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90% Critic Match
Only the Ball Was White
“An Inspirational Documentary About the Forgotten Athletes of Baseball's Negro League”
9.0 / 10• 1980• 30m•G• English
Documentary
Storyline
Throughout the 1900's, before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1946, black baseball talent blossomed in the Negro Leagues. Baseball buffs still sing the praises of Josh Gibson who could be counted on to hit 70 homeruns in a season, and Satchel Paige who pitched over 100 no-hitters in his career. Only the Ball Was White pays tribute to the many topflight players from the Negro Leagues. Narrated by actor Paul Winfield, the program documents a bygone bittersweet era in baseball and the men who were denied stardom by the color line. Ballplayers throughout the country were interviewed for this program, all of them quick to tell tales of the life, the competition, and the camaraderie. These include: Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Buck Leonard, Jimmy Crutchfield, David Malarcher, Effa Manley, and Quincy Trouppe.
Cast & Crew
Paul Winfield
Narrator
LeadEM
Effa Manley
Self
DN
Don Newcombe
Self
Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
Self
BL
Buck Leonard
Self
JC
Jimmie Crutchfield
Self
RC
Roy Campanella
Self
SH
Sam Hairston
Self
What People Are Saying
5.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Ken Solarz's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
5.0
“Every frame feels alive. Only the Ball Was White is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
