard and received very little recognition or gratitude for their hard work. The farmers would have been the audience/fans in my opinion because they reeked the benefits of the hard work and long day the players had by being able to enjoy the game. I do not think that the players were aware they were setting the stage for future black baseball players, but the players did have a chip on their shoulder and wanted to prove that they were not just as good as white players, but even better.
The illustrations in this book are amazing. The variety of the drawings surprises me as well as the quality. The different types of paintings in the book really let you into the life of the players. They illustrate the parts of the story as they are happening, making it easy for a visual learner like me to understand what is going on. The two pictures that I like the most are the picture on page 28 and the one on page 22. The depiction on page 28 is really wonderful to me because of the detail in the drawing. The way that the shadows are in the foreground and the light gradually becomes stronger is really great. I like the painting on 22 as well because it just shows a group of a bunch of happy people despite the fact that their lives on the road are so hard.
ReplyDeleteI think that Satchel Paige describes the players of the Negro Leagues as mules because of the fact that they worked so hard for so much less reward that the white players. It could be because of the fact that the Negro Leagues were a lot more aggressive than white baseball. The book mentions that the players would routinely sharpen their spikes, the pitchers would throw at the batter's head etc in the Negro Leagues making the sport a lot more dangerous to play but the players are still getting paid a fraction of the amount that whites were getting. Another possible reason for the mule reference is because the players had nowhere to sleep. This meant that they would get little or no sleep on a nightly basis and then have to go and play four games the next day, making life extremely difficult for the black player.
1. I think that the illustrations enhanced the story by giving the reader a visual. This, combined with the written text, created a whole experience and made it more than just a book - it gave the story a real attitude, a personality, and it brought the story to life. The stature of most of the figures in the pictures is extremely tall and imposing. I noticed that the images seem to be from a low perspective, as if the view of a child. But I feel that the purpose of this portrayal is not to be frightening or intimidating, but rather to show confidence and a sense of pride that was reflective of the Negro League players' feelings about the sport.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite illustration was the image of the black players from Rube Foster's team getting off of their train on pages 6 and 7. The figures in this image have a very distinct air of nonchalance. I liked reading that these players were afforded the opportunity for some luxury in spite of their position in society during that time.
I also would like to mention the images on pages 4, 20, and 27 (I especially like the addition of the young fans in this one). These were the main images that I was referring to in my discussion of imposing confidence and perspective. These factors, as well as the way that the figures are dressed (black suits), contribute to the attitude that is conveyed by the story.
2. Satchel Paige's quote serves as a powerful metaphor for what the players in the Negro Leagues had to endure in order to play their beloved game. They led a harsh life filled with long days and discrimination, and in the end, they usually had very little to nothing to show for it. The owners of the teams, officials, and anyone else who managed to unfairly reap some sort of benefit from the Negro Leagues are the so-called farmers in this metaphor, as the players were the mules who did everything and more for them in exchange for scant rewards. However, I believe that their perseverance serves as an indicator of their dedication and a reminder of what purpose one should play the game for. The players were indeed shaping the game for future generations as well. They suffered the pains of segregation in the realm of baseball so that posterity would not have to. And, they paved the way to a fully integrated league and country.
What struck me the most about the illustrations, was (similarly to Kristi's comment) the angle. The artist drew the men in a way that made it look like we are standing bellow them, but while still showing their entire body with even proportions. This made the characters look intimidating, and also like they have the highest status and are dominant. This pairs perfectly with the text because of the descriptions of what these players had to go through, and all of the work they had to put in to achieve what they wanted. Even without the drawings, after reading this, if I were to meet one of these men I would be very intimidated. That said, I do not think that they were drawn with unkind faces or to look mean, they just give off a sense of impressive power.
ReplyDeleteI, like Megan, really liked the drawing on page 23. This illustration showed a much different side from what was being described and portrayed in the other pictures, and it was nice to see these formidable men smiling as well as staring impressively down at me. It helped emphasize why they chose to go through what they did in order to play baseball: they really loved the game.
I agree with what everyone else has said about the quote, that it serves to embody what the players had to go through. This is particularly emphasized in contrast to the leagues that white people played in, which were much less rough to begin with, but also didn't face the same discrimination. The black players were on their own and had to work much harder (hence the "During the week and on Sunday") than the white players.
The illustrations enhance "We are the Ship" greatly because rather than imagining what Negro league baseball looked like it is extremely helpful to see visuals. All of illustrations done by Kadir Nelson seem to capture the hardships of playing in the negro leagues, but also the fun and enjoyment the players felt. My favorite image is on page 27. I like it because it shows Willie Foster alongside young baseball enthusiasts. He is three times their size, but they all share a love for baseball.
ReplyDeleteThis quote from Satchel Paige seems truthful. The players of the negro leagues not only dealt with an insane amount of traveling, but also faced discrimination in hotels and restaurants. If the players were the mules then probably the owners of the teams would be seen as the farmers. However, some owners treated their players well and the book also says that the owners were not making very much money. I believe they were indeed working for future generations.