CONTENTS

Prologue

1. Alabama Roots

2. Raised to Succeed

3. Supernatural Gifts

4. A Mother’s Love

5. The Black Barons

6. The Giants Call

7. The Minors

8. The Savior Arrives

9. Rookie of the Year

10. War Stories

11. “I’d Play for Free”

12. The Catch

13. “Ole Mira!”

14. A New Archetype

15. Jackie, Willie, and All Deliberate Speed

16. “Willie Mays Doesn’t Need Help from Anyone”

17. The End of an Era

18. Miraloma Drive

19. Welcome to San Francisco

20. Black Barnstormers

21. Cheers for Khrushchev

22. Headwinds

23. There’s a Feel in the Air

24. Acceptance, at Last

25. Youth Is Served

26. A Man Named Mays

27. Befriended by a Banker

28. Captain Mays

29. The Peacemaker

30. A Piece of Willie’s Heart

31. Milestones and Miseries

32. A Doctrine of Brotherhood

33. The Wisdom of the Years

34. Baseball Royalty

35. New York, New York

36. The End of a Love Affair

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Career Stats

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index