A father-and-son conversation on Negro League legacy, family history, and the mission to preserve the truth for future generations.
Episode 1 Now Streaming
Welcome to one of the most important pages on the YNLBPC platform. What you are about to experience is more than a podcast — it is a living historical record. Dennis “Bose” Biddle, the youngest living former Negro League player from the legendary Chicago American Giants, sits down with his son Dennis Biddle, founder and president of YNLBPC, to set the record straight on a chapter of American history that has been overlooked, rewritten, and at times deliberately silenced.
In 1996, Bose Biddle and Sherwood Brewer co-founded Yesterday’s Negro Baseball Players Foundation — the first organization of its kind — to fight for financial benefits, healthcare, and pensions for the living former Negro League players that Major League Baseball had left behind. After decades of advocacy, including Bose carrying the mission forward after Sherwood Brewer’s passing, MLB finally recognized these legends. In 2024, MLB made the historic decision to integrate Negro League statistics as part of official Major League records. This page exists so the world never forgets the role Dennis “Bose” Biddle played in making that moment possible. Listen closely — this is history speaking.
At just 17 years old, Dennis “Bose” Biddle left home and signed with the Chicago American Giants in 1953 — walking the path made possible by Andrew “Rube” Foster, the visionary founder of organized Negro League baseball. Without Foster’s dream, Bose never leaves Arkansas for that bus ride to Chicago, and without Bose, YNLBPC never exists.
In 1996, Bose and fellow former player Sherwood Brewer co-founded Yesterday’s Negro Baseball Players Foundation — the first organization dedicated to fighting MLB for financial benefits, healthcare, and pensions for the living former Negro League players. At that time, over 400 men and women, including Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, were still living.
After Sherwood Brewer’s passing, Bose carried the fight alone for years. His tireless advocacy was instrumental in MLB’s decision to finally recognize these former players, granting many of them the financial benefits they had been denied for decades. In 2024, MLB made the historic decision to integrate Negro League statistics as part of official Major League records — a moment that would not have been possible without the groundwork Bose Biddle laid over 30 years of unwavering dedication.
His book The Secrets of the Negro Baseball League pulls back the curtain on the truths that history books often leave out. Now approaching his 90th birthday, Bose continues the mission — ensuring that the world knows the full, unedited story of the Negro Leagues and the men who made it great.
In the debut episode, Dennis Biddle and his father Dennis “Bose” Biddle sit down for a historic conversation. They address the deliberate attempts to rewrite Negro League history, the fight for economic justice from Major League Baseball, the untold story of their Walmart partnership with 18 former Negro League players, and a powerful message for the next generation of young African American athletes. This is history being passed down in real time.
Bose recalls signing with the Chicago American Giants at just 17 years old in 1953 — leaving home for the first time, with tears on his father’s face and a hug from his mother that he felt all the way to Chicago. Together, father and son confront the coordinated efforts to silence their history, the broken promises from MLB, and the three rejection letters from Walmart after a groundbreaking in-store event with 18 former Negro League players — including Mamie “Peanut” Johnson. They close with a powerful call for young African American boys to pick up the bat and reclaim the game that was always theirs.
I signed with the Chicago American Giants at just 17 years old in 1953. I’ll never forget the emotion on my daddy’s face as tears streamed down… But my mother, she never shed a tear. She hugged me and kissed me, and said, ‘Baby, good luck.’ I felt that hug all the way to Chicago.— Dennis “Bose” Biddle
We rode those buses at midnight after a doubleheader, windows fogged from the summer heat. If the bus stopped, we couldn’t just walk into any restaurant. More than once, we ate behind the bus, food parcelled out from brown paper bags while players from the other teams went inside and laughed.— Dennis “Bose” Biddle
MLB publicly celebrates the Negro Leagues to polish its image — special uniforms, stats integration, ceremonial first pitches. But privately, they’ve drawn a line when it comes to actual economic justice. No pensions. No healthcare. It’s symbolic recognition without substance — legacy without livelihood.— Dennis “Bose” Biddle
Our family — my wife, siblings, cousin, uncles, and the next generation — made real sacrifices, not just with time, but also with their wallets, prayers, and patience. They stood behind us, even when this mission didn’t bring in a dime, even when it looked like no one was listening.— Dennis Biddle
We received not one, not two — but three rejection letters from Walmart. And yet… we rise. Because rejection didn’t end our mission — it fueled it.— Dennis Biddle
Never let anybody tell you what you can’t do. Pick up a bat, pick up a glove, step onto that field — because baseball teaches more than just a game. It teaches patience, discipline, teamwork, and pride. Baseball belongs to you, just like it belonged to us. And if you love it, it will love you back.— Dennis “Bose” Biddle
Setting the record straight — Bose's journey from the Chicago American Giants to the fight for justice.
30 years fighting for over 400 players — then denied by the very system he helped change. The full story of Bose’s campaign against MLB.
This podcast exists to honor the legacy, fight for justice, and share the real truth behind the Negro Baseball League and its players — who were too often forgotten by the very game they helped build.
YNLBPC seamlessly integrates historical significance with modern appeal, making a bold fashion statement while symbolizing education, quality, and heritage — respectfully paying tribute to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest eras in American sports.
Every episode produced continues to share untold stories, lived experiences, and hidden truths, ensuring the world never forgets the hardship the former Negro Baseball players endured and the impact they had in helping shape America's greatest pastime.
“The Untold Story of the Negro Leagues | Podcast Trailer”
Before you go, please be informed that this is a YNLBPC production; the 3D animated characters depicting us in today’s video episode are AI-generated animated representations. But make no mistake about it — the voices, the experiences, and the truths we shared with you are very real.
Our characters reflect the lived history, legacy, and mission of two generations; we have dedicated our lives to preserving and telling the untold story of the Negro Leagues.
Our words are drawn from personal experience, documented history, and decades of unwavering advocacy. So while the technology brings us to life visually, the heart of what you heard — is nothing short of authentic.
YNLBPC is an independent brand and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Major League Baseball, or any other professional, semi-professional, collegiate, or non-athletic organization.