Double Play on the Red Line by Rajesh Oza

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago, IL—September 2025 — Third World Press proudly announces the release of Double Play on the Red Line. In this debut novel by Rajesh C. Oza, the author delivers a powerful, emotionally resonant story of injustice, alliance, and hope between two American men of color—one Black,  one Indian—bound by a brutal encounter in Wrigley Field's iconic bleachers.

Set against the backdrop of Chicago’s North Side in the late 1960s, this powerful novel follows two men whose lives intersect under the bright lights of Wrigley Field and the long shadows of America’s past. 

Once poised to become one of the first Black players in the Major Leagues, Ernie’s dream was unjustly cut short. Years later, he returns to the ballpark—not as a player, but as a peanut vendor. When Ratan, a young journalism professor and devoted Cubs fan, witnesses a violent assault on Ernie during a game, he is galvanized into action.

What begins as a moment of horror becomes a journey up and down Chicago's Red Line, discovering multiple truths and venturing deeply into the legacy of racism, silence, and survival in America. The two are drawn together by chance, conscience, and the pursuit of truth.

Told in part through letters, their intertwined stories span continents and decades. Together, they reveal the cost of silence and the enduring fight for dignity, belonging, and hope.

The intriguing doppelgängers in this novel give new meaning to the phrase "double play." A meditation on justice delayed, friendship found, and the fragile promise of racial solidarity,  Oza's prose and probing questions compel readers to ask not just what happened, but why—and what it means for us now. 

Timeless in its exploration of social justice—and also timely for this year’s pennant race— Double Play on the Red Line is both a Chicagoan’s love letter to baseball and an immigrant’s unflinching portrait of America’s contradictions. It is a tale of determination, discovery, identity,  and the possibility of race amity. 

The book is available online at Third World Press Foundation and at select booksellers.

For media inquiries, review copies, or interview requests, please contact:

Mursalata Muhammad, PhD.  
Volunteer Special Projects Manager Author
Third World Press Foundation Email: raj.oza@gmail.com
Email: twpfprojects@thirdworldpressfoundation.org