George G Pawlush

Dawn and Dusk of the Colonial League George G Pawlush

The dreams of many returning World War II veterans, optimistic baseball promoters, and recent high-school graduates were set into motion more than 70 years ago with the formation of the Colonial League, a Class B minor-league circuit that operated from 1947 to 1950 in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey cities. For war vets who lost valuable playing years serving in the military, the Colonial offered a long-shot chance to make the minor leagues. It also attracted players who had brief call-ups to the majors during the war, but now were expendable as veterans returned to reclaim their roster spots. These groups were joined by talented young Latin American players, making their debuts in Organized Baseball, and seasoned black players, who were now breaking into the minor and major leagues after being denied this opportunity for so many years. In the Colonial's inaugural 1947 season, there were only 17 black players on minor league teams across the United States; six of these players played in the Colonial League. The book is a blend of local history, post-war baseball, labor strife, bouncing paychecks, a team bus with no brakes and much fascinating detail.