Jackie Robinson’s signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 opened the door for black ballplayers in the major leagues and was a landmark in civil rights in the United States. For the first time, whites were spurred to identify with blacks on the playing field. But the racial barriers that had been the culture of baseball for half a century did not come down so easily. This revelatory chronicle illuminates the real and painful struggles of the black players who followed Jackie Robinson into the major and minor leagues from 1947 through 1968. Some went on to Hall of Fame careers, while others have been nearly forgotten, but they all played a pivotal role in the agonizing struggle to integrate America—a role that has gone largely unsung until now.

Carrying Jackie’s Torch collects the personal and heartrending accounts of the racism—mixed with a begrudged appreciation for their tremendous talents— these players encountered both on and off the field. Larry Doby talks about the burden of coming second—he joined Bill Veeck’s Cleveland Indians only 11 weeks after Robinson broke the color barrier. Four of his teammates refused to shake his hand. Frank Robinson shares how it felt to lead the Cincinnati Reds to the 1961 pennant only to be denied entrance to the club hosting the team’s postgame party. Alvin Jackson explains why, after years of enduring insults, he finally yelled back at a white woman who screamed slurs from the stands. Author Steve Jacobson draws from his nearly halfcentury of sports reporting to celebrate the remarkable skill these 20 athletes displayed on the field and the significant role baseball—America’s game— played in tearing down the walls of segregation.