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06/06/2007 1:30 PM ET
Orioles to participate in a series of events honoring the Negro Leagues
Monument unveiling and Turn Back the Clock game highlight Negro League initiatives
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The Orioles will participate in a series of events designed to pay tribute to Negro League teams and players, including the Baltimore Black Sox franchise and Black Sox player Herbert "RAP" Dixon, the club announced today. The team will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Black Sox' 1932 championship team at a game in September, and are also providing financial support for two events that will recognize the accomplishments of Negro League players.
On Friday, June 8 at 2 p.m., a monument to honor Herbert "Rap" Dixon will be unveiled at Midland Cemetery in Swatara Township near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A native of Steelton, PA, Dixon hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium by a Negro League player in 1930 as a member of the Baltimore Black Sox. He also played for the New York Cubans and was recently enshrined into the National Sports Hall of Fame.
Dixon was buried at Midland Cemetery, an African-American cemetery that is also the resting place for other Negro League players. The Orioles have contributed financial support to the non-profit Friends of Midland for the refurbishment of the cemetery, and former Orioles PAUL BLAIR and CURT MOTTON will represent the club at the event on June 8.
The weekend of June 15-17, the city of Portsmouth, Virginia will host the nation's largest gathering of Negro League authors, researchers and historians at the 10th Annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. The Orioles have provided financial support to the three-day conference, coordinated by the Negro League Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), which includes panels, exhibits and presentations focusing on the impact of the Negro League and its players.
On Sept. 6, the Orioles will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Baltimore Black Sox' 1932 championship season. Playing in the East West League, the Black Sox were in first place with a 20-9 record when the league was disbanded in June. The Sox were credited with a championship but never received the proper recognition.
Current Orioles players and coaches will wear 1932 Baltimore Black Sox replica uniforms for the game, and the team, which included standout players Laymon Yokely and Crush Holloway, will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.
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Official Info
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