Interview with Walter L. "Red" Barber, June 27, 1987
Project: A. B. "Happy" Chandler: Desegregation of Major League Baseball Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Walter Barber, from Mississippi, grew up in Florida. He was a play-by-play radio broadcaster for Major League baseball from 1934-1966. In this interview, he talks about television's influence on baseball, his getting permission for a television broadcast at Ebbets Field (the first broadcast of a Major League baseball game), his being a sportscaster for that historic game, the growth of television after World War II, the beginning of radio broadcasting of baseball games, how radio and television contributed to the decline of the Minor Leagues, his philosophy of sportscasting, the importance of neutrality and fairness in broadcasts, travelling radio broadcasts, and the innovations of Branch Rickey and Larry MacPhail. Other topics include Branch Rickey's signing of Jackie Robinson, Robinson's breaking of the "color line", Rickey's personality, the Mexican League, Joe DiMaggio's retirement, Barber's professional relationship with Robinson, the suspension of Leo Durocher, mistakes Barber feels Chandler made as baseball commissioner, Dan Topping, Barber's business dealings with him, and Del Webb.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview Rights
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.Interview Usage
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
Add this interview to your cart in order to begin the process of requesting access to a copy of and/or permission to reproduce interview(s).
Barber, Walter L. Interview by William J. Marshall. 27 Jun. 1987. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Barber, W.L. (1987, June 27). Interview by W. J. Marshall. A. B. "Happy" Chandler: Desegregation of Major League Baseball Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Barber, Walter L., interview by William J. Marshall. June 27, 1987, A. B. "Happy" Chandler: Desegregation of Major League Baseball Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt71g15t8p88