History faculty member and sports historian piques national and international interest with newest book

Department of History faculty member and well-known sports historian Rob Ruck is receiving international interest and critical acclaim for his newest book, Raceball: How the Major Leagues Colonized the Black and Latin Game (Beacon, 2011). The book, which traces the history and dynamics of race in Major League Baseball, has been the subject interviews featuring Ruck on NPR’s Marketplace and Weekend All Things Considered. Recognized as an authority on the Negro Leagues and the rise of Latinos in baseball, Ruck recently returned from a lecture tour of Nicaragua, which was initiated by the United States Embassy.

Ruck’s previous publications include The Tropic of Baseball: Baseball in the Dominican Republic (University of Nebraska Press, 1999), Sandlot Seasons: Sport in Black Pittsburgh(University of Illinois Press, 1993) and Steve Nelson, American Radical (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1981) with Steve Nelson and James Barrett.