Effa Loves Baseball

Set in Newark during the golden era of the Negro Leagues, Effa Loves Baseball tells the inspiring true story of Effa Manley, the co-owner and business manager of the Newark Eagles, as she fights to lead her team to the Negro League World Series. Determined to succeed in a world shaped by racism and sexism, Effa navigates the pressures of the press, her coaching staff, segregation, and her own ambitions, risking everything for the game and the community she loves. Centered on the vibrant spirit of Newark and the enduring legacy of Black excellence, Effa Loves Baseball celebrates the power of leadership, resilience, and the people who changed history both on and off the field. Effa Manley would become the first—and still the only—woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This play is based on her remarkable true story. It is a Liberty Live! Commission produced by Premiere Stages at Kean University, located 38 minutes by train from NY Penn Station, performing at Enlow Recital Hall in Union, NJ.