Hey there 30 for 30 fans, this is Vanessa Ivy Rose and today we're bringing you the fourth episode of reclaimed the forgotten league, a special podcast series from ESPPM's partners at ABC.

We'll be sharing the rest of this six episode series

in the days ahead, but if you can't wait,

click the link in our episode description

and follow Reclaimed to hear the rest of the story. the

episode description and follow reclaimed to hear the rest of the story right now.

In 1939, the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the largest black newspapers published an eye-catching

headline, What Big Leakers Think of Negro League Baseball players.

The series of articles told the story that was surprising.

The majority of the National League players and managers who were interviewed

didn't have a problem with black people playing in the majors.

The author was Wendell Smith, a young sports writer who was part of a national campaign to desegregate baseball.

The campaign was led by him and other members of the Black Press.

These writers worked tirelessly to amplify black baseball players and people around the country

were starting to pay attention. The pressure to integrate baseball was growing. Some white owners appeared to play along.

At one point, Wendell was able to secure tryouts for Negro League players with teams like the

Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox.

But these tryouts went nowhere and none of the teams signed any of the black players.

It felt like a performative stunt by the owners. But there was an exception. Branch

was the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers and had already been quietly pondering what and who it would take to integrate baseball.

Wendell had a name for him.

Jackie Robinson.

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