Adolf Hitler, in a move of stunning swiftness, seizes and occupies czechoslovakia.
Czech president, Emil hacha, is summoned to Munich...
And is forced to sign a communique calling for peace and order...
And placing the fate of the Czech people into the hands of the fuhrer of the German reich.
And deep shadows of another world war spread over the universe.
What do you do with your old razor blades?
Harold b. Funston finds these double-edged snacks...
Really cut those hunger pangs.
My, my! Mother never fixed them like this.
Now it's time for a little nap after lunch.
Incidentally, you innerspring lovers shouldn't watch if you can't stand the pressure.
Here's Charlie joining Harold.
Let's hope Harold knows not to disagree with him.
After this, he may only be able to get work as a mold for Swiss cheese.
My aching back!
Now harold's asked to show us his new method for quitting smoking.
This surefire method is not advised for everyone, though,
unless you really happen to like smoked tongue... Your own, that is.
Yankee stadium plays host to a stunning preseason exhibition game...
Between the Kansas City monarchs of the negro American league...
And the Philadelphia stars of the negro national league.
Leagues formed because of the unwritten law that bars negroes from playing on white teams.
With this Jim crowism on the diamond,
the white leagues deprive themselves of much amazing talent.
Hurling for the monarchs is satchel Paige,
one of the most famous of the negro pitchers,
along with bingo long of the St. Louis ebony aces.
Here, paige's amazing hesitation pitch continues to baffle hitters.
The stars go down with a score of five to nothing,
giving Paige another in a long string of no-hitters.
The monarchs' win puts them up next week against the negro world champion homestead grays,
whose slugger, Josh Gibson, averages 55 home runs a season,
a record matched only by Leon Carter of the Baltimore elite giants.
Gibson is the only player, black or white,
who has hit a home run over the third tier of yankee stadium,
beating even the great babe Ruth.
Though white fans don't often see these teams play, they should spend an afternoon...
Watching these amazing athletes, who often showboat and clown...
But never fail to play great baseball!
Hurry, hurry, hurry, folks.
Y'all gonna get your money's worth today.
Y'all watch bingo long throw his world-famous invite pitch.
Not a man on the field to back him up.
You'll never see a game like this as long as you live.
How am I doin', folks?
How're you doin', folks?
Get your peanuts, popcorn, cracker Jacks right here.
Only 25 cents.
Get your peanuts, popcorn and cracker Jacks.
I'll betcha I'll get it. Wanna bet a dollar?
This is mine. Put your money where your mouth is.
Play ball!
Invite pitch. Invite pitch.
- Who... - Who...
- Gonna hit... - Gonna hit...
- My... - My...
Invite pitch?
You put it over the plate, I put it over the fence.
Okay, come on, baby, now.
He couldn't hit the floor if he fell out the bed. Come on. Hunk it to me.
Come on. Give it up. I told ya I'd get it.
Hey, bingo.
I do believe you slowin' down.
Ain't nice to be throwin' hard to old men.
Yeah. Don't be makin' any excuses for your arthritis now.
Okay, monkey face.
Just for that, you gonna get a taste of my vanish ball!
Show it to him. He can't see it; I can't see it.
Strike two!
Come on, sucker. Empty them pockets.
Bingo, I heard you done taken up with a hot number name of Violet.
You heard right. Where'd you lay eyes on her?
If that's Violet grandy you're talkin' about,
I laid more than eyes on her already.
Leon, you tryin' to get my dander up,
but I is...
Un-ruffable!
That sucker rolled one out.
I's gettin' tired of Violet anyhow.
How 'bout a little somethin' for the kitty for ol' furry?
How am I doin'? Look at ol' furry.
Thank you very much. Thank y'all.
...the sallison Potter funeral association.
Premiums as low as ten cents a week.
Don't let your family be embarrassed.
On that final day, let us put you away.
I thought I told you to stay away from here.
Has-beens is bad for my business.
I done made your business, sallie Potter.
How many games I win for you back when you first took over this team?
I don't care what you did, furry. You ain't worth doodly-squat to me now.
I see your face around here one more time,
I ain't gonna be the only one ridin' in a hearse. Now git!
Batter up!
- Give me a touch for luck. - Okay, rainbow.
Now I'm gonna show you boys how to get yourselves a free ticket.
Hey, Leon!
My god, how old are you, boy? Twelve?
Come on, boy.
Strike!
That ain't nothin'. You got lucky.
You should open your eyes and shut your mouth.
Come on, rookie. Pass it right down here.
My lord!
Goddamn it, rookie! A brushback ain't no beanball!
Give him some air, goddamn it! Move it!
Damn.
How is rainbow doin'? Let's play ball.
All right, gather 'round here.
I just been talkin' to Henry dunbar of the elite giants.
Said he's sorry for what happened out on that field.
Doctors say rainbow gonna pull through okay.
As for baseball, he's all washed up.
He done inflicted a head concussion. Lucky it was rainbow.
Losing him don't affect our chances for the pennant much.
Seein' as how his family live all the way down in Raleigh, north Carolina,
I'm docking each of you a day's pay to cover his fare. Five dollars?
Sallie... We ain't the owner of the team; You are.
It ain't right to be comin' to the players for something you supposed to be takin' care of.
- Docking you double, long. - What?
Five dollars to cover his fare,
five dollars for fomentin' dissension on my team.
I ain't fomentin' nothing. I'm just voicing my opinion.
Around me, you ain't got no opinion.
I built this team from nothin'...
When everybody else couldn't get nigger work.
I'll still be runnin' it when you're a feeble old bum like furry Taylor.
You know what I mean, boy?
Now, anybody else here worried about what's right,
there's plenty of nigger work just across the river with wages to match.
Hey, rainbow, what's happenin'?
Rainbow, how you doin', man?
You caught yourself a mean one, didn't you?
And lost the power of speakin'. Can't even say his own name.
- He don't look too good. - He look the same to me.
Hey, boss, how 'bout givin' rainbow a job as an Usher down at the funeral parlor?
Price, here, is my Usher.
How 'bout he push a broom or dig a grave or two, man?
All I got's an opening in the choir.
Rainbow's voice ain't what it used to be.
Give him something, anything.
You want some social security, jawbone,
you go have yourself a nice, long talk with Mr. Roosevelt.
This here is for everybody.
We have to protect our brothers and sisters.
Why? Because we love 'em! We don't need no government!
Hey, bingo! Bingo!
Let me get your autograph. Great game!
Let me wash your car for you.
We do what's right.
There won't be no more stealin' and killin'.
Hi, bingo. How you doin', darlin'? You lookin' pretty.
Hey, Bobby.
Bingo! Hey, bingo! Hey, Willie!
That was a hell of a game you pitched today. Every day.
How do you like this here? I love it, love it.
Lookin' for me, bingo?
No, Violet. You done disappointed me.
I'm gonna give pearline the chance she's been beggin' for.
Well, pearline ain't beggin' no more, honey.
Don't I, though?
Hey!
King farouk, come on over here.
You know pearline, bingo?
- I believe we've met. - I was just askin' Leon...
For his autograph.
I know just where he gonna sign it too.
Why don't you and Violet drag up a chair here?
Hey... garcon, bring Mr. Long and his betrothed...
What you done brung me.
Don't shuffle around this table, hear?
How rainbow doin'? Bad news, Leon.
Bad news. Sallie done put him on the bus.
Damn!
That ain't all.
He done hit the team for the ticket. Just don't seem fair.
What owner you ever heard of bein' fair?
You see, they wringing the best years of our lives out of our manly selves.
See what happen? Good man get hurt, become another spare part.
Ship him on back to the cotton field and let the other slaves pay the fare.
Yeah. Maybe you wind up shinin' shoes or peddlin' pencils.
Hey, honey, watch your mouth there. You're spottin' my satin.
I guess we need pensions just like president Roosevelt was saying.
When you ever hear of a master givin' a slave pension?
Ain't nothin' gonna change 'til the workers,
what you call, "seize the means of production."
No. The ballplayers gotta...
Overthrow their owners and run the teams their own selves.
Well, that a revolution.
That the Democratic ideal. Yeah.
"Be your own man."
W.e.b. Du bois said that.
One of our great colored thinkers. Try readin' the book sometime.
Hey, hey. How 'bout that bourbon? Comin' up.
You think we can do that?
- Do what? - Overthrow the owners.
Sure! Same day we turn white.
Mr. Carter, you sure got sex appeal when you get mad. Uuhmm!
Don't I though? Little bit later on,
I'm gonna fly off the handle altogether.
Greyhound bus now departing for flora, vincennes,
louisville, asheville, Charlotte and Raleigh.
Hey, rainbow. C'mon, man. You ain't goin' nowhere. Big things is up.
I got a great idea.
Hey, Leon, c'mon. Open the door.
- Hey, Leon, there's a fire! - If there ain't a bigger fire goin' on out there...
Than the one we got kindlin' in here, you in a lot of trouble.
Put your pants on. We got things to talk over.
Look who I just done grabbed off the bus. Rainbow!
Don't bother to say hello to him, 'cause he can't talk.
No, you didn't say nothin' about no threesies.
Stay where you are. These gentlemen just hit the wrong door.
I got a generous soul, but I ain't no Santa claus.
Let her go, man. You keep givin' autographs to pearline, you gonna run out of ink.
Besides, big things is up! Yeah, big things was up when you come barge in here.
Pearline, come on out, honey. You was right, Leon.
And so was that Cadillac of negro knowledge, Mr. Rolls Royce.
Du bois! W.E.B. Du bois!
Be your own man, he said. That's the Democratic ideal. Seize the means of production.
And that's just what we gonna do! Sure, we are!
Pearline! Pearline my ass!
My sweetness. My love. Hey, bitch, you better get out here.
Stand back and get ready, Leon, 'cause I'm hereby announcing...
The formation and foundation of the one and only...
Bingo long traveling all-stars and motor kings!
Bingo, you're talkin' in your sleep.
Don't you touch me, Leon Carter, with your "preverted" self!
And that goes the same thing for you too, Turkey. Good night, bingo.
Didn't you hear my announcement, Leon? Yeah, I heard you.
Now get on outta here and let me sleep!
Whatever you're talkin' about, I don't wanna hear.
You wanna play on your own team, be your own owner?
Listen, ever since I was ten years old and pickin' turnips,
I wanted to be my own man.
Every job from totin' milk pails to swattin' baseballs, I wanted the same thing.
But you come in here with some half-baked scheme...
It's full-baked, man!
We goin' barnstormin' with our own all-star team.
Yeah! Who we gonna play?
We gonna play the, the, the...
The firehouse clubs and the local talent.
There's good money out there, Leon!
Iowa, Illinois, California.
No, there ain't nobody gonna want to play us in California.
If that don't work, then we play the emperor trujillo down in them islands.
Them spics is crazy for baseball.
You ever see a peso, bingo? It got a hole in it.
So does your big head if you passes up this chance...
And keeps on slavin' for Henry dunbar.
Say... no, no, no.
Just sayin' now that I do choose to throw in with you.
We ain't much of a team, just you, me and rainbow.
Teammate. You just leave that problem to me.
Hello. Am I speakin' to Emory "champ" chambers of the Atlanta black crackers?
Yeah, this is me. This is bingo long with Leon Carter.
Hey, champ! Hey, you hear him?
Champ, how would you like to shake the slave master you work for once and for all,
and come be on the all-star team?
Count me in, bingo. All right!
This is Willie Lee shively. This is bingo long with Leon Carter.
Leon and me want you boys to make the double play for the bingo long all-stars.
What do you say? We're on our way.
Hey, what's this "all" mean on you?
I do it all. You know I do it all.
What's this song note doin' on me?
A song note! I don't know what that is.
- Hello, fat Sam popper? - Yeah, this is fat Sam.
Sam, I know you got a lot of mouths to feed.
Hold on, bingo. Get that mangy dog out of this house!
What you child doin'?
Go ahead, bingo. Hey, I'll be right there!
Fat Sam popper, better known as "traveling."
Amen. I'm sayin' that most of us here...
Have given up the desires of our heart.
Walter murchman? That man is bad news.
- Maybe, but he hit a ball in Chicago, they duck in Detroit. - Walter murchman speaking.
Hello, brother Walter. You're the greatest hitter on god's green earth.
- Shit. - Right up there with Leon Carter!
But, baby, I got to go to battin' practice.
I know. Battin' practice is right here and right now.
But, baby... Bertha, I gotta...
Play ball.
I get it, baby.
- Hello. - Hello, Isaac.
Bingo! Hey, listen.
We hear your owner's been workin' you overtime, but not on the baseball field.
Listen... well,
your fellow all-stars want you to play center field for 'em, okay?
I'll be right there.
Isaac? Isaac!
Who ya gonna get for right field? I'm callin' Charlie snow.
That jukebox? What you want him for?
The best-lookin' Franklin you ever saw.
Damn thing air-cooled.
I can't fit 'em all in my car.
I thought you'd like to see this.
Look at the sports page. Check out the standings. What you want me to see?
I wanna see what the white sox is doin'. The what sox?
The white sox: Chicago franchise in the American league, white baseball.
Guess you all ain't heard, but I'm goin' to be playin' in the white leagues.
Hey, Charlie snow gonna be playin' in the white leagues.
You're crazy, Charlie. No, I ain't.
It's all right here in this little book if you take the time to learn.
A Spanish phrase book?
I'seguro! Quiero El desayuno en mi habitacion.
¿Donde puedo cambiar cheques de viajero?
What's all this spic talk, Charlie snow?
That's another thing, man. No more of this Charlie snow stuff.
From now on, I'm gonna be known as Carlos Nevada.
I'el Rey atletico del mundo!
I'm gonna break into the majors as a Cuban.
You been burnin' in the sun too long for that thing!
What you mean? They got Cubans in Cuba blacker than you.
Make you look like a goddamn albino. Who, me?
Yeah, you, man. And they still ain't no negroes.
That's right. Yo soy El "baseballito" supremo.
That's me! Carlos Nevada!
I wonder where he came up with an idea like that.
Lookin' for... Mr. Holland.
That's me. What can I do for you?
Spoke to you on the phone. You booked us a game here this afternoon.
- You're the bingo long all-stars? - In person.
I thought you boys was a barnstormin' outfit.
You just show us the ballpark and we be down there in a minute.
You plannin' on sneakin' in on tiptoe?
You scared somebody might see what you is doin' there? What's eatin' you, buster?
You look here. You wanna make a little money on the game, right?
So do I!
Now, you take them cars and you turn them around, and you come back on main street!
And when you do, I want you to come through struttin'!
You mean parade 'n' show? We can do that!
We're a ball club. We ain't no circus.
That's what you think!
You're barnstormin'... You in show biz! Lemme see you kick that mule!
You mean like this?
No! No!
You gotta cakewalk.
It goes like this: One, two, three, back.
You know, I was in show biz.
Now, that's what you got to do!
Man must be crazy. What he want us to do? Kick a mule or somethin'.
Mr. Holland told us to do it this way. Yeah, you got it.
Yeah, march. One, two, one...
I got bad feet, bingo. You ain't got bad knees! Kick your knees.
Bingo, I'm hungry, man. Sam, you always hungry. Need to lose a little weight.
What we doin' this for? You wanna make some money, don't you?
- Is that a parade or what? - No kind of parade I ever seen. Little early for Halloween.
Bingo, I feel like a fool out here doin' this, man.
You gonna feel like a bigger fool if you don't make no money.
They ain't got ten dollars in this whole town.
Pitiful!
You boys are pitiful. You lettin' these people down. Gimme that bat, Louis.
Let's see some color! Step out!
These here is our folks now. Let's look good for them.
Okeydoke. It ain't like robbin' a bank, but it's a start.
Exactly eight and a quarter for each and every man including rainbow!
Yeah! Don't we got citizens' rights to that handful of fins?
I knew that question was comin' up.
Mr. Holland.
Excuse me. Can I have that box, please?
Sure. Thank you, sir.
This box is gonna be the company box.
I am hereby droppin' in $40. You are my witnesses.
That's for broken bats, flat tires and any other emergency purposes.
Rainbow, you gonna be treasurer.
You guard this with your life. Understand? Good man.
Why not share it all out? I might meet a beautiful woman. I got my own emergency purposes.
Sam, you already got six emergency purposes back in Cleveland.
You boys...
Don't have to worry about no spending money.
We can get you all the games you want.
I personally can guarantee you $200 at the gate for each and every appearance.
Now, what you say?
It's all right with me! I'll take that.
- Yeah, we'll take it. - No, we won't.
No, no. I done heard this one before. No deal.
Leon.
What, have I done it wrong? I mean, the man is guaranteeing us $200.
You slice that 11 ways, that comes out to about...
A lot of money each! No, see, my friend here,
he done pitched a whale of a game, and he tired.
He done misspoke hisself.
No, no. We don't want no guarantee.
We wants 50% of the gate. You see, I don't know about that.
You see, I got to consult with the other parties.
No, you don't, either. You can say yes or no right here.
Now, do we do business or do we get somebody else to book these games?
Well, I guess ol' j.C. Holland don't have to show you boys everything.
You got yourself a deal!
Gentlemen, I hereby call to order this emergency meeting...
Of the affiliated owners and directors of the negro national league.
Now, what are we gonna do about this mess?
That's what I'd like to know. What you gonna do about this mess, sallie Potter?
It's your pitcher what's leadin' this band of "detergents."
I was hopin' you'd miss the train.
Sit down, woman. We usin' parliamentary procedure.
That means, 'less you's recognized,
shut your double-breasted lips!
I recognize Horace quigley,
esteemed owner of the Atlanta black crackers.
Fellow owners, every one of those boys done broke a binding contract.
I say we get 'em in the court!
Worse than that, the cash customers...
Ain't gonna pay to see no team what done lost their best stars.
Reverend. Sallie Potter!
The ladies' room is outside to the left. Reverend.
I demands to be recognized!
I recognize you as a female what ain't got no business bein' here nohow!
Listen here, grave digger.
I own a team in this league too.
And if my late husband schyler was alive, you know what he'd say?
Keep the fans happy and book some "extradition" games with the all-stars.
As an owner, schyler DeWitt was weak, and he was dumb.
As a man, he was even dumber. He proved that when he married a plate of pork!
Which is a better meal than you ever ate, sallie Potter.
Sallie, there's something to what bertha's sayin' about them games.
She's got a point. We got to go along.
Come on. You men gonna be double-talked by this ol' mama bear?
We play them renegades and every dumb monkey in the league is gonna join the revolution.
We got to ruin that team before they gonna ruin us!
Just 'cause you can't talk don't mean you can't count.
I mean, you been doin' a good job as treasurer.
Ain't no reason you can't be the team statistician.
If you do good, I'll tell bingo.
We'll start with somethin' easy...
Like battin' averages.
You take the number of times a man been at bat...
And divide that by the number of times a man got a hit.
Like me, I been at bat 100 times. I got 25 hits. That's simple, right?
Twenty-five go in a hundred four times.
Gives me a batting average of four. That's wrong.
That ain't no way to do that.
What you gotta do is the number of times a man's been at bat and got a hit.
Divide that by the number of times he swung.
I been at bat a lot, and I swung a lot.
Let me see. Seventy-five into a hundred.
No. That would give me a battin' average of two.
I couldn't have a battin' average of two!
Nobody could have a battin' average that bad. Could they?
Excuse me. Which one of y'all is Mr. Bingo long?
Autographs after the game, son.
Don't want no autographs. I's a baseball player too.
You don't say! What position? Quarterback?
No, sir. Center field.
I want to be an all-star, so I figured I'd come talk to you.
We ain't runnin' no orphanage, now. What do ya want to talk about?
I'm a pretty good center fielder.
I mean, I can hit and I can run, and I got a good glove.
I just wanna join up and play for ya more than anything.
I bet you're real good, son, but I already got myself a center fielder.
If you want to see action, why don't you join up with pollard's sternville huskers?
Well, see, Mr. Long, that there's just the point.
- I done already did last year. - Play ball!
Hey, bingo, looky here! Quarterback. Good to see you, son.
Hey, bingo! Right over here, young man.
Take your time, sir. He said take your time.
Bingo, how do you like this here?
How do you like this here?
Like this over here? All right.
Joe, Joe. Get a hit, Joe.
Let it go, bingo.
Safe!
Home plate, home plate home plate!
Safe!
Say, kid, does you do this constantly?
No, sir. I does it all the time.
It's a shame. Ninth inning, two runs behind. Murch, hit one.
Don't worry. It's goin' all the way to baseball heaven.
Batter up!
Where's the bat? That bat ain't got no hole in it.
C'mon! C'mon!
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go back!
Joe!
You're out! Whatcha mean, out? What're you talkin' about?
Say, kid, this is your lucky day. Mr. Long!
Turns out my center fielder's gonna do backup pitching.
That bein' the case, we find ourselves ready to take on...
A promisin' rookie such as yourself.
You shuckin' me or what?
We want you to understand straight off that the big time is a hard row to hoe.
We on the road day and night. We hustles games where we can find 'em.
We barnstormers. That's okay by me.
And you gotta bring your own glove and your own shoes.
And you can't go runnin' to your mama when you've been up all night.
Don't you worry about me. I ain't no baby. The money ain't all that great.
- That's right. Rookies get half share. - Say what?
Of course you bein' a husker and all, you ain't exactly a rookie.
So share and share alike.
- That's the all-star motto. Ain't that right, Leon? - Yeah, that's right.
That sounds real good. I want to warn you.
This ain't no measly paper contract.
One touch, and you made yourself a handshake deal...
With the bingo long traveling all-stars and motor kings.
And there ain't nothin' more solemn and bindin' under the law...
Than an agreement of this kind.
You count me in! Look out now.
Restrain yourself. That's my pitching hand! Sorry.
What's your name, son? Joseph Vanderbilt Calloway, esquire.
Esquire! Did you hear that, Leon?
You shakin' hands with esquire Joe!
My pleasure.
- Whose heap is that? - Looks mighty deserted.
Hey, bingo, find out what's happenin'.
What kind of town is this? This ain't no ballpark.
- Mr. Long, is it locked? - Let's break in.
Hey! Hey!
What the hell's goin' on around here? No game today.
What you talkin' about no game? This is Sunday the 24th. This is jeffersonville.
We the all-stars. Where're the Roman gladiolus?
They ain't here. The game been canceled... On account of rain.
Rain? What rain? It ain't even moist.
I can tell you fellas, you ain't from around these parts...
Because we got some fickle weather around here.
Just any minute could be a rip snorter.
Yeah, I heard this was Tor-tornado country.
Yeah, yeah.
The hell with the gladiolus. There's a game in every town. Come on.
I don't know, bingo. You smell a rat?
Yeah, right. We better send a couple of telegrams.
Okay.
Well, well... I guess that's that.
Just, just like I said. It wasn't no problem.
I'm always glad to help when I can.
Yeah, we seen you gone to a little trouble, so here's a little somethin'...
To help cover your expenses.
Will that be satisfactory?
Yeah, yeah. Yes, sir. My. Yeah.
Thank you. H-h-h-hurry back. Be seein' ya.
Bring me a whole watermelon without the seeds.
The only bookers that bothered to answer said, "no, thank you."
We too good, Leon. They just scared to take us on.
Only one thing gonna scare a booker away from makin' money, and it ain't us.
The masters is fightin' back.
If the lord done decided to end this team, his will be done.
Sallie Potter ain't the lord!
I'm a thousand miles from St. Louis and that man still tellin' me what to do.
Okay, amigos. It's quitting time.
Can't argue with that.
I keep tellin' you boys, the white leagues is the only answer.
Charlie, you're right! I'm right?
What, are you gonna pass for white? King Kong got a better chance.
Looky here. Us colored folks is a minority in this country, right?
Then it seem to me that we barnstormers in a volume business.
Ain't that clear? Ain't what clear?
Look, Tarzan.
Over what don't sallie Potter have no control?
What do we never run out of in this country?
White folks!
Play ball!
C'mon. Let's go, guys. Let's go. Let's play ball.
Safe!
Get in there. Sit down. We're here to play ball. We don't have to take this.
That's all right. Take it easy. They's supposed to treat us nice.
Them niggers think they're hot stuff. Yeah, right.
Let's go. Here comes fat boy now.
Watch it there, batter.
Look at them knees knockin'.
Let's go. Come on.
Make your turn. Make your turn.
Wait now.
No! No!
Get back. It's just a ball game.
What's you talkin' about? That ain't right.
Batter up. Play ball.
What the hell you lookin' at, nigger?
Gonna be a long game.
Better than limpin' back to sallie Potter though. I don't know.
Sallie might be mean and cheap, but as far as I know, he ain't never got nobody lynched.
You're a bunch of bums! Kill 'em! Kill 'em!
Get a batter up.
Let's get this batter now. Don't let him hit one out there.
Watch me now. I might steal somethin'.
- We got this guy. - Ball one.
Slide, slide!
Safe!
Out!
Time!
The guy on second's got a razor!
Hit a home run, I'll buy ya some popcorn.
No, bingo. Not me. It ain't manly.
What difference does it make? We gonna win anyway.
You pokes another homer, them oakies are liable to get the tar 'n' feathers.
I ain't gonna shine for no white folks.
You only gotta pretend. They won't know we pretendin', so we's one up on 'em.
C'mon. Get a batter up here.
Strike one! Boys, how 'bout selling me one of those torpedoes?
Hold it, everybody. Relief pitcher comin' in.
Get the hell out, bingo. I told you I ain't playin' along.
You just afraid I'm gonna whiff you in front of all these folks.
What the hell you think you're doin'? I wanna play a gag on my friend.
Just give me the ball, and I'll be your boy for the rest of your life.
What do you niggers think this is? You know how niggers is.
Boy, I'm gonna whack that ball so far...
They gotta hop on a train to catch it.
I warn you, Leon. This one gonna be a smoker!
Happy fourth of July...
From the bingo long traveling all-stars and motor kings!
It's the number of times you been at bat and been pitched at...
Divided by the number of times you swing.
See, I swung at the ball more than I hit.
That wouldn't give me a good battin' average either.
There's gotta be a way to do this.
I got it! I got it!
You know, someday I'll be so old, my arm will be gone.
That's the day I'm gonna look back on the old days of barnstormin' and smile.
This is the best thing that could happen to a ballplayer. That's right.
Better than being on sallie's plantation.
Yeah, and the slaves done run off all right. Yeah.
In St. Louis, you can't even see the stars at night.
So much for the lockout, sallie.
The all-stars still rollin' along.
The lockout worked perfect. And the proof is, they playin' white teams.
I call that desperation.
Sallie, you don't know the meanin' of the word.
No one wants to see my team play without champ chambers. We starvin' in Atlanta.
And we starvin' in Chicago too!
But, lady... dumbbell!
You could use a little starvation, you behemoth!
Fool. That embalmin' fluid done gone to your brain.
Now, gentlemen,
sallie potter's plan's failed.
And we better book us some "extradition" games, 'fore we all go broke.
That's a good idea. With these night games they got started...
Looky here! The all-stars ain't got no owner, and they pay no salaries.
Share the money out equal, one and all.
We don't wanna book no games with an operation like that.
I already got a couple of agents in the field.
I give 'em the word,
they're prepared to take stronger action against them rebels.
That's a good idea.
Atta boy, bingo. Give 'im that gorilla ball.
He can't hit it.
Go get it, Joe!
All right, all right, all right, all right.
I'm tryin' it, you know. I gotta run that ball down once in a while.
Hey, fat Sam, wait just a minute.
How'd y'all like that game today? You like that game?
What'd you think of that gorilla ball?
Hey, kid, you were terrific. Never seen a young player do the things you can.
Thank you, sir. What's your name?
Esquire Joe Calloway. Let me have your autograph.
I'd be proud to.
You take this here.
All right, give me your head. I wanna write on top of your head.
Hello there, rainbow.
Whaddya say? He don't say nothin', remember?
How 'bout a cigar, rainbow?
Ain't you gonna offer me a nice, green cigar, rainbow?
Hell, they be better off with a watchdog.
Rainbow, who was it?
This dummy lost every penny back to the owners.
- All right. That cinches it. - Where're you goin'?
Lafferty. I figure that sallie's men are on their way...
To mess up the game with the star of David team too.
So I'm gonna beat 'em to the punch and make sure that game is still on.
See ya in Lafferty.
We be right behind you, Leon.
Hold it, bingo. You ain't paid out the money for today's game.
We in a hurry, Walter. I'll give it to you in Lafferty.
Considerin' what's happened, I think we'd like our money now.
All right, all right, all right, all right. It boils down to $7 apiece.
What about rainbow here? He cost us heavy today.
It wasn't rainbow's fault.
Sallie could've gotten to any one of us. Rainbow's been workin' hard for the team.
He deserves full share. I don't know, bingo.
It just seems to me that ol' tar baby over here,
all he do is hand me my bats, and... Bob his head.
- You tell it. - Yeah, fat Sam.
My golly, I done forgot!
I made a deal for half the concession money. We got another $14 to split.
- Them folks was sure hungry today! - Knew he was holdin' back.
Here's some for rainbow too.
All right. Now let's get movin'. Come on!
Did you see the way that boy shook?
Let's see. $163.43!
Them boys keep that up, we be in good shape on this trip.
Charlie, when are you gonna get that hunk of junk out of this square?
You're blocking traffic.
Hold it. The Holly arms hotel? Right over there.
C'mon. Keep it moving.
Hey, bingo!
We got our reservations here, and the game is on.
- Do it again! Yeow! - Yeah!
You've got to know how to live, my friend.
You drink this down, it put lead in your pencil.
This here the eraser. This is the eraser.
Yes, sir. You gotta get a good stance now. Come on. Hold on.
Put it to your lips very easy. To your lips.
And you drink.
Not very smooth, but once it down, you don't feel a thing, eh?
I don't feel nothin' now.
See, I know you like it.
Hey, girlie! Two bourbon.
No, cancel that. We in training, Leon.
No bourbon. How do you expect to play your best game if you get drunk the night before?
Shit! I hits better when I can see more than one ball.
Why ain't you drinkin'? I ain't got no money.
No money? There was a lot of folks watchin' you pitch that gorilla ball.
I know, I know, but you see, it's like this, Leon.
I had to pass out my cut to the boys and tell 'em it was popcorn money.
I mean, they was turnin' on rainbow.
Murchman again? That son of a bitch.
Bingo, I'm really proud of you, man.
I'm proud to be your teammate and friend...
'Cause you settin' an example of brotherhood among athletes that'll go down in history.
History, bingo. I loves you, and I'm truly proud of you.
I's proud of you too, Leon. Why is that?
'Cause I gave 'em your share too.
I guess we better make this one shot of bourbon go all night?
Well, at least it don't cost nothin' to scuffle.
Hey, girlie! Somebody close the window and let it get hotter!
Boogie-woogie.
Leon!
If you think I done you wrong, you can have my share tomorrow.
Hey, man, you got to get rid of that solemn look.
Yi, yi, yi, yi, yi.
Yi, yi, yi! Do you see that?
Ain't no women like that down in sternville.
If there ain't, you must've had a very sad childhood.
I played ball a lot. Yes, sir. You did?
I'm gonna show you how a pro does it. You gonna go over there?
Sure. You think I'm afraid 'cause she's white? That don't scare Carlos Nevada.
I have an approach. You got an approach?
A technique. She looked this way. Did you see her?
Bartender, two more. Andale, andale. I'pronto!
Tall, dark and handsome.
You sure is that!
Yeah.
She can tell. Experience.
Say "hey" for me.
What's on your mind, smoke?
Buenosknockers, senora. Can I buy you a drink?
Don't you know the rules around here, Sonny?
You think I'm colored! I'm not colored. I'm Cuban!
Carlos Nevada, a very famous Cuban baseball player.
I'm on my way to be inelbig time. Cuban?
You colored, you know, you slay me.
It's the way you all talk. I don't know.
It's the way we talk? How 'bout $5?
$5?
How'd you get so funny?
How 'bout $7.50?
Listen, black beauty, I'll tell you what.
We'll go up to my room. We'll negotiate.
We go up to your room, we negotiate. Think you're kiddin' somebody?
Come on. Come on? That's it?
Up to her room by myself alone? I'm not even Carlos Nevada.
You're fabulous. Carlos goin' to give you $10.
You don't tell nobody, okay? Okay. Okay.
It's American money. Very good.
Perfume. Fantastic!
If you're a ballplayer, honey, why don't you slide on home to mama?
I'm getting my bat ready.
My god! It's nothing. Everybody in my country has one.
I love a woman who can laugh.
How nice to be in this country. You don't know how I feel.
It reminds me of when I was a kid in Montevideo.
Beat it, lady!
He made me do it! It wasn't my idea, I swear!
She made me do it! It wasn't my idea, I swear!
Make them get out of here!
Bingo!
Leon!
Shit!
Please. Just drop me off at the baseball park.
Okay?
Thank you very much. I'm sorry I don't have money for a tip.
Lox, cream cheese, bagels.
Cracker Jacks, popcorn, everything!
Play!
Strike three and you're out.
What happened to your battin' eye, Mr. Nevada?
I left it last night with a hundred pounds of white meat.
And now I must go make poo-poo caca.
Hey, fella, back of the line.
Safe!
Hi.
Not this time, Charlie. Oooh!
Got a little somethin' for ya, Charlie.
Can I ask a question? Yeah.
If ya cut me, who gonna play right field?
Shit.
Why're you shakin', Charlie?
Your team's gonna win if Leon catch hold of one.
Wait for the crowd to roar.
Ball one!
Now!
Bin... go.
Get a blanket.
Excuse me, ma'am. How's he doin'?
The doctor says more surgery will be necessary. A few more cuts won't matter.
Did he say anything before he passed out?
He babbled a lot. He kept calling for his girlfriend.
Which one? He's got more than anybody in the league.
I think the name was sallie. That's right, sallie potts.
He kept asking for her.
Sallie potts.
Sallie Potter.
This is for your whole blood and drugs: Sulfur.
It's very expensive. Then his doctor fees, anesthesia and surgery.
And Dr. McCarthy has found a dose of...
You know what,
and of course we have to clean that out.
Excuse me, ma'am, but I should tell you right off...
That we only got $225.
That's from last night's game. We don't got no other.
You know that he has been hurt far worse than $225.
But we'll take what we can get.
He likes ice cream... Vanilla, if you've got some.
All right... vanilla.
Sallie pull that stuff, we're gonna have a hard time keepin' the team together.
No, it wasn't sallie who done it. Charlie said it was boys from the red feather lounge...
On account of his foolin' around with the white meat.
Yeah? I always knew that boy's Aryan proclivities would get his nuts in the cooker.
How we gonna pay for that hotel?
How is he? He's okay. He's all right.
You gentlemen checking out?
Inasmuch as I was present at last night's contest...
And knew you were staying at my hotel,
I took the Liberty of securing the cost of your stay.
We was countin' on your kindness and understandin', Mr. Bostrum,
to see us through our misfortune 'cause we done fell on hard times,
and we knew that a freethinkin' gentleman such as yourself...
Would help us get back on our feet.
What makes you think you niggers can lay your losses off on me?
It's blackbird trash like you that's holding the colored people back.
Wheel it out. Come on.
Where are they takin' my car?
It will be sold at public auction under the supervision of sheriff gleason.
And there's nothing you can do about it.
The man got the car. What are we gonna do now?
Yeah, bingo, what are we gonna do? I'm with you, bingo.
I'm hungry.
I know. We can go four to a seat, and take turns standin' on the runnin' board.
Might have to leave some of the luggage, though.
Man, these potatoes is heavy!
How else we s'pose to make money, fool?
They say they gonna pay us $5 each.
It oughta go fast if we get to it.
There you go. That's one.
I hate these goddamn potatoes!
I hate this goddamn field!
I hate this goddamn team. Forgive me, father divine.
Damn it, murchman. Pick them potatoes up.
You pick 'em up. I quit.
Any man batting .426 got no business swingin' a rake.
- Where you goin'? - I'm gonna get me a cold lemonade in St. Louis.
Hey, murch, wait for me. Hey, Sam.
Look out. I got four kids to worry about.
You got five, Sam, but that ain't the point. We're a team.
You can't leave. I'm sorry, bingo,
but if I want potatoes, I'll buy 'em at the damn store.
Go ahead, then! Take off!
We don't need no quitters. There's plenty of players dyin' to play on this club.
Ain't that right?
You goin' to St. Louis?
Don't none of the rest of y'all get no funny ideas about doin' somethin' you'll regret later.
We's a team on the baseball field, and we's a team on the potato field.
Right! Right!
This is good work! I love this work!
I'm the prince of potato pickers. Yeah!
- Everybody say yeah. - Yeah!
- One potato.
Two potato, three potato, four.
Five potato, six potato, seven potato mo'.
All right, all right!
Name? Barnett long.
Good work, long. $2.65.
Where's my $5? What $5? You picked 24 bushels.
Everybody told me it was $5.
It is $5 the long ton. Next man.
I've been out here all day long, and all I got is $2.65 to show for it?
You want to give it back? Next man.
Willie shively. Shively.
$2.70.
Louis keystone. Keystone. Key...
We're late.
Sold. $120. Take it off, sir. Moving over to lot number six.
1934 Ford touring model,
complete with a collection of professional baseball equipment.
Take a good look at this paint job, and good tires too.
How much we got? $48.25.
$48.25. I'll start out with $35. I'll scam off early.
I'll start the bidding off at $84.
$84, going, going, gone. Sold to me, corliss motors.
$84. Thank you, sir.
Lot number seven over here is a stock chopper.
Who'll start the biddin' off on this beauty? A brand-new, fresh paint job...
I was stupid to bring you out here in the first place.
You gobbled up a full share every payday.
What did you do to earn it? Nothin'!
Couldn't've been more useless if that fast ball had've tore off your whole head.
Hungry? Had enough to eat?
Let me have one of those sandwiches.
Here. It's a long trip.
If you need anything, write it down and show it to the bus driver.
He'll know what to do. And don't go pokin' your nose into no pinochle games!
Where'd that Leon go to?
Damn, I wish you could talk! Maybe you could tell me how we fouled up.
I sure as hell don't know.
If fair and square don't work, what do? Okay, here you go.
There's a change in Chicago for Raleigh.
You leave them girls alone now, hear?
So long, rainbow.
I'm sorry.
Bingo, we got our backs up against the wall,
no place to go.
What do you say we get back in the car and go on back where we come from?
It's all over, man.
I guess you're right, Leon.
How 'bout I meet y'all back here 'bout a half hour? I got somethin' I gotta do first.
Here, have somethin' to eat on me.
Where're you goin'?
What was that you once told me about seizin' the means of production?
It'll cost ya four. Come on, Lars.
Let's have some change out of there.
Here you go. You callin'? All right, we're all in.
Okay. Big king, big ten, pair of sevens.
I'll bet a half. It'll cost you 75 cents to stay, Lars.
Let's see what you got there. Sure enough.
You've just got coons in your garbage.
Down in the torture chambers, flash and his friends...
Have been put to work stoking the great furnaces of the hawk men.
Seize the means of production?
Sweet Jesus!
That poor child's gonna get hisself lynched. What's the matter, Leon?
Nothin', unless they done already got bingo treed.
C'mon. C'mon, c'mon.
Step on it. Wait, Leon. We comin'!
It's adventure time with little orphan Annie.
Hey, boss, don't you do it!
Stick 'em up, jazzbo.
There!
Damn it, gleason. Hit him!
A fiery horse with the speed of light.
A cloud of dust, and a hearty heigh-silver! The lone ranger.
No wonder this team is... breakin' up? Go get 'em!
...with his faithful Indian companion Tonto,
the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order.
From out of a pass come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse silver!
Carl, ain't that your car? It's a goddamn conspiracy!
Come on, silver. Heigh-silver! Away!
A mile a minute! Hell, you'll never catch that v-12.
Don't shoot! I surrender!
Get in quick. It's only me, you dope.
Gimme the damn thing. C'mon!
Goddamn! What is this?
There's something wrong. There's a lot of smoke in the car.
No shit!
Don't you love to squirm in this upholstery?
Feel that pickup. There's more than a squirrel in the barrel up front.
Here comes our ride, boys.
Gleason, I don't think they saw you.
We scared the hell out of 'em! Shit!
You had no business stealin' this car. Seize the means of production, my ass!
Leon, I'm just gettin' my own back.
This ain't no '34 Ford with the bearings shot. Don't I know it.
It's got a radio too. Bingo, you stole a car.
You know what that make you? A grand larcenist.
I done what I had to do to keep this team from goin' under.
Sallie locked us out; We play the white teams.
He steal our company box, and we put up our own shares.
Now, he cut up one of our boys and...
So, it was sallie took care of Charlie.
I was gonna tell you, Leon. Honest I was.
But being the leader, I gotta keep this team together.
And you get real ornery sometimes.
Rochester? Gee, that's a peculiar name.
- How did you get that? - I was born in Syracuse.
Hey, Leon. Look here.
Hey, buddy, how 'bout a ride? Hey! Hey!
I tell you, you really get all riled up, don't you, Leon?
Hey!
Listen.
If that other car bothers you so much, why don't you get in this one?
You oughtn't be walkin' around on that foot.
- I ain't goin' your way, bingo. - What you talkin' 'bout?
This team started out with high ideals.
Now we lyin' to each other and stealin' cars. I done had it.
You mean you leavin' the all-stars to go back and play with the masters?
No, I ain't doin' that neither. I'm retiring.
I don't want to see another baseball the rest of my life... Nor a bat, nor a glove.
The great Leon Carter windin' up a quitter!
You ain't no better than Walter murchman.
- You're rilin' me, loudmouth. - That ain't all I'm gonna do.
Man, get off! Bingo!
I ain't startin', you fool!
Get outta the way, man!
Man! You is the fool... To end all fools.
We'll see who the fool is, you baboon!
Go ahead.
Hey, can I get a ride? Thank you, sir.
Go ahead! All right, go ahead!
I's overcome with joy. I don't have to see your ugly face no more.
Get out! You're over the hill anyway.
We'll find somebody twice as good as you.
How do you like this here?
Put it right here. Ol' boy can't hit nohow.
Let's do it! Let's do it!
How do you like this here?
How do you like this over here? Come on. Play ball!
What about right here? Right down the center, baby.
What'd you say? All right, come on.
- Let's go, baby! - Come on now.
He's out!
All-stars.
Wait a minute! Hold it, goddamn it. Everybody!
I didn't come here for no goddamn brawl.
All right, boy, let's talk. Do me like you did rainbow.
Your team's fallin' to pieces, bingo.
And the owners is willin' to bail you out.
We even took care of that stolen car business for ya.
We gonna let y'all back in the leagues on your old teams for the same salary.
Tell you what. You come back this week, there'll be a little extra dough in it for you.
And a bonus for the rest of the boys. Free funerals.
You barkin' up the wrong tree, fat man.
This team ain't about to fold up. All right, bingo.
Make you another offer.
Your all-stars against mine.
One big game down in St. Louis.
People'd pay a pretty penny to see that one.
Are you offering us a guarantee or a percentage? Better than that.
You beat my all-stars, you can come back in the league as your own team.
Official? Official.
Chance for your boys to be respectable.
But if you lose, you all return to your old teams.
You play out the rest of this season and all the next at half salary.
We got a game?
Sallie, sallie, sallie.
You still the same old snake you always was.
Have we got a game? Yeah, we got a game.
And we gonna win too. Easy.
We got a game.
Leon, you there?
Leon! Come on! Hit the ball!
Strike two!
You stand there like a dummy.
Hit the ball! C'mon! Hit it!
Hit it!
Out! Man, that was no out.
What do you mean, that wasn't no out? You was out by a mile.
So you don't wanna see another baseball the rest of your life, nor a bat nor a glove?
What you want, bingo?
You seen this? I ain't seen nothin' but.
That poster must be on every wall in St. Louis.
This is it, Leon. A chance to say good-bye to barnstormin'...
And get back in the league as our own men; Equal pay for equal play.
You still slicin' that same baloney, but it's still too hard to swallow.
I shouldn't have lied to you; I should've never stole that car.
That's grand larceny. I don't want it no more. Strike!
I don't want it no more. Good-bye, packard.
You must think I'm dumb. Them the keys to your old Ford.
Strike two! The all-stars can't do it without you, Leon.
I'm begging you to come back and help us whup the owners once and for all.
What if we lose? If we lose, I'm quitting the game.
Strike three! There's nothin' that can make me work for sallie again.
Nothin'! Even potatoes is better.
Leon, you and me... We can't lose.
All right, all right! Hey!
Bingo, I'm enjoyin' my retirement too much to worry about that old can of beans,
but if I change my mind between now and game time, I might see ya there.
Yeah! Now you feelin' the spirit!
We got some future all-stars out there. You take care of them boys.
I'll see you at the ballpark. All right, Leon?
All right.
Foul ball!
Hey, bingo! Where the hell's Leon?
Don't worry. He'll be here. We shook hands on it.
Hey, fat Sam!
Hey, bingo! Hey, bingo!
Get your peanuts, popcorn, cracker Jacks, hot dogs, cold beer!
Rainbow! Rainbow, is that really you? Yeah, it's me.
Looky there! It's rainbow! Popcorn, y'all!
You're talking! Tell us what happened.
I was on that bus to Raleigh. You told me don't get in no pinochle game.
So I played gin rummy instead. I got into a lot more than I could pay.
When we got to chattanooga, they took me off the bus, knocked me in my head.
I woke up, felt my pocket and I knew. "I ain't got no money. Where my money at?"
And I said, "help, help! I been robbed."
And I been talkin' ever since. I liked you better the old way.
The negro national league has never seen anything like this.
The bingo long all-stars take the field to give us fans...
A little pregame show in the barnstorming tradition that made them famous.
If they win here today, they'll gain a regular spot in the league:
A contest unprecedented in the history of negro ball.
Sallie Potter, this is the dumbest deal ever made.
The league ain't got no room for no nine teams.
That's a problem we ain't gonna have to face, blubberpuss.
Now, with the new additions to our team...
And the deletions to bingo's, the game is in the bag.
- What if Leon Carter shows up? - You take it from me.
Much chance of that as you wakin' up skinny!
What you think happened to Leon? Don't worry. He'll make it.
He probably had a late night rollin' with pearline.-
Isaac!
Please, lord!
Invite pitch! Invite pitch!
- Who... - Who...
- Gonna hit... - Gonna hit...
- My... - My...
Invite pitch?
Look at this! Heading up the batting order...
Walter murchman, who used to play for the all-stars.
Story goes he quit in some fight over working conditions.
And here he is to face his former teammates...
And the world-famous invite pitch.
Bingo, where's your gorilla suit?
Easy.
The boss knowed you was gonna get that last-minute itch.
Sweet Jesus.
Smart ass!
I got him.
C'mon, big fella. It's all right.
Sit down.
Try to relax, Mr. Carter. You gonna be here all afternoon.
Give you somethin' to listen to, Mr. Carter.
Don't get no ideas. We be right outside.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, no hits, no runs, no errors.
And the bingo long all-stars go down one, two, three in the first.
All right, c'mon, bingo.
Nice and easy. All right, c'mon, bingo!
Come to me now.
Here we go now. Let's go get 'im. Let's go get 'im.
Go get it, Joe!
That a baby, Joe!
So that's Calloway. Yes, sir. And he's only 19.
Hey, honey. Mack, how's it goin'? All right.
What you boys doin' here? We come down for the deceased.
Okay, but be quick. Okay.
...the shortstop who's batting 0 for 14.
This year his average is holding at .204.
Bingo looks for the... Honey, get in here!
The ball is hit. It's a hard grounder. Goddamn!
No way he could've gotten out.
Bet he's in here.
The score remains one to nothing. That brings the bingo long all-stars up to bat.
They surely miss the services of Leon Carter, perhaps the league's heaviest hitter.
I called everybody. No one's seen him.
All right, Sam. Don't worry about it.
He's comin'. He's on his way to the stadium right this minute.
He'll have some story to tell, won't he?
It's the last of the seventh. He ain't showin' up.
I bet sallie done paid him money to stay away.
He said he was comin'. He promised me. He ain't corruptible.
Leon never let nobody down, and I don't want that thought in your mind.
Let go! Turn me loose, Louis!
C'mon, Sam! C'mon!
Strike three, and you're out!
After 7 and one half innings, it's the negro league two,
the bingo long all-stars nothing.
Come on out, Mr. Carter. Hide-and-seek is over.
We mourn this wonderful lady.
Her spirit moves through this room...
Yeah. At this very minute.
Come on. I ain't no Charlie snow.
The negro league all-stars have reached bingo long for ten hits now.
The fire seems to have gone out of his fastball.
What happened? Lose your arm pitchin' potatoes?
Who's that? Walt murchman again?
Bingo long is in real trouble. Top of the ninth, two outs.
And the bases are loaded with the negro league power hitter up to bat.
If he connects, it could be all over for the bingo long all-stars.
They say you a pretty fair hitter.
So they says!
Well, hit this.
Strike!
I love it!
There goes the wallop! It's a long ball!
It's going, going... foul!
Foul ball. Out by a few, short feet.
Bingo long seems to have lost his stuff.
Get him outta there! This is it.
The catcher's running out to the mound. This may be the last we see...
Of this exhausted pitcher today.
Don't worry, Isaac. He just caught a lucky one.
Your arm's goin' out. I'm comin' in to relieve you.
You tryin' to tell me my vanish ball won't go right by him?
Your vanish ball disappeared the middle of the fifth innin'. No, it didn't, goddamn it!
It's so fast, it burned the atoms off the leather.
It attained the speed of light. It tend to disappear when approachin' the plate!
Okay. But if you don't get him out this time, I'm comin' in.
Lord, I can feel that woman's flab already.
Here we go, bingo. Magic time, baby. Magic time.
Me and you now. Me and you, bingo.
Bingo's calling in the outfield. I don't believe it!
A full count, bases loaded and he's calling in his team.
Bingo long is wagering the future of his team on this one, single, solitary pitch.
Come on, bingo. Let's sink this.
I'm with ya, baby. Let's go, now.
Come on, bingo. Let's go!
Old fat sam'll bail you out if it come down this way.
You can get him! Be tough! Be tough, bingo! Come on!
Here we go!
Out!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Way to go, bingo!
We needed them insurance runs, sallie.
The game is over. The rebels 'bout to breathe their last gasp.
We gonna win this game anyway! Yeah! Come on, Sam!
Premiums as low as ten cents a week.
Don't let your family be embarrassed.
On that final day, let us put you away.
What's the score? What's the score?
Sallie done it, bingo. I was on my way.
I knew you was comin'. Everybody else was carryin' on, but I was cool.
Am I up? You pinch-hittin' for Isaac.
You get us a home run now!
Who's next? Batter up!
Get somebody up here!
Come on, Mr. Carter.
Here's your hickory, Mr. Carter.
What's the matter with you? Cat got your tongue?
Gimme a touch for luck! Yea!
Come on, Leon! Hit one! You can do it!
Can't trust nobody nowadays.
Ball one!
Ball two!
Ball three!
Well, you big hippo!
You was always saying, "let's book a game with the all-stars."
It was you who wagered to give 'em a spot in the negro national league.
- Woman! - Well, you just did. You give 'em your spot.
My spot? Woman, you can't do that.
Hah! Tell her, boys.
It's already done. It were unanimous.
Come on, boys!
Who won?
Buenos dias, Carlos Nevada!
- ¿Como esta, amigo? - No more of that Spanish stuff.
I was stupid tryin' to break into the white leagues as a spaniard.
- You gonna play for us again? - Sure I am! Soon as I get my big break.
How, kemo sabe!
Make'big wampum.
From now on, I'm known as chief takahoma.
That means "tomahawk" in mohican.
You the original smoke signal.
Boy, you niggers played your ass off today!
Hey, esquire Joe!
Esquire Joe! Esquire Joe!
Nice game! Esquire Joe! Esquire Joe!
You okay? I'm okay.
All right then. You in the league now!
I love you, esquire.
Mr. Long, there's a man outside.
Hold it. What? There's a man outside...
Who runs the Brooklyn Dodgers!
He heard a lot about me, so he come down and have a looky see.
He wants me to go off and play on some white farm club.
He say if I'm good, he's gonna put me onto a team.
A white team?
He said we gonna break that color line.
The white team is takin' on the kid! That's what he told us.
All right! Yeah! All right!
That's a whole lot of crap, man.
Ain't no big league gonna sign no colored for no money!
They're lyin' to you, boy. No, they ain't! No, they ain't!
Shoot, bingo, be glad for him!
Anybody goin' up, Joe a good one!
Shit! Goddamn!
Goddamn.
But a rookie like you?
I thought I'd better come down and see you first, Mr. Long.
You know, sorta ask your permission. Permission?
Yes, sir.
Well...
You got it. You got it.
Give 'em hell, Joe. Yeah, Joe.
Mr. Long, you always was real good to me.
I done learned a lot, and I ain't gonna never forget it.
Go get 'em, esquire Joe Calloway, sir!
Ain't that a bitch? They takin' negroes now, and I'm an Indian.
Go ahead. Git!
Go get 'em, Joe! Esquire Joe!
Sic 'em! Sic 'em! Esquire Joe! Esquire Joe!
After all them years and all that double-talk,
the white man finally movin' in.
Shit, I don't care. We gonna rule the league now.
Yeah, just as long as the league's still here. What that supposed to mean?
Ain't no black folks gonna pay to see us play no more,
not when they can see kids like esquire playin' with the white boys.
No, no, no. That's the end of negro ball.
When they see Joe do his stuff, they gonna be comin' back for some mo'.
They like him, they gonna love us!
I'm afraid not, good buddy. They like a new kind of colored player now,
and we ain't 19 no more.
Hell, that's okay!
We in the league now.
We the pinnacle of baseball creation.
Come on, bingo. Calm down.
Can't you see it, Leon? This is all ours.
We gonna set it right. New paint!
And a new scoreboard with a giant picture of you on the left...
And one of me on the right.
And free hair curlers and ten-cent cigars every Tuesday!
Nigger, you're crazy.
I don't know. Maybe you got somethin' in your fuzzy head after all.
Big business now? Twi-night doubleheaders.
That's it, Leon! And a new sign.
A new sign that blinks all night.
The bingo long traveling all-stars...
And motor kings!
Starring Leon Carter. Yeah!
Leon.
You know somethin'?
It's you and me, Leon.
We can't never lose.
Never.