Ruling over Monarchs, Giants & Stars

True Tales of Breaking Barriers, Umpiring Baseball Legends, and Wild Adventures in the Negro Leagues

By: Byron Motley, Bob Motley

Narrated by: Richard Allen

The Kansas City Monarchs, the Chicago American Giants, the St. Louis Stars, the Birmingham Black Barons, the Homestead Grays, and the Indianapolis Clowns; for over 50 years, they were the Yankees, Cardinals, and Red Sox of black baseball in America. And for over a decade beginning in the late 1940s, umpire Bob Motley called balls and strikes for many of their games, working alongside such legends as Satchel Paige, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Willie Mays.

Today, Motley is the only living arbiter from the Negro Leagues. His personal account of the Negro Leagues is a revealing, humorous, and unforgettable memoir celebrating a long-lost league and a remarkable group of baseball players. In Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants, and Stars, Motley and his son Byron share the characters, adventures, and challenges faced by these amazing men as they enthusiastically embraced America’s pastime and made it their own. Filled with stories of talented heroes, small miracles, and downright fun, this unique memoir is a must-listen for any baseball fan.

©2007, 2012 Bob Motley and Byron Motley (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“An important step in revealing what has been for most Americans a ‘hidden history.’” (Ken Burns)

An Umpire Once Forgotten, Now Memorialized

I came upon this book by accident. I was searching through the baseball books and saw the umpire on the cover, so upon closer look found out that this was indeed about an umpire in the Negro Leagues. Cool, another book about an umpire. Let me get that. I'm glad I did.
Bob Motley is a proud black man and it shows in his writing. Written by Bob and his son, this is a history of a man who grew up in the segregated south, met many hardships due to the color of his skin, but always improved, always pushed, and ultimately succeeded when no one gave him a chance.
This autobiography starts from his childhood and goes through his retirement years. The stories of institutional racism in not only baseball but also life are poignant but he didn't let other people's prejudices define who he was. He kept pushing through and became a success.
Some of my favorite parts are his short-lived playing career and his work with Emmett Ashford in the Pacific Coast League. Having learned about Emmett Ashford in "Men in Blue: Interviews with Umpires" (Also available on audible), it was good to see him from an outside view. Both Ashford and Motley seem to have been incredible umpires and men.
The storytelling in this book is captivating and the narration is excellent. Some warnings, the language is strong as Mr. Motley doesn't hold anything back. Some of the stories are risque but then, so is life.
I had never heard of Bob Motley but I am so glad he decided to share his story before it was forgotten. This is a great book for anyone who loves the history of the game, umpires, people wanting to know more about the inner workings of the Negro League, and fans of the underdog coming out on top.

A truly inspirational story

"Ruling over Monarchs, Giants & Stars" is the inspirational story of Bob Motley, a former umpire in Negro League Baseball. Motley shares fascinating baseball tales, despite his dealings with rampant racism. I absolutely loved hearing his honest evaluations of NL greats such as Satchel Paige and Bullet Rogan. Motley recalls the early days of hall of famers Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Willie Mays. The former Marine aspired to one day umpiring in the major leagues, but in a blatant case of injustice, the color of his skin prevented it. However, due to his perseverance, Motley did umpire in the Pacific Coast League. It is invigorating to see the negro leagues finally receiving its justly due.

Brilliant

Be you a lover of baseball or not, this is a great story about a difficult time in our history. It's about a man who was not victimized by his unbelievable circumstances...Please read this. The reader sounds like he is the umpire himself. Brilliant.