Negro League ceremonies

[foreverfree]

Since your awakening, CasteFootballers, have you, deliberately or otherwise, attended a Minor League game where the Negro Leagues are honored?

The Bowie Baysox (Orioles AA affiliate) are having such a ceremony before this Saturday night's (6/16/07) game per http://baysox.com/players/schedule/ . (The Wilmington Blue Rocks [Royals Advanced A affiliate] have this kind of ceremony every August, specifically honoring Wilmington-bred Judy Johnson.)

I have been invited to this game as part of a group from my church. I told the organizer I would go. Then tonight, I visited the Baysox website and found out. Oh, and I'll be paying for my ticket.

What should a good believer in the gospel acording to Don Wassall do?

John

 

[jaxvid]

Probably you should go. The ceremonies are ususally short and boring so as far as convincing anyone of anything all they really do is create a negative idea of the whole thing. It's a pointless exercise and forcing people to go through it reinforces the stupidity of it.

Ever attend sensitivity training? If so, have you EVER known anyone to come out of it and think it was anything more then a PC waste of time?

I got caught in the same thing a year ago, maybe worse, I was on the way to a MLB game with a friend and found out it was "Negro League" night. Everyone would be wearing the uniforms of some fly-by-night negro teams. It would have been too unpleasent for our friendship to turn it down so instead I spent the whole night ridiculing it. Actually enjoyed it more that way.

Ask everyone if the menu will include authenic "soul food" like collard greens and chitlins and if the teams will not bother keeping score or trade players to each other in the middle of the game like in the real negro leagues. Make it a learning experience for all of your friends.

 

[foreverfree]

Probably you should go. The ceremonies are ususally short and boring so as far as convincing anyone of anything all they really do is create a negative idea of the whole thing. It's a pointless exercise and forcing people to go through it reinforces the stupidity of it.

Well, I'll go. Would make a bad impression on my friends and pastor if I backed out.

Ever attend sensitivity training?

Not yet. Hope I never do.

I got caught in the same thing a year ago, maybe worse, I was on the way to a MLB game with a friend and found out it was "Negro League" night.

Similar to my situation.

Everyone would be wearing the uniforms of some fly-by-night negro teams.

According to the Baysox website that's what they will be doing. The Blue Rocks and their opponents will be doing the same thing. And the Baysox will be giving out Negro League caps at the door to boot.

It would have been too unpleasent for our friendship to turn it down

Same here. See above.

so instead I spent the whole night ridiculing it. Actually enjoyed it more that way.

I doubt if I will. I'm not a creative ridculer.

But I'll be listening for it.

Ask everyone if the menu will include authenic "soul food" like collard greens and chitlins and if the teams will not bother keeping score or trade players to each other in the middle of the game like in the real negro leagues. Make it a learning experience for all of your friends.

I doubt if I'll ask, but I'll be watching for mid-game trades.

Thanks for the advice, jaxvid. BTW I attended 15 to 20 Reading Phillies games (like the Baysox, the R-Phils are in the Eastern League) between 1979 and 2005. This will be my first EL game not involving the R-Phils. Bowie will be playing the New Britain Rock Cats (MIN affiliate IIRC).

John

 

[Lance Alworth]

Ever attend sensitivity training? If so, have you EVER known anyone to come out of it and think it was anything more then a PC waste of time?

I have. Basically all it is, is they tell you not to call a q*eer, a f*g and that sort of thing. I don't see what the point of these kind of training sessions are for because as adults, we pretty much are set in our ways and it is unlikely at this point in our lives that we are going to change the way we think. There are certain groups of people that I dislike because they are dicking me out of and accolades and respect that I feel that I rightfully deserve. No amount of sensitivity training is going to change thatEdited by: Lance Alworth

 

[foreverfree]

We went to the game. They gave out Philadelphia Stars caps at the gate. I was the only member of our entourage of six who wore his, and only until just before game time when I switched to the Orioles cap I brought with me.

The ceremony was brief and consisted of 7 or 8 Negro Leaguers (mostly from minor Negro Leagues) throwing out first balls. The Baysox dressed as the Philadelphia Stars and after the game autographed and auctioned off the jerseys.

Oh, the final score? Bowie 4, New Britain 3.

John

 

[PitBull]

foreverfree,

How many blacks were at the ballpark (excluding the players)?

 

[foreverfree]

foreverfree,

How many blacks were at the ballpark (excluding the players)?

Before I answer that question, let me tell you that Bowie is actually one of the whiter areas, relatively speaking, of Prince Georges County. Per http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search &geo_id=86000US19601&_geoContext=01000US%7C86000US19601&_str eet=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=&_zip=20716&_lang=en&_sse=on &ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=860&_submenuI d=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=nul l®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= zip code 20716 (home of the ballpark) in 2000 was

52.9& white
40.1 % black
0.4% American Indian or Eskimo
3.0% Asian (Oriental or otherwise)
0.1% Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
0.9% some other race
2.6% two or more races

and 2.9% Latino of any race.

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ThematicMapFramesetServ let?_bm=y&-geo_id=86000US20716&-tm_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_M0008 3&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-_MapEvent=displayBy&-_dBy=140&-_l ang=en&-_sse=on will bring up a map of zip code 20716 showing where the black percentages live. The greener, the blacker. The stadium is on the east side of Crain Hwy. (the black line running straight down the middle of the map) about where it crosses Green Brook.

Of course, I cite 2000 census figures, so the picture may have changed in the last 7 years.

Now, racewise, the crowd of 8,149 looked a little whiter than the percentages quoted above. Maybe 70% white. Quite a few white people were among those who brought Negro League tees or jerseys to exchange for the Philly Stars jerseys they'd won at auction (I actually think they won random drawings for the privilege).

The PA announcer (a woman) sounded white and very professional. She sounds like she has another life as a voiceover woman (except she announces each batter just by the batter's name, not stating his position, letting the scoreboard take care of that). Her sidekick was a young white man who emceed the pregame Negro League ceremony, the between innings games (dizzy bat race, etc.), and the postgame events (the jersey giveaway, the fireworks show, and the kids' base run).

The concession stand I patronized a couple of times was staffed almost entirely by blacks (surprise surprise). Didn't see soul food on the menu though

, so I settled for a beef frank, (very) small fries, a small Bud Light, and later, a large Pepsi. The prices at the Baysox are tapemeasure jobs iykwim.

Hope that answers your question.

John

Edited by: foreverfree