New Children's Book Tells Untold Native Baseball Story
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New children’s book tells untold Native baseball story
Author Traci Sorell and illustrator Arigon Starr bring the 1911 World Series to life
- DIANNA HUNT
A new illustrated children's book, "Contenders," by Cherokee author Traci Sorell and artist/writer/musician Arigon Starr, Kickapoo, examines the two Native players who faced off in the 1911 World Series and the taunts and slurs they endured that continue today. The book was released in 2023. (Cover illustration courtesy of Penguin Random House)
Dianna Hunt
ICT
It was dubbed the Indian World Series, with everything you’d find at a World Series today.
War whoops. Tomahawks. Painted faces. Racial slurs.
The two Indigenous players in the midst of that storied game in 1911 — pitcher Charles Bender and catcher John Meyers — are now featured in a new illustrated children’s book by acclaimed Cherokee author and poet Traci Sorell and Kickapoo illustrator/writer/musician/actress Arigon Starr.
The book, “Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series,” examines the 1911 series from a historical perspective but also presents the ongoing insults and slurs that Native players in a multitude of sports have endured for more than 100 years.
Sorell and Starr brought a shared love of baseball inspired by their mothers to the project, as well as a desire to tell the untold story.
For the full story follow this link
https://ictnews.org/news/new-childrens-book-tells-untold-native-baseball-story
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Being Ojibwe from Minnesota, Albert Bender is a legend and my dad took me to meet him in the early 50s and that was the thrill of a lifetime for me (and my dad).
One of the great stories about Albert Bender was when they would scream racial insults at him he would walk up to the grandstand, cup his hands around his mouth, and with his booming voice would holler back.
''Foreigners, Foreigners''...
Albert Bender is in Cooperstown and John Meyer won the ''iron man'' title three times and played in four world series, his career ended when he joined the Marines in WWI.
LOL, he should have yelled illegal immigrants at them...
LOL, that would have been even better.
It's only a bit over 2 minutes but it's worth it...
The video is excellent but this is not the same Albert Bender that is in the article.
Oh... damn.
LOL
Nice. I don't think I ever heard about them.
Neither have I. Thanks Kavika!
A video on Native American Baseball I ran across a couple of years ago -
Both my dad and his brother signed a minor league contracts in 1941, then December 7th happened and they both gave up their hopes of playing professional baseball to join the military both in the Marines in the Pacific.
There are so many unknown stories involving Indians and finally we are now telling our own story.
Excellent video, EG.
This being Florida the chances of this book being removed seems to be fairly high, they said the word that scares many on the right, racism....OMG, the truth.
I thought that earlier but didn't want to say anything.
It will be interesting as the book seems to violate some of the nutty laws that Florida now has.
Yeah, just wait, it will be banned.
It had better not get banned. That would be a disgrace.
This is Florida, G. I'd bet it will even though it is for 6 to 9-year-olds.
This book to be removed from schools and libraries in 3…2…1…
How do you feel about the depictions in the movie "Major League", Kavika?
I did not see the movie but from what I've read it was about moving the team to Florida with references to the ''Indians'' Chief Noc a Homer the Happy Hunting Ground and that nonsense which I do not support at all.
Then you wouldn't have heard the drums and seen how the Cleveland fans made caricatures of themselves belittling the sacred symbolism of the headdress. Here is a screen shot from the movie.
The same old shit again, Buzz.
I suppose they think that they are ''honoring'' us as that is always the excuse that they use.
Benders lifetime major league won-lost record was 212-127 with a 2.46 ERA. In the 1910 and 1911 seasons he won 40 games with losing just 10 while compiling a .187 ERA
Meyers lifetime major league batting average was a respectful .291