Obama-mania: Is it going a little too far? Author argues Babe Ruth was African American

CHICAGO Media Advisory: Omaha resident J. Anderson Cross Offers New Evidence Babe Ruth Was the First African-American Baseball Player in New Book to Be Released in September, In Time for Last Game at Yankee Stadium. ** Chicago event on schedule below in town Sep 10-15

WHO: J. Anderson Cross, author of The Bambino Secret, reveals Babe Ruth's biggest secret.

WHAT: Babe Ruth's legacy in Yankee Stadium will be celebrated for the last time in September 2008 as the famous baseball stadium closes its doors forever. It may come as a surprise, however, to learn that one of AmericaÕs greatest heroes carried a long-held secret. He was part blackÑthus invalidating Jackie Robinson as the first African-American major league baseball player. At least that's the theory behind J. Anderson CrossÕ upcoming The Bambino Secret (September 2008).

"Babe Ruth played baseball during a time when African-Americans were not allowed to play sports," says Cross. "There is no way the American public would have accepted him during that time period if they knew he was part black. The Yankee team businessmen knew this. They also knew they needed Babe Ruth and would have done anything to make sure that he continued to play the game."

"Considerable research was involved while writing this book," says Cross. "I traveled across the country to local historical societies, searched through numerous slave records and sought information from sources that I couldn"t have found in any library or through Internet research. I was in Abingdon, Virginia when I found the key link in a local handwritten journal entitled Colored Marriages from 1853 to 1859."

WHERE/ WHEN: Book launch events at the following Chicago venue:
Wednesday, September 10, 7 p.m.: The Book StallÑWinnetka, IL; 811 Elm Street; Winnetka, IL 60093; Contact: Jean, 847.446.8880

INTERVIEW IDEAS:
* Behind the Scenes: What led Cross to the theory that Babe Ruth was part African-American.
* The Art of Fiction: Why he chose to write a historical novel about his research.
* Yankee Stadium closes::What should go in the museum that it will become.
* All things baseball: Where baseball would be if the BambinoÕs secret had gotten out.

MEDIA OPPS:
* An advanced copy of the book
* A photocopy of the missing link: Why Cross thinks that Babe Ruth was part African-American.
For more information, visit www.thebambinosecret.com.To schedule an interview or to receive media information contact Jordan Bucher at 512.363.5756 or jordan@prbythebook.com.