— In June, stamps will be released honoring Negro Leagues baseball, which operated from 1920 to about 1960, drawing some of the most remarkable athletes ever to play the sport.
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One of the most courageous sports figures in American history stared racism in the face but had a secret fear: Jackie Robinson couldn't swim.
In the delightful picture book Testing the Ice (Scholastic, $16.99, ages 5 to 9), Sharon Robinson -- daughter of the baseball legend -- tells young readers the tale of the first player to integrate professional baseball as well as a family story that reflects her father's character.
via www.dispatch.com
From KansasCity.com:
It’s been three years since Buck O’Neil died, but his presence is still felt at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which plans to celebrate the life of this Kansas City icon.
O’Neil would have turned 98 on Friday, so on that day, all 10 FirstWatch restaurants in the area will donate 100 percent of their profits to Buck’s Hall of Education at the NLBM. In addition, a number of former players will be at select restaurants to sign autographs.
Former Negro Leagues players Jess Rogers and DeMorris Smith will be at 1022 Westport Road from 8-9 a.m. Former Royals second baseman Frank White will be at that location from 9-10 a.m. Former Royals pitcher Al Fitzmorris will be at 12040 Blue Valley Pkwy, Overland Park, from 9-10 a.m. Former Royals outfielder Brian McRae will be at 9916 College Blvd., Overland Park, from 8-9 a.m. Former Royals Paul Splittorff and Les Norman will be at 19321 E. Highway 40 #L in Independence from 9-10 a.m.
The celebration will continue Saturday with a series of events at the NLBM, 1616 E. 18th Street. There will be a special admission price of $1 (a Buck) for the museum. Children under age 12 when accompanied by an adult are free. There will be free cupcakes throughout the day.
From noon to 4 p.m. there will be free live jazz in the atrium of the Museums at 18th & Vine featuring the Valerie Price Trio (noon-2 p.m.) and Wes Blackmon (2-4 p.m.).
For more information, call the museum at 816-221-1920.
From Suburban Chicago News:
Baseball historians often read between the lines to grasp the essence of the Negro Leagues. They were formed out of necessity in 1920 in Chicago when black players were excluded from the Major Leagues because of racial discrimination. After Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947, the leagues continued until 1955.
The Negro Leagues have been characterized by folklore, mystery and intrigue.
But the players come to life with uncanny detail in "Strat-O-Matic Negro League All-Stars," which debuts this week through the Strat-O-Matic game company in Glen Head, N.Y. The Strat-O-Matic board game debuted in 1962.
From the Palm Beach Daily News:
A century ago, just south of Royal Poinciana Way, some of the nation's best athletes, clad in woolen uniforms and stubby-billed caps, smacked triples and caught line drives with their bare hands.
Money-bags E.F. Hutton, in prison-convict garb, huddled behind home plate, delighting high-society A-list onlookers in feathered hats.
One afternoon, Babe Ruth dropped by.
As Major League Baseball's World Series fast approaches, Palm Beach's illustrious baseball past echoes its primacy — ash-wood bats, roaring crowds and all.
For decades after the turn of the 20th century, baseball in Palm Beach reigned supreme — from Negro League games to high-society contests — on a diamond flanked by two of the finest resort hotels in the world.