The Other Boys of Summer

09/30/2026

Sharing a clip from the film of Jim Robinson talking about how he got into baseball. He used to go to games at Yankee Stadium and The Polo Grounds with his Dad.

6 years ago today Jim passed away. He lived a full life but is still missed. He was well educated, earned a Masters Degree, played in the East West Classic, coached college baseball and worked for the City of NY for almost 30 years. In his 80's he was still playing golf and enjoying little league games in Harlem.

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09/30/2026

Jim Robinson passed away 6 years ago today. He was a friend we met when making the film. We interviewed him in Central Park, close the where he lived and where he grew up playing baseball. He was a Captain of the KC Monarchs and played SS in the East West Classic. He was signed to a minor league contract with StL but became frustrated not getting playing time because of quotas and racial discrimination and chose to return to the Negro Leagues. He was well educated and lived a full life. He was still golfing and driving (in NYC!) into his late 80s.

Jim Robinson with his NCA&T baseball team.

09/27/2026

As soon as learning there were 3 women who played in the Negro Leagues I wanted to meet them. Mamie was the only one still alive at the time. I asked around for her contact info but it wasn’t meant to be - at that time. Years later Bob Scott called one day and said, “Do you know Mamie Johnson? She wants to be in your movie. You need to call her“ He shared her phone number and I called immediately. After leaving a message on her answering machine, she called back a few minutes later. I still have the vm on my phone. Within two weeks I was sitting in her living room in Washington DC, just me and my camera, listening to her share stories about playing in the Negro Leagues and more.
Lauren Meyer, Filmmaker

Join us in celebrating a resilient trailblazer who played for the love of the game and followed a baseball career by with a 30 yr nursing career.

09/27/2026

Remembering Mamie “Peanut” Johnson. She was born in SC before moving to NJ and then DC. She was scouted by Bunny Downs for the Indianapolis Clowns while playing in a men’s league in DC. Join us in remembering her on her heavenly Birthday.

09/18/2026

Dug into the vault for a little behind the scenes from our voice over session with the legendary Cicely Tyson.

She's in the VO booth, which we can see from the audio suite. Hard to see her in this video, but she's in the VO booth box on screen.

She was a total pro and absolutely lovey. She told us about her first time traveling south as a singer in a band and how she could relate to what the Negro League players endured because she experienced it firsthand.

09/17/2026

Andrew “Rube” Foster was born Sept 17, 1879 in Calvert, TX. He was a player, team owner and manager before becoming the “Father of the Negro Leagues” when he brought together 8 men at the Paseo Y in KC in 1920 to create the Negro National League. He was a pioneer who changed the business of baseball. He created a business model for professional baseball that would provide opportunity for Black players who were excluded from MLB. They proved that not only could they play ball, but they could make a lot of money providing a product that people would pay to see.

Baseball became an integral part of culture in Black communities and teams would barnstorm with Jazz greats to entertain and inspire. Music and baseball spearheaded an economic boost to communities.

Photo features Rube Foster and C.I. Taylor (far right) who owned the Indianapolis ABCs. Details about the image are in the second photo.

09/08/2026

Buck Leonard was born 9/8/1907 in Rocky Mount, NC. He was a baseball legend who played for the Homestead Grays. He and his best friend, Josh Gibson, were called the Thunder Twins for their incredible power at the plate. Leonard was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1972 and died in 1997. His family continues to honor him and educate people about his life and legacy.

He was an 11x All Star 1st baseman and won the Negro Leagues World Series 3x. After baseball he returned to Rocky Mount where he became a Truant Officer, PE teacher and started a real estate company. He was also a baseball exec in the minors.

The BuckLeonard Association for Sports and Human Enrichment is run by his family and focuses on STEM education and providing access to sports and education.

09/04/2026

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09/04/2026

69 years ago today Central HS in Little Rock, Arkansas was a flashpoint for racism and civil rights as 9 Black students were met with a mob of vile hatred after enrolling in the previously all White school. This photo of Elizabeth Eckford famously conveys the scene. Elizabeth was 15 year old 10th grader. The girl behind her was a classmate who yelled and screamed racial slurs at her as she approached the school. Keep in mind that hatred is taught. It's up to all of us to teach and model better behavior. Nobody is born racist.

The girl behind her (who we are choosing not to name, but it is well known and you can google it) apologized for her actions later and they even reconciled for a time after the 40th anniversary of that day. They found they shared things in common. But ultimately they did not remain in touch as Eckford didn't fully believe her classmate truly understood the magnitude of her actions and began to suspect she had apologized more to restore her public image than to make amends and fully change her ways.

In the words of Maya Angelou "Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet."

09/03/2026

Happy Birthday Reverend Greason. Bill Greason turns 102 today and we hope he is celebrating with friends and family to help blow out the candles on his cake.

We've spoken with Rev. Greason a number of times and have been captivated by his stories...

He grew up in Atlanta down the block from Martin Luther King's family. He said they all lived on the same block but the Kings had money and his family did not, so they didn't interact much.

Greason became a standout pitcher playing for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro American League. In 1948 he and friend Willie Mays were part of the NAL Pennant winning team. The BBB lost to the Homestead Grays in what was to become the final Negro Leagues World Series. Photo below shows them together. They remained friends until Mays died in 2024.

One of the stories he shared with us on our phone calls was how he was a proud Monford Point Marine and landed on Iwo Jima where he witnessed the death of many of his friends. It was there he said to the Lord that if he made it home he would dedicate his life to serve God.

As for baseball, he received a warmer welcome playing in Mexico and the Caribbean in the 1950s than in the US. In 1954 he became the first Black pitcher in St. Louis Cardinals history. His time in the majors was brief and he said it was tough for him to even find anyone to have a catch with. According to stories we read he was playing in Havana the day Castro took over Cuba and recalls Castro and his troops entering the stadium firing shots into the air. As the story goes... one of his teammates was grazed in the ear.

In the 1960's he and his wife were parishioners at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham and could be found there every Sunday. She taught Sunday School and he would occasionally preach. He said it was a miracle that they were not at the church the Sunday it was bombed and the 4 little girls were killed in 1963. He told us typically on Sunday his wife would have been in that basement teaching Sunday school..

In the 1970's the Bethel Baptist Church became his church where up until a few years ago he continued to share sermons on Sundays. Not sure if he is still doing that. He was always willing to sacrifice for his church and raised money to keep the doors open.

Join us in wishing Rev. Greason a VERY HAPPY 102nd Birthday!!