{"product_id":"willies-boys-john-klima-9798887982106","title":"Willie's Boys: The 1948 Birmingham Black Barons, the Last Negro League World Series, and the Making of a Baseball Legend","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe story of Willie Mays's rookie year with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, the Last Negro World Series, and the making of a baseball legend\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays is one of baseball's endearing greats, a tremendously talented and charismatic center fielder who hit 660 career homeruns, collected 3,283 hits, knocked in 1,903 runs, won 12 Gold Glove Awards and appeared in 24 All-Star games. But before Mays was the \"Say Hey Kid\", he was just a boy. \u003ci\u003eWillie's Boys\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of his remarkable 1948 rookie season with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, who took a risk on a raw but gifted 16-year-old and gave him the experience, confidence, and connections to escape Birmingham's segregation, navigate baseball's institutional racism, and sign with the New York Giants. \u003ci\u003eWillie's Boys\u003c\/i\u003e offers a character-rich narrative of the apprenticeship Mays had at the hands of a diverse group of savvy veterans who taught him the ways of the game and the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSheds new light on the virtually unknown beginnings of a baseball great, not available in other books\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaptures the first incredible steps of a baseball superstar in his first season with the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduces the veteran group of Negro League players, including Piper Davis, who gave Mays an incredible apprenticeship season\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIlluminates the Negro League's last days, drawing on in-depth research and interviews with remaining players\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplores the heated rivalry between Mays's Black Barons and Buck O'Neil's Kansas City Monarchs, culminating in the last Negro League World Series\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBreaks new historical ground on what led the New York Giants to acquire Mays, and why he didn't sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, or Boston Red Sox\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePacked with stories and insights, \u003ci\u003eWillie's Boys\u003c\/i\u003e takes you inside an important part of baseball history and the development of one of the all-time greats ever to play the game.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e John Klima\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798887982106\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Trade Paper Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/01\/2009\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.99lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.72d","brand":"John Klima","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48241963696383,"sku":"9798887982106","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_6966f8cc-94de-4f16-a017-5819e5de3ee3.jpg?v=1772656810","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/willies-boys-john-klima-9798887982106","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}