Catching Dreams

My Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues

By: Frazier Robinson, Winnie Robinson

Narrated by: Korbid Thompson

In a rare memoir about the Negro Leagues and its celebrated players, Frazier "Slow" Robinson offers an inspiring and often entertaining view of the Black baseball diamond through a catcher's mask.

In 1939, at the age of 29 - after playing professional baseball for 12 years - Frazier Robinson caught the legendary Satchel Paige in barnstorming games from New Orleans to Walla Walla. Robinson played several more seasons in the Negro Leagues before finishing his career in Canada. While his career was a solid one, it was less spectacular than that of his friend and Hall-of-Famer, Satchel Paige, and so more typical of the experience of most Negro Leaguers.

Richly embroidered with the threads of Black society and of life as a Black athlete in a racially divided nation, Robinson recounts his long career with the skill and ease of a natural storyteller. He covers, in remarkable detail, the personal perspective of the men, the teams, and the times that shaped this uniquely American subculture. From playing catcher for obscure industrial teams to barnstorming with Satchel Paige, he chronologically traces his nationwide path through the 1920s, '30s, '40s, and early '50s.

The foreword by John "Buck" O'Neil and introduction by Gerald Early place Robinson squarely in the world of sports, African American culture, and American history.

The book is published by Syracuse University Press.

©1999 Syracuse University Press (P)2016 Redwood Audiobooks

Great baseball stories from the past

I absolutely loved "Catching Dreams: My Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues" by Frazier "Slow" Robinson. This is easily one of my favorite baseball audiobooks. Robinson reflects on his career in baseball, becoming accustomed to segregation, and discussing the eventual decline of the negro leagues. I loved his storytelling, reflecting on his barnstorming days (including playing the House of David), playing on makeshift playing fields, and traveling with Satchel Paige - a notorious hazardous driver. Robinson also talks about knowing Redd Foxx before he hit it big. Robinson stated that he wanted to be remembered as a nice guy, and his humility is evident in this work. I only wish this book had a few more chapters and stories.