CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The National Baseball Hall of Fame has launched a new online platform to celebrate Latino baseball, with University of Illinois history professor Adrian Burgos Jr. as its editor-in-chief.
The site, La Vida Baseball (www.lavidabaseball.com), went online today.
Burgos, in a Hall of Fame news release, said the new media platform was created “to showcase the passion, purpose and spirit that drive the stories of Latinos and baseball.” The site’s perspective will be culturally informed, he said, revealing “what it is like being a Latino in baseball, from the playing field to the stands, and from the front offices and press boxes to their homes.”
In a nutshell: “Latino voices, Latino passion and Latino perspectives,” Burgos said.
The U. of I. history professor has established himself as a leading expert on Latino baseball history, as well as on its connection with baseball’s color line. He has written two books on the subject: “Playing America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line” and “Cuban Star: How One Negro-League Owner Changed the Face of Baseball.”
He also has been a consultant on two of Ken Burns’ baseball documentaries and on the Hall of Fame’s Latino-focused “¡Viva Baseball!” exhibit, and a contributor to Sporting News.
In 2016, Burgos and his research were the subject of a half-hour documentary, “Playing America’s Game” (go.illinois.edu/pag), produced by the U. of I. for broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
Editor’s notes: To reach Adrian Burgos Jr., call 217-369-8097; email burgosjr@illinois.edu.
