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NDN All-Stars Podcast Season 02, Episode 02 - Author Ed Rice
Summary:
In this episode of the NDN All-Stars Podcast, host Bill Black sits down with journalist and author Ed Rice, who spent more than two decades researching and writing Baseball’s First Indian, the definitive biography of NDN All-Star #4 Louis Sockalexis (Penobscot)—the first known Native American to play Major League Baseball. We also touch on his follow-up book about Louis’s cousin, NDN All-Star #154 Andrew Sockalexis (Penobscot), a talented marathon runner who represented the U.S. in the 1912 Olympics. Ed shares the deeply personal origin of his work, stories unearthed through painstaking research, and why both Sockalexis cousins deserve more national recognition today.
Topics Covered:
- How Ed’s childhood visits to the Penobscot Reservation inspired his writing
- Why Louis Sockalexis’s short MLB career had lasting impact
- The mythology and truth behind legendary stories from 1890s baseball
- How racism and inaccurate journalism shaped Louis’s legacy
- The “first known” Native American pro baseball player debate
- Bristol, Connecticut’s forgotten civil rights moment on a baseball field
- Andrew Sockalexis’s near-medal Olympic finish and Boston Marathon races
- How the 1912 Olympics featured a record number of Native American athletes
- The legacy of Native ballplayers like Charlie Bender, John Meyers, and Jim Thorpe
- Why the Baseball Hall of Fame and Cleveland still fall short in honoring Louis
Guest Bio:
Ed Rice is a retired college professor, journalist, and longtime distance runner from Maine. He is the author of Baseball’s First Indian and Native Trailblazer, biographies of cousins Louis and Andrew Sockalexis. His work has helped spark overdue conversations about the treatment, contributions, and rightful recognition of Native American athletes—especially within the Baseball Hall of Fame and broader sports institutions.
Resource Links:
- Buy Baseball’s First Indian: https://amzn.to/4dpjLui
- See Ed Rice's website: https://sockalexis.net/
- Society for American Baseball Research (SABR): https://sabr.org
- Learn more about the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame: https://www.aiahof.com/inductees.php
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NDN ALL-STARS BACKGROUND
Hey there—I'm Bill Black, and welcome to the NDN All-Stars Podcast. If this is your first time hearing about us, let me tell you what we’re all about.
This podcast is where Native sports history comes alive. Each episode shines a spotlight on the great Native American athletes you should know—past and present. From Hall of Famers to hometown heroes, we tell the stories of Native athletes who made their mark—on the field, on the court, and in history.
We keep it real. No sugar-coating. No museum talk. Just straight-up stories told with pride and purpose—because representation matters, and these All-Stars deserve to be remembered right.
Some episodes are deep dives into a single athlete’s life. Others bring on guests—historians, authors, even the athletes themselves—who help us connect the dots between culture, identity, and achievement.
Whether you’re Native, a sports fan, a history buff, or just curious—this podcast will give you a new perspective on what greatness really looks like.
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NDN All-Stars – Promoting Great Native Athletes – Past & Present!
