Reclaimed

For decades, Black baseball players were excluded from the major leagues and forced to create their own space: the Negro Leagues. In “Reclaimed: The Forgotten League,” we’ll uncover the stories of some of these overlooked greats, including Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, one of the best hitters of all time. Overshadowed by racial prejudice and oppression, their legacy was hidden — but now, experts and family members reflect on their impact, which extended far beyond the game. We’ll discover how newly acknowledged Negro Leagues stats could rewrite history and redefine baseball’s roster of GOATs. Vanessa Ivy Rose, granddaughter of Turkey Stearnes, brings us on a quest to excavate the stories and stats of Black players who were shut out of the major leagues, a legacy that still haunts the sport. The series includes interviews with family and friends of Turkey Stearnes, including a living Negro Leagues player; never-before-published audio of Stearnes himself; and interviews with leading historians. Season 2 of this series, “The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley,” explored the story of the civil rights trailblazer before the death of her son, and was recognized with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Podcast. Season 1, “Tulsa’s Buried Truth,” covered the search for mass graves beneath Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the fight for justice for the descendants of the Black Americans killed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

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