Review by Karen Ackermann
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Playing locally in 1894, Louis Francis Sockalexis (1871-1913) was noticed by the Holy Cross College's baseball team captain and recruited for the school. He excelled at more than just baseball. His exceptional speed made him a valuable member of the track team and he was a star on the football team. Based on his amazing athletic performance, Sockalexis signed with the Warren Spiders in northern Maine. His next stop was the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. He was expelled from the school, however, after an evening of drinking and "redecorating" the interior of a saloon. In early 1897, Sockalexis joined the Cleveland, Ohio, baseball team (which almost immediately became known as the Cleveland Indians) and had his glorious season of baseball. Sockalexis, a Native American from Maine and the grandson of a Penobscot chief, was the first Indian professional baseball player to acknowledge his race. Players were generally known for their hard drinking, and Sockalexis was no different, but problems with alcohol dogged him. His role on the team in 1898 was nearly nonexistent. By 1899, he was out of the major leagues. His history becomes harder to trace soon after the turn of the century. He may have played for some time in the minor leagues. He did return to his hometown in Maine, where he died. The author treats the story of Louis Sockalexis's meteoric rise and swift fall with compassion. Interweaving the biography with the history of baseball and general U.S. history, he creates a fascinating narrative focused on the 1890s. |
