he whites. However, after many unfortunate incidents, blacks were silently banned from playing major league baseball.In a racially segregated America that dictated a separate game for white and black fans, there necessarily developed two distinct baseball cultures. During this separation, baseball was not complete. The majority of Americans rode with the flow of the mainstream, following its course intently, with only an occasional excursion to see the flow of the parallel stream. "Thus, for a half-century, white Americans sat watching major league baseball, only vaguely aware of the shadowy world of black baseball that existed beyond the scope of their vision"(Riley, J. 1996). To most white baseball observers, black ballplayers were as unreal as the shadows on Plato's wall. In this world of reflected images there existed exceptionally talented players whose ability was unsurpassed anywhere. African Americans continued to play baseball by forming their own teams. All the teams "barnstormed", or traveled around, to find competition. At this time, there was no formal league to organize these teams. It was during the "barnstorming" era that the term, shadowball, came into being. During this time, the New York Lincoln Giants warmed up by playing something called shadowball. This activity had all the players pretending that they were hitting or pitching a ball. This act, before the games, really amused the crowds.In 1920, a former pitcher, Andrew "Rube" Foster, formed the first black league, called the Negro National League. Three years later, Ed Bolden formed the Eastern Colored League that rivaled Foster's league. The two leagues operated successfully for many years before falling victim to financial difficulties. Eventually, two new leagues were organized. A new Negro National League was formed in 1933 and the Negro American League was born in 1937. The champions of both leagues then played in a World Series to decide the real champion. A...
