League of Fans' Sports Forum

Andrew Maraniss is a great storyteller.  He writes sports books but not your stereotypical odes to star athletes.  His books, while easy to read, have depth.  They educate you and make you think about various socio-cultural issues, from a historical perspective as well as how they continue to impact society today.

His first book, "Strong Inside," was a biography of Perry Wallace, the first Black basketball player in the SEC.  His second book, "Games of Deception," is the story of the first U.S. men's basketball team at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.  His most recent book, "Singled Out," is a biography of Glenn Burke, the first openly gay Major League Baseball player and inventor of the high five.  It was recently named one of the 100 Best Baseball Books Ever Written by Esquire Magazine.

In this episode, we chat about all three books, including interesting stories he came across in putting each book together, but we focus on "Singled Out" and Glenn Burke's life before, during, and after his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A's.  

I think you'll enjoy listening to Maraniss, a good guy with some important stories to share.