Entry 15

After the season was over Biddy and his dad were outside on the porch talking about his future. Biddy stated he was bored of the subject, so his dad had an idea. He said you want to play catch and Biddy said “sure.” So his dad went to the shed and brought out one of his old gloves. Biddy thought it was one of the most raggedy gloves in the world; they still played catch until it was time for dinner.

All in all, the book Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues was a funny, serious, and a interesting book. I learned a lot about black people while reading this book. At first the book starts off boring but as I continued to read on and ask my dad what certain phrase meant or thing they were talking about I began to understand and surprising enjoy the book more. The book kept me trying to imagine on every page what was going to happen next, and I was always wrong. This book was very educational for me I learned many lessons about life and myself. I would recommend this book to people who like baseball and people who like books that are based on a true story.

Entry 14

Biddy was talking with his mom and said “that maybe he wouldn’t stay with the barons next season.” He told her he would maybe apply for a job at the steel mill. She asked him if that was the only job he was interested in. Biddy said “Charlie Richards is going into the navy and he was thinking about going with him.”  Biddy’s mom said “she would hate to see him go away for such a long time.” Then her eye started to tear up and Biddy knew she didn’t want him to go in the Navy.

Later that evening the entire family retired to the porch as usually after supper. I waited for Aunt Jackie to ask who wants pie, after everyone says yes and starts to eat their pie. Biddy's dad asked him how he liked his 1st season of baseball. Then Biddy said “I liked it just fine but I was not sure if I was going to do it again next season.”

Then things changed a lot at his house. Everybody was talking about him going to college even though he wasn’t sure if he was going or not. Rachel’s piano teacher knows the registrar at Talladega College and he called him to talk about me. To find out if he was interested in coaching their college baseball team they would give him a scholarship in return for working for the schools baseball team. Biddy said yes, to the offer.

Entry 13

Minnie Minoso

All of the baseball players felt sad. Biddy said if a baseball player dies especially a great one like Babe Ruth died it was like someone in your family died. After all those games they played a doubleheader against the New York Cubans at Rockwood. The Cubans had a lot of Spanish baseball players and they were very good. They spoke in Spanish around the infield so no one understood.

If you hit a ball into the infield you were out. According to Biddy their infield was as slick as anything. They split the doubleheader with the Cubans. Piper took out the regulars and put in the bad people. He said it was clear they weren’t going to win both halves of the season.

Entry 12

What I read about today is  2 industrial leagues came in from Mobile, Alabama the barons played 5 innings against of them. They had a kid that was batboy for both teams. He was 14 and he took a few swings at batting practice. The kid he’s got 2 first names Hank and Aaron. He didn’t know how to hold the bat he was right handed and put his left hand at the top.

Biddy told him he would break his wrists if he kept on hitting like that.  But he kept on doing it and on one practice pitch Biddy thought he was going to but he didn’t. Biddy told Piper about him and said he wasn’t very bright. Then in the middle of the second 5 inning game they announced over the loudspeaker that Babe Ruth had died. Then they asked everybody to stand for a moment of silence.

Entry 11

What I read about today is Piper being sure that the Monarchs are going to win the 2nd half of the season. He told Biddy he didn’t know if they were trying to impress white scouts or get into the Negro World Series. Then the Barons played 3 games against Asheville Blues. They won all of them easily. The Blues only got one good hit and that was from a player called big cat brown.

When Willie didn’t catch it big cat brown did his homerun trot and Willie got the ball and threw him out. Then he had his birthday on August 12th. Then on the 13th he went to Monroe, Louisiana. Biddy said that it was so hot you couldn’t walk a few steps without sweat pouring down your face. Piper let Bobby Robinson play so he could play against his little brother and that got Willie Mays mad.