Ken Burns Films

Baseball - Inning 5: Shadow Ball (1930 to 1940) (1994x5)

Air date: Sep 22, 1994

Inning Five, Shadow Ball, tells the story of the Negro Leagues in the 1930s. The title refers to a common pre-game feature in which the players staged a mock game with an imaginary ball. Though unintended, the pantomime was an apt metaphor for the exclusion of blacks from major league play at that time.