From an award-winning graphic artist and baseball historian comes a strikingly original illustrated history of baseballβs forgotten heroes, including stars of the Negro Leagues, barnstorming teams, semi-pro leagues, foreign leagues, and famous players like Shoeless Joe Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, and Joe DiMaggio before they achieved notoriety.
From a young age, Gary Cieradkowski had a passion for baseballβs unheralded heroes. Inspired by his father and their shared love of the sport, Cieradkowski began creating βoutsiderβ baseball cards, as a way to tell the little-known stories of baseballβs many unsung heroesβalongside some of baseballβs greatest players before they were famous. The League of Outsider Baseball is a tribute to all of those whoβve played the game, known and unknown.
Shining a light into the dark corners of baseball historyβfrom Mickey Mantleβs minor league days to Negro League greats like Josh Gibson and Leon Day; to people that most never knew played the game, such as Frank Sinatra, who had his own ball club in 1940s Hollywood; bank robber John Dillinger, who was a promising shortstop and took time out between robberies to attend Cubs games; and even a few US presidentsβthis book is a rich, visual tribute to Americaβs pastime.
Meticulously researched, beautifully illustrated using a unique, vintage baseball-card-style, and filled with a colorful and rich cast of characters, this book is a prized collectorβs item and will be cherished by fans of all ages.
© 2003-2026