The Negro League Legends Hall of Fame (NLLHOF) is gearing up for the Annual Negro League East-West All-Star baseball game on Aug. 29 at Prince George’s Stadium, which is set to be a free, engaging faceoff and opportunity to pay homage to those who paved the way in what is often called America’s favorite pastime.
“We are looking forward to an exciting family day at the ballpark. America’s game of baseball, a salute to the Negro Leagues celebrating the ball players who played for the love of the game,” NLLHOF founder Dwayne Renal Sims told The Informer.
This year, the historian Phil Dixon and researcher Will Clark will salute the women who played, managed, and held ownership in Negro League teams, including Effa Manley, who co-owned the Newark Eagles.
“My vision was to present a free family historical event and highlight a tradition from small towns to the big cities, when the town would come out to see and root for their home team,” Sims explained.
A noted historian of both the Colored League and the Negro Leagues, Sims points out that the MLB All-Star baseball game took strong inspiration from the Negro League All-Star game originally organized by Rube Foster.
The event, celebrating 17 years of preserving African American baseball history, will also include the 10th Anniversary Auto Showcase Benefit featuring antique, classic, vintage, American, imported, two-wheel, three-wheel and four-wheel vehicles.
Bowie Mayor Michael Esteve is proud of the opportunity to celebrate the Negro Leagues in his hometown.
“This is a unique opportunity to celebrate the enduring legacy, resilience, and skill of trailblazing athletes who forever changed the game of baseball and American history,” said Esteve while attending the season opener for the Bowie Baysox. “We look forward to partnering with the Hall of Fame to honor these legends and to welcome visitors from across the region to experience this special event.”
Del. Denise Roberts (D-District 25) is also excited to honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues this August.
“The Negro Leagues were not just baseball. They were Black excellence, Black ownership, and Black community in the face of a system that said you do not belong here. Bringing that legacy to Baysox Stadium right here in Prince George’s County is not just a game,” said Roberts. “It is a celebration of everything our community has always been capable of when we invest in ourselves. I could not be more proud to have this moment happen right here at home.”
Sign up for tickets here; the game is free to attend for the general public.
