Atlantic Books

Atlantic Books

Enter your postal code to locate your nearest local book seller and library:

The Boys of ’62: transcending the racial divide (Limited Second Edition)

The Boys of '62: transcending the racial divide (Limited Second Edition)

Vaughan Furriers Maritime Junior Baseball Champions By (author):
Consultant editor:
Associate editor:
Designed by:

The Boys of ‘62: transcending the racial divide; -SECOND LIMITED EDITION by Frank Mitchell –
256 pp., pb, photos, news clippings, 40+ bios, indexed. A remarkable story of dedication, perseverance in sport and racial harmony when racial intolerance andsocial upheaval dominated the North American landscape. With an equal number of black (African-Canadian) and white players, they transcended racial barriers and dominated Atlantic junior baseball n the summer of 1962, and... Read More

The Boys of ‘62: transcending the racial divide; -SECOND LIMITED EDITION by Frank Mitchell –
256 pp., pb, photos, news clippings, 40+ bios, indexed. A remarkable story of dedication, perseverance in sport and racial harmony when racial intolerance andsocial upheaval dominated the North American landscape. With an equal number of black (African-Canadian) and white players, they transcended racial barriers and dominated Atlantic junior baseball n the summer of 1962, and subsequently dedicated themselves to mentoring generations of youth, earning the respect and support of their communities and province. 2nd EDITION: Three new chapters: Roy Hobb’s
World Series, Lt. Governor’s reception & Sport Hall of Fame about this celebrated team. A NS also Baseball Hall of Fame team with 55 years in sport and as role models within their communities; nominated for Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for 2010 -and inducted into the Maritime Sport Hall of Fame in 2015. One of the first truly racially integrated sports teams in Canada.

Book details

Page length: 256 Publication Date: 2009-06-10 Book Subjects: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Sports Publisher: New World Publishing ISBN: 9781895814378 Language: English

Editorial reviews

"Editorial Reviews Boys of 62 A championship baseball team that wrote the book on breaking the color barrier by Joel Jacobson Half the guys were black half of them were white but I dont think they ever realized the differences although the society in the early 1960s certainly did There was no divide among them they accepted each other simply for who they were a good story for our society today it tells the story of who they were as individuals not just baseball players The reconstituted team now mostly 66 will compete at the Roy Hobbs World series next month in Ft Myers Florida Chronicle Herald Nov 32008Youre never too old to play ball by Joel Jacobson Frank Mitchell author of The Boys of 62 played against the Furriers team through the late fifties into the sixties but the former teacher and senior administrator is helping organize the team for the Roy Hobbs World Series and will be a playing coachfield manager next month The book a fascinating 200 page history follows the team which was 111 in championship play as well as the lives of all 23 players and coaches Gary Furlotte throws curves with a snap his easy motion and sharp ball movement fool the decades younger batters in an exhibition game at the Mainland Commons the hearts are willing but the intensity and desire are still strong This sure puts the kid back in you says Dave Duffy and Jim McDonald complains his knees and legs are different but Im excited about this Coach and former flame throwing lefty Gord MacInnis says the players enthusiasm is unparalleled age will not dull our competitive drive ChronicleHerald Bright Spot Oct 31 2008Three More Editorial Reviews Boys of 62 First EditionA championship baseball team that wrote the book on breaking the color barrier by Joel JacobsonHalf the guys were black half of them were white but I dont think they ever realized the differences although the society in the early 1960s certainly did There was no divide among them they accepted each other simply for who they were a good story for our society today it tells the story of who they were as individuals not just baseball players The reconstituted team now mostly 66 will compete at the Roy Hobbs World series next month in Ft Myers Florida Chronicle Herald Nov 32008Youre never too old to play ball by Joel Jacobson Frank Mitchell author of The Boys of 62 played against the Furriers team through the late fifties into the sixties but the former teacher and senior administrator is helping organize the team for the Roy Hobbs World Series and will be a playing coachfield manager next month The book a fascinating 200 page history follows the team which was 111 in championship play as well as the lives of all 23 players and coaches Gary Furlotte throws curves with a snap his easy motion and sharp ball movement fool the decades younger batters in an exhibition game at the Mainland Commons the hearts are willing but the intensity and desire are still strong This sure puts the kid back in you says Dave Duffy and Jim McDonald complains his knees and legs are different but Im excited about this Coach and former flame throwing lefty Gord MacInnis says the players enthusiasm is unparalleled age will not dull our competitive drive ChronicleHerald Bright Spot Oct 31 2008Vaughan Furriers a history of their own by Tom Moore Roy Hobbs Baseball What began in the 1950s when a guy by the name of Graham Downey assembled a youth baseball team that broke the color barrier in Nova Scotia has resulted in a reunion of old friends in Ft Myers 46 years later They brought their own biographer with them Frank Mitchell player coach who is planning a second book in June09 chronicling the teams adventures from 1957 to 2009 including the Roy Hobbs and the Lt Governors reception upon returning home Other players included outfielder Dave Downey who held the Canadian middleweight boxing title for over 11 years while Wayne Maxner former shortstop for the team played in the old six team NHL for the Boston Bruins and later coached the Detroit Red Wings But this was about baseball the game everyone loved including retired RCMP Mountie Wayne Ross who traveled all the way from the British Columbia mountains for the tournament The team was honored in 2007 not only for their baseball achievements but for their contribution to youth and to their communities for four decades It is an inspirational storyRHWS Inside Pitch also on RHWS website Nov17 2008"

K-12 teacher information

Grade Range: 11, 12Curriculum Subject: English Curriculum Subjects (All), Physical Education, Social Studies (All), Social Studies - African Canadian StudiesProvincial Focus: NS

Age and reading level details

Interest age: 12 - 17

Excerpts, Samples, and Guides

PrologueThe period from the early fifties to the midsixties was the time frame for the first edition of this book which coincided with the period of civil rights protests in the USA and similar but perhaps less confrontational changes in Canada It follows the team until late in 2007 The Limited Second Edition updates the exploits of this team and its members to 2009 The early 60s was the time of Rosa Parks and the bus company of Montgomery Alabama the march confrontation and bloodshed at Selma the confrontation between Gov George Wallace and John F Kennedy where the president used federal legislation and the National Guard to permit blacks to enroll in white universities as well as Dr Martin Luther King Jrs march on Washington and his famous I have a dream speech Much of the impetus for desegregation and hence integration was based on the Brown vs the Board of Education 1954 argued by Thurgood Marshall where the unanimous landmark decision by the Justice Earl Warrenled US Supreme Court ruled that separate education was inherently unequal treatment and inferior education under the equal treatment clause of the 14th Amendment This was also time of the official separation of races in many southern states However the ruling on Brown opened the way for the integration and civil rights movements It did not however remove violence as the Klu Klux Klan was still operating and there were the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy Dr Martin Luther King and the crippling of Gov George WallaceIn Nova Scotia there were segregated seating areas in many theatres no service in certain restaurants while some barber shops would not cut the hair of blacks Other discrimination in housing education and employment was more subtle but no less damaging to the aspirations of the AfricanCanadian population or as they were then known as the coloureds It was also a cyclical and perpetuating discrimination where blacks were denied employment based on their training or education but then received a poorer quality education or lowered expectations within school systems One landmark case in Canada albeit a few years earlier 1948 than the U S decision but rather closer to home involved Viola Desmond1 who was refused a ticket for a whites only section in a New Glasgow NS theatre The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia rulesd against her on a technicality but it would subsequently bring about landmark changes in this country for equal access for blacks to public facilities and services In 2012 the government of Nova Scotia officially pardoned and apologized to Ms Desmond in a special ceremonyBut as a reader you might ask What has this to do with sport baseball or this book Well the short answer is that segregation in sport existed as well although the barriers eventually broke down faster in sport than in the society as whole and the Vaughan Furriers were an important part of those changesBlack players were not permitted on white teams so consequently the Coloured League hockey was formed in Nova Scotia producing some great teams and many exceptional players In fact the Coloured League existed nine years before Lord Stanley put his famous cup up for competition in 1893 for whites only whereas the Coloured League in Nova Scotia had begun in 1885 The same was true for professional baseball with the existence of the Negro Leagues south of the border In Nova Scotia the Black Leagues or individual allblack teams in both sports continued right up to the midto later fifties with several of the Furriers 1962 team members being connected with such teams earlier in their own lives a few of the Furriers players even played or had close relatives on these famous early teamsQuality black players in both baseball and hockey such as New Brunswicks Willie ORee who eventually broke the NHLs colour bar with the Boston Bruins and Manny MacIntyre who along with Herb and Ossie Carnegie played on a single line with the Quebec Aces during Jean Belliveaus time They were dubbed the Black Aces2 and although they were great players discrimination held them back limited their possibilities in professional sports Many readers are cetainly well aware of ORees and MacIntyres abilities in hockey few likely knew they were very good in baseball as well3 But major league baseballs training camps were all in the deep south as were some of their ballparks The midfifties was still a time of official segregation in the south so hockey wound up as the sport of choice for them as the north including Canada was somewhat less discriminatory than the southern USA In Halifax in the late fiftiesearly sixties opportunities for blacks in employment access to higher education as well as many walks of life were limited but the players on the RangersVaughan Furriers were perhaps unaware of it They had grown up with blacks and whites in the same neighbourhoods who played together attended school together spent time in each others homes So when the Vaughan Furriers went to recruit additional players to build a championship team they asked other white players to join them It seemed natural to them but in doing so they transcended the social and racial divide performing a kind of reverse integration 4 that at the time seemed impossible in many segments of the larger society As Jason Bruce wrote in 2007 Although they wouldnt realize it for decades the Vaughan Furriers were trailblazers in 1962 51 3 Northern Sandlots A Social History of Maritime Baseball by Colin D Howell PhD 1995 University of Toronto Press pp 1823 2 wwwblackhistorysocietycaBlack Aces Hockey4 Colour Blind CTV news documentary March2007 wwwyoutubecom5 Jason Bruce See the initial paragraph on the back cover jacket of this book

Get the book

Enter your postal code to locate your nearest local book seller and library:
Check digital book availability at your public library
Check availability at your local book seller
View more Atlantic book sellers
Buy online from the publisher
Buy online

$18.95

    Description

    The Boys of ‘62: transcending the racial divide; -SECOND LIMITED EDITION by Frank Mitchell –
    256 pp., pb, photos, news clippings, 40+ bios, indexed. A remarkable story of dedication, perseverance in sport and racial harmony when racial intolerance andsocial upheaval dominated the North American landscape. With an equal number of black (African-Canadian) and white players, they transcended racial barriers and dominated Atlantic junior baseball n the summer of 1962, and subsequently dedicated themselves to mentoring generations of youth, earning the respect and support of their communities and province. 2nd EDITION: Three new chapters: Roy Hobb’s
    World Series, Lt. Governor’s reception & Sport Hall of Fame about this celebrated team. A NS also Baseball Hall of Fame team with 55 years in sport and as role models within their communities; nominated for Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for 2010 -and inducted into the Maritime Sport Hall of Fame in 2015. One of the first truly racially integrated sports teams in Canada.

    Additional information

    Dimensions 9 × 400 in