History of Negro League Baseball in the United States

Imagine being the best at what you do but you have been told you cannot and are not allowed to do that thing for various reasons (like the color of your skin).

For the protagonist of our play, Fences by August Wilson, this is the very problem Troy Maxson has faced for most of his life. Born to unsuccessful sharecroppers at the turn of the 20th century, Troy's story - one half full of hope and half filled with disappointment in life - follows him as he recalls his once promising career opportunity as a baseball player to his current role as a garbage truck driver. His story spans generations of Black lives specifically his two sons who grew up believing that they could achieve their dream without question. 

Throughout Fences, the Maxon family struggles with the harsh realities of what it means to be African American in a pre-Civil Rights, Jim Crow era and beyond. 

Your organization has commissioned you to head into the field and compile a high-stakes Historical Scouting Report. Just as a professional scout evaluates an athlete’s physical tools and mental makeup to see if they fit a major league roster, you will evaluate the historical landscape of 1950s Pittsburgh to determine how it shaped the 'players' of our play.

Your mission is to investigate the 'field conditions' of the Negro Leagues, the 'stats' of legends who never got their shot, and the 'scouting barriers' created by Jim Crow segregation. You will then synthesize your findings into a formal report that analyzes how these historical pressures influenced Troy Maxson’s 'character' and the specific baseball metaphors he uses to navigate his life. Your final report must prove how the ghosts of the Negro Leagues still haunt the Maxson household, dictating whether his family will hit a home run or strike out in the face of a changing America.

As you prepare your final scouting report, please sure to include the following metrics: 

• Metric 1: Field Conditions (The Environment). Research the specific limitations of the Negro Leagues versus the Major Leagues during Troy's prime. How did the "playing field" of the 1930s-40s differ from 1957?
• Metric 2: Player Profiles (The Comparisons). Profile one real-life legend (like Josh Gibson or Satchel Paige) and explain how their career trajectory serves as a "projection" for Troy’s own lost potential.
• Metric 3: The Intangibles (Metaphor Analysis). Identify three instances where Troy uses scouting or baseball terminology (e.g., "fastballs," "the outside corner," "three strikes") to describe his tools for survival in a segregated society.
• Metric 4: The Final Recommendation. Based on your scouting, do you believe Troy’s "fence" is a defensive tool to protect his son from a rigged game, or an error in judgment that prevents his family from scoring?

The following links are resources to help you to develop your scouting report on the Maxson family. You may use additional resources as well.

Process Resources: "The Scouting Intel"

1st Base: The "Field Conditions" (History & Jim Crow)

• The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM)

  Jim Crow Laws - National Park Service: consider laws regarding "Amateur Baseball" and "Public Parks" 

• Jackie Robinson & The Color Line (Library of Congress): 
• Timeline of Integration in Sports
• The Tragedy of the Negro Leagues

2nd Base : The "Player Profiles" (real baseball players)

• Satchel Paige - MLB.com Legends
• Josh Gibson: The Black Babe Ruth: Troy mentions Gibson several times in the play. This site helps students understand why Gibson is a tragic figure in baseball history.

3rd Base: The "Scouting Glossary" 

• Baseball Terminology Guide

I. THE HISTORICAL FIELD (Research & Context)

• The Barrier: Based on your research into the Negro Leagues, describe one specific hardship (travel, pay, or the 'Color Line') that Troy would have faced in the 1930s.
• The Prediction: How do you think surviving this hardship has affected Troy's personality? Will he be resilient or resentful?

II. PLAYER COMPARISON (The Legend)

• The Shadow of Josh Gibson: Troy mentions Josh Gibson (the "Black Babe Ruth"). Research Gibson’s life.
• The Prediction: If Troy saw a legend like Gibson struggle to get into the Major Leagues, how do you think Troy will react when his son, Cory, wants to play college football in a newly integrated world?

III. EVALUATING THE "LIFELONG LINEUP" (Metaphor Analysis)

• The Quote: Look at this early quote from Troy: "Death ain't nothing but a fastball on the outside corner."
• The Prediction: Based on this metaphor, does Troy view life as something to be enjoyed or something to be battled? Explain why.

IV. THE PROJECTION (Final Forecast)

• The Fence Theory: We know the play is called Fences. At this early stage, do you predict the "fence" Troy is building is meant to:
  • A) Protect his family from the racism he experienced?
  • B) Keep his family trapped under his control?
• The "Why": Provide one piece of historical evidence from your research to support your prediction.

Scouts, you have successfully mapped the rough terrain of 1950s Pittsburgh and the ghost-filled dugouts of the Negro Leagues. You now have a 'scouting report' on the world that built Troy Maxson—a world of high barriers, unwritten rules, and missed opportunities. 

As you move forward into the heart of the play, keep your scouting reports handy. You’ve researched the literal 'fastball on the outside corner' and the literal 'fences' of the Jim Crow era. Now, watch how August Wilson turns those historical facts into a language of survival for Troy and his family. 

As you continue to read the play, consider:

• Is it possible for a person like Troy to truly move on from the "game" when the rules were rigged against him for so long?
• Does knowing the history of the Negro Leagues make you more sympathetic to Troy’s choices, or less?

The game isn't over when the final out is called. The history you’ve uncovered today is the foundation for every word Troy speaks. Carry this knowledge with you as you witness the Maxson family’s struggle to find their own home plate.