Legends Game To Be Played May 25 at Doubleday Field

COOPERSTOWN—With an all-star roster on the diamond May 25 at Doubleday Field, a legendary coaching staff consisting of Cooperstown heroes will lead the way at the Hall of Fame East-West Classic.

Six Hall of Famers will serve as coaches on both the East and West squads as the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum salutes Black baseball by hosting the Hall of Fame East-West Classic: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game. Presented by Boeing and fueled by assistance from Major League Baseball, the Memorial Day Weekend celebration will feature more than two dozen former big leaguers in a seven-inning legends game.

The East squad will be coached by Fred McGriff, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice, Lee Smith, Joe Torre and Dave Winfield. The East team will include team captain Chris Young along with players Josh Barfield, Mo’ne Davis, Doug Glanville, Tony Gwynn Jr., Jerry Hairston Jr., Scott Hairston, LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Howard, Edwin Jackson, Jeremy Jeffress, Adam Jones, Russell Martin, Melvin Mora and David Price.

The West team will feature coaches Harold Baines, Jim Kaat, Rollie Fingers, Ken Griffey Jr., Fergie Jenkins and Ozzie Smith. CC Sabathia will be the team captain on a roster that will include Tim Beckham, José Contreras, Ian Desmond, Prince Fielder, Dexter Fowler, Curtis Granderson, Matt Kemp, Darrell Miller, Tyson Ross, Tony Sipp, Dee Strange-Gordon, B.J. Upton and Justin Upton.

Two-time All-Star Harold Reynolds of MLB Network will join Mets World Series hero Mookie Wilson as honorary team members. Former Negro Leagues stars Sam Allen and Pedro Sierra will also attend the Hall of Fame East-West Classic.

Nikko Smith, the award-winning singer/songwriter and son of Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” prior to the Hall of Fame East-West Classic, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. following a Home Run Derby beginning at noon. Nikko Smith’s appearance will be part of a fun-filled day in Cooperstown that will include food and beverage options, music and giveaways, including a free commemorative program magazine, and a special appearance by Chicago Cubs voice Jeremiah Paprocki, the team’s first Black public address announcer, who will serve as the guest PA announcer for the game. The first 5,000 fans entering Doubleday Field will also be treated to a free bag of Cracker Jack in honor of the museum’s new “Cracker Jack at the Ballpark” exhibit.

A wide variety of food options will be available at the Hall of Fame East-West Classic, including World Series champion Mookie Wilson’s Legacy catering, which features barbeque, sausage, and chicken and will be one of several choices available, along with local favorites Brewery Ommegang, Gilligan’s Ice Cream, Sarchioto’s Concessions and Ty’s Taco-ria.

The Hall of Fame East-West Classic uniforms will include a sleeve patch with the game logo. Game-worn player jerseys will be auctioned off by MLB following the game, with the net proceeds being donated to the Hall of Fame to support the institution’s mission. A limited number of jerseys with patch sleeve logos will also be available for purchase through the Hall of Fame’s Museum Store, with sales benefitting the Hall of Fame’s mission.

The game will be part of a weekend celebration of Black baseball history as the museum opens its new exhibit, “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball.”

Located on the museum’s second floor in the Yawkey Gallery, “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball” will cover stories of early Black baseball, the Negro Leagues era, the complexities of reintegration, Jackie Robinson, post-reintegration progress and retrogress, and calls for change in today’s game while celebrating the newest superstars of the era. Meaningful stories from Black baseball are also being added to other exhibits throughout the museum.

The exhibit is part of the Hall of Fame’s Black Baseball Initiative that includes additional outreach programs, educational materials and virtual programming and is made possible by the Yawkey Foundation with additional support from Bill Janetschek in honor of his siblings Robert and Ann, the Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation and the Bisignano Family. The initiative will also enhance Black Baseball stories found throughout the Museum.

“The Souls of the Game,” a title that pays tribute to W.E.B. Du Bois’ seminal 1903 book, “The Souls of Black Folk,” will explore the Black baseball experience of those men, women, and children who were and are an integral part of our National Pastime.

Subtitled “Voices of Black Baseball,” the exhibit will highlight first-person accounts by the many individuals whose experiences shaped them, their community, baseball and America at large. Featuring historically significant artifacts, documents and photographs, and utilizing audio, video, and interactive elements, the exhibit will tell a more inclusive story of baseball, shine a light on and correct misconceptions about Black baseball.

The weekend will also include a special unveiling of a Hank Aaron statue at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The bronze representation of Aaron will be installed on the first floor of the museum.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame East-West Classic are on sale now at baseballhall.org/east-west or at 1 (888) 325-0470. For more information about the museum’s Black Baseball Initiative, visit baseballhall.org/BBI.