Hi, 30 for 30 listeners. This is Vanessa Ivy Rose, the granddaughter of baseball's legendary

Norman Turkey Sterns. And today, we're bringing you the second episode of our special ABC podcast

series reclaimed The Forgotten League. If you missed our first episode, you'll find it right here

in the 30 for 30 podcast feed. And if you like it, you can listen to the rest of the story right now

by clicking the link in our episode description and following reclaimed. We'll be sharing the

rest of this fascinating six episode series in the days to come. It's a late September afternoon

in 1933. It's the bottom of the fourth inning in Chicago's Kamiski Park. The grandstands are full

of 20,000 mostly black fans. They're dressed in their finest clothing. Some have traveled across

the country to be in the stadium. They're here to watch the inaugural East West Classic.

A showcase of the best talent black baseball has to offer. All eyes are on mule subtles,

a Negro league veteran who is stepping up to the plate. He's a giant six foot two and around 220 pounds

with a sling that when it connects shakes the stadium like an earthquake.

And his team is down by two. As he approaches the plate, the crowd cheers him on with chance of

kick mule kick. Mule cracks one into left field up up and into the grandstand. The crowd roars.

It's a two run homer for the Negro league power hitter and the first home run in the history

of the East West Classic. Mule's team would go on to win the game 11 to 7.

The East West Classic was a crowning achievement for the Negro leagues. It was a day when these

superstars kept out of the white major leagues, could come together and say, we too are great.

But getting here wasn't easy. It took years of ups and downs, false starts, savvy business deals,

and fierce rivalries to get to this September afternoon in Chicago, 1933.

From ABC audio, this is reclaimed and forgotten league.

I'm Vanessa Ivy Roves.

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