Horn Book Review
Baseballâe(tm)s 1911 World Series was the first to feature a match-up between two Native players. Future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Charles Bender (Ojibwe) would pitch in three of the six games, including the decisive sixth, for the Philadelphia Athletics; while hard-hitting catcher John Meyers (Cahuilla) would be behind the plate for the New York Giants for all six games. Both players were nicknamed âeoeChiefâe by the racist press and endured insults and slurs throughout their entire professional careers. Sorell (Cherokee Nation) provides readers with biographical sketches of Bender and Meyers, tracing their childhoods and divergent paths to professional baseball before diving back into the game-by-game highlights of the thrilling 1911 championship series. Starr (Kickapoo Tribe of ÂOklahoma) employs a mix of hand-drawn and digital art throughout and incorporates Ojibwe and Cahuilla designs in the pages relating Benderâe(tm)s and Meyersâe(tm)s childhoods. The art expertly foregrounds the central figures: Bender and Meyers are drawn with detailed texture, setting them apart from the largely flat backgrounds Âfeaturing teammates, fans, and reporters. An authorâe(tm)s note, a detailed timeline, and a list of sources round out this handsome package, sure to pique the interest of young baseball fans. Eric CarpenterMarch/April 2023 p.101 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Profiles of the first two Native players to make history by facing off in a World Series: Charles Bender and John Meyers. Properly rejecting the conventional sobriquets (both were often referred to as "Chief" in newspapers despite not being tribal leaders) as inaccurate and disrespectful and using her subjects' given names (or childhood nicknames) throughout, Sorell weaves into her brief but suspenseful recap of the 1911 Series accounts of both men's paths to the major leagues. Bender left the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota to pitch for the Philadelphia Athletics after escaping abusive experiences both at home, from his German American father, and in a boarding school; Meyers resisted "pressure to adopt white people's norms" as he left the Cahuilla reservation in California for spots on several semipro teams and then spoke out against injustices against Native people as a catcher for the New York Giants. Adding carefully authenticated Ojibwe and Cahuilla motifs on framing borders, Starr offers a set of clean-lined on-field tableaux, montages, and baseball card--style portraits of the chiseled players in period uniforms. Though the author does give her stars' later careers (and, in a closing timeline, lives) quick overviews, the story she tells is at least as much about racism as it is about baseball, with several references to "slights and slurs" along with documented prejudicial quotes and headlines from the time identified as "insults." Nor has the onslaught let up significantly: "From peewee to professional levels," she concludes, "no other athletes in the United States face the kind of sanctioned mocking and dishonor of their culture that Native players do." (This book was reviewed digitally.) A lesser-known but significant encounter with all-too-current resonances. (author's note, quotes, sources) (Informational picture book. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Sibert Honor Book author Sorell introduces readers to catcher John Meyers and pitcher Charles Bender, two Indigenous baseball players whose teams opposed each other in the 1911 World Series. Bender, who hailed from Minnesota's White Earth Reservation, attended two different Indian residential schools in Pennsylvania, where he played baseball, eventually earning a spot with the Philadelphia Athletics. Meyers picked up the game on his Cahuilla reservation in California and played minor league ball in the Southwest before being drafted by the New York Giants. Throughout, Sorell emphasizes the insults and slurs both players endured from other players, the fans, and the media. Starr's full-color, hand-drawn digital art uses archival photos for reference. She employs a realistic style that emphasizes facial expressions and incorporates both Cahuilla and Ojibwe designs into the art. The inclusion of newspaper headlines, baseball cards, and ticket stubs adds to the visual presentation. Appended with a time line, author notes, and sources, this makes an excellent addition to the sports shelves as well as diversity units.
