Sens To Hold Negro League Tribute | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Sens To Hold Negro League Tribute

The Jackson Senators of the Central Baseball League (CBL) announced Thursday they have again partnered with Entergy to honor a part of Major League Baseball history by designating their Saturday, May 28th game versus the Shreveport Sports as Entergy Negro League Tribute Night. There will also be a fireworks display following the game courtesy of the City of Jackson.

As part of the tribute, the Senators will be playing in uniforms representing multiple teams of the Negro Leagues; New York Black Yankees, Chicago American Giants, Memphis Red Sox, Homestead Grays, Detroit Stars, St. Louis Stars, New York Cubans, Kansas City Monarchs and Atlanta Black Crackers . The Sports will be wearing three different sets of uniforms which date back to pre-1950's Fort Worth, TX baseball history; the Fort Worth Black Cats, Black Panthers and Wanderers.

Dave Whitney, a native of Biloxi, MS and ex-Negro League alum (1952 & '55), will be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Whitney replaced Ernie Banks as the Kansas City Monarchs shortstop when Banks went to the Major Leagues. He left baseball to teach and coach and was basketball coach at Texas Southern (1964-69) and Alcorn State (1969-88).

In conjunction with the game, the Senators will hold a clinic at Grove Park on Saturday morning beginning at 10:00 am. Dave Whitney, Sens Manager Hill Denson and his coaching staff and players will be conducting the clinic.

Entergy has provided complimentary general admission tickets to the game at participating Fleetway Convenience Stores or by logging onto the Senators web site at http://www.jacksonsenators.com and clicking on the Corporate Buyout button on the home page to print your own.

The Jackson Senators are part of the Central Baseball League, an independent league of eight professional baseball teams located throughout four southern states. The league is playing its twelfth season this summer with teams located in Edinburg, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Robstown, and San Angelo, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Pensacola, Florida; and Jackson, Mississippi. The CBL will play a 94-game schedule between May and August 2005.

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