The boxing history of Baltimore dates back over a century. Over that time the Monumental City has produced seven world champions and numerous top contenders. Joe Gans, the first Baltimorean and African-American ever to win a world title, in 1902, learned his boxing science in the city, earning him the title of "The Old Master" while he shucked oysters on Broadway. Baltimore's Boxing Legacy: 1893 to 2003 chronicles the evolution of fistiana from venues such as the Eureka Athletic Club, Gayety Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Carlin's Park, Baltimore Coliseum, Oriole Park, Steelworkers' Hall, to the Civic Center. It is a tale of ethnicity and race, of color barriers broken, and near-champions and contenders remembered. The likes of Johnny Kid Williams, the Dundee brothers Joe and Vince, Benny Schwartz, Jack Portney, Harry Jeffra, Red Burman, Joe Poodles Sr., Mack Lewis, Vincent Pettway, Hasim Rahman, and many more are showcased in addition to trainers, managers, matchmakers, and promoters.

The boxing history of Baltimore dates back over a century. Over that time the Monumental City has produced seven world champions and numerous top contenders. Joe Gans, the first Baltimorean and African-American ever to win a world title, in 1902, learned his boxing science in the city, earning him the title of "The Old Master" while he shucked oysters on Broadway. Baltimore's Boxing Legacy: 1893 to 2003 chronicles the evolution of fistiana from venues such as the Eureka Athletic Club, Gayety Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Carlin's Park, Baltimore Coliseum, Oriole Park, Steelworkers' Hall, to the Civic Center. It is a tale of ethnicity and race, of color barriers broken, and near-champions and contenders remembered. The likes of Johnny Kid Williams, the Dundee brothers Joe and Vince, Benny Schwartz, Jack Portney, Harry Jeffra, Red Burman, Joe Poodles Sr., Mack Lewis, Vincent Pettway, Hasim Rahman, and many more are showcased in addition to trainers, managers, matchmakers, and promoters.

Providing a comprehensive history of the Baltimore Black Sox from before the team's founding in 1913 through its demise in 1936, this history examines the social and cultural forces that gave birth to the club and informed its development. The author describes aspects of Baltimore's history in the first decades of the 20th century, details the team's year-by-year performance, explores front-office and management dynamics and traces the shaping of the Negro Leagues. The history of the Black Sox's home ballparks and of the people who worked for the team both on and off the field are included.

Joe Gans captured the world lightweight title in 1902, becoming the first black American world title holder in any sport. Gans was a master strategist and tactician, and one of the earliest practitioners of "scientific" boxing. As a black champion reigning during the Jim Crow era, he endured physical assaults, a stolen title, bankruptcy, and numerous attempts to destroy his reputation. Four short years after successfully defending his title in the 42-round "Greatest Fight of the Century," Joe Gans was dead of tuberculosis. This biography features original round-by-round ringside telegraph reports of his most famous and controversial fights, a complete fight history, photographs, and early newspaper drawings and cartoons.

This book presents a sweeping view of boxing in the United States and the influence of the sport on American culture. Boxing has long been a popular fixture of American sport and culture, despite its decidedly seedy side (the fact that numerous boxing champions acquired their skills in prison or reform schools, the corruption and greed of certain boxing promoters, and the involvement of the mob in fixing the outcome of many big fights). Yet boxing remains an iconic and widely popular spectator sport, even in light of its decline as a result of the recent burgeoning interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) contests. What had made this sport so enthralling to our nation for such a long period of time? This book contains much more than simple documentation of the significant dates, people, and bouts in the history of American boxing. It reveals why boxing became one of America's leading spectator sports at the turn of the century and examines the factors that have swayed the public's perception of it, thereby affecting its popularity. In Boxing in America, the author provides a compelling view of not only the pugilist sport, but also of our country, our sources of entertainment, and ourselves.

The booming job market and beautifully designed city of Baltimore attracted many families and individuals to the area in the 19th century. Several of these transplants would become prominent figures in the Deaf community. George W. Veditz, an early American Sign Language filmmaker and former president of the National Association of the Deaf; Rev. Daniel E. Moylan, founder of the oldest operational Methodist church for the deaf; and George Michael "Dummy" Leitner, a professional baseball player, all influenced Baltimore's growing deaf population. Through vintage photographs of successful organizations and sports teams, including the Silent Oriole Club, Christ Church of the Deaf, the Jewish Deaf Society of Baltimore, the Silent Clover Society, and the National Fraternal Society for the Deaf, Baltimore's Deaf Heritage illustrates the evolution of Baltimore's Deaf community and its prominent leaders. - Back cover