‘Feels great to represent’ — HS players reflect on the honorary Negro League exhibition
Spectators flocked to John Smith Field at Sacramento State to see some of the best high school prospects participate in the third annual honorary Negro League Baseball exhibition game Sunday, a showcase to pay homage to the league’s history and raise awareness of capital players.
Alex Parish, who played in the event for the first time this year, said he was somewhat nervous. He’s played in plenty of showcases before but, for Parish, this game had a “deeper meaning.”
“It means a lot because our ancestors grew up and they weren’t allowed to play in MLB. So they made their own league and they were successful,” Parish said. “It means a lot to honor this game and play in it.”
Parish — a senior right-handed pitcher on the Laguna Creek High baseball team in Elk Grove — was one of the 30 of the chosen student-athletes who suited up in replica Negro League Baseball jerseys. This year, the team uniforms represented the Nashville Stars and the Newark Eagles.
Once his nerves settled, Parish said was able to just focus on having fun.
JaLon Johnson, a childhood friend of Parish who’s an infielder and catcher for Florin High and was named to the Bee’s All-Metro first team last year, was also invited. The two met when they were 11, playing in Little League against each other. They were both named all-stars that season, played on the same team, and have been friends ever since.
They were together again for this exhibition, playing for the Eagles, who played to a 7-7 tie with the Stars.
“I enjoy being out here with my friends, having fun,” Johnson said.
Oakland Tech senior outfielder Brandon Hemphill was named MVP for the Stars.
“It feels good coming out here playing ... knowing the history of the Negro Leagues,” Hemphill said. “I just love to compete and I just love playing as a whole. Every part of it.”
Korey Ramson was a freshman when he played in the first honorary Negro League event in 2021. He said the game is a “wonderful experience” that provides an opportunity to meet new people.
Ramson, now a senior, the Leroy Greene Academy pitcher and infielder netted MVP honors for the Eagles.
“It felt good coming out energetic. (I was told) to play like a Negro League player so I was trying to model my game after them,” Ramson said. “It feels good, like going back to the roots and just playing the game ... it feels great to represent (the Negro Leagues).”
Todd Sullivan, the organizer of the event, said the game is about providing exposure for Black and brown athletes from California and as far away as Alaska.
“The kids understand that they’re representing their community and their culture, and they’re able to play a sport that they love,” Sullivan said. “They get to be seen by major league scouts, collegiate scouts. ... I really think it gives them the confidence they need to get to the next level.”
Diversifying baseball
Laney Fukuoka, a junior at Kennedy High School in Sacramento’s Pocket neighborhood, felt that confidence.
She played on the Cougars’ varsity team last year and took to the field on the Eagles’ side.
Black women, too, played in the Negro Leagues — like Toni Stone, Connie Morgan and Mamie “Peanut” Johnson in the 1950s — and Fukuoka channeled their energy as she tied the game with an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning.
“It was really good. It was fun to be able to cooperate in the game, help my team out, and give them a run,” Fukuoka said. “My teammates were really supportive and I could hear them cheering in the dugout, so it was really fun.”
Prior to the game, she had no previous knowledge of the Negro Leagues, but she said it was “cool” to learn about the history of the game and the women who played.
She also said she learned a lot from the coaches who participated.
One of them was Tamara Holmes, a former player for the Colorado Silver Bullets, a female team that played for three seasons in the ’90s, and won gold a three international competitions while a part of the U.S. women’s national baseball team.
Honoring the Negro Leagues
The game also raises money for the Negro League Baseball Museum and the Yesterday’s Negro League Baseball Players Foundation.
Bob Kendrick, founder of the Kansas City-based museum was excited to see a strong turnout at the game, reflecting something bigger than fans filling the stands.
“It warms my heart to see people come out, support the young people and their dreams of playing this game and, of course, for me to see them dressed in those Negro League uniforms. That’s everything,” Kendrick said.
Kendrick said his goal was to enlighten and inspire the student-athletes about what it means to honor a once-forgotten history and overcome new challenges, especially as young athletes are being priced out of the sport by the high cost of equipment, training and travel.
“This is all part of a greater plan on how we grow our game in urban communities,” Kendrick said. “You do have to see yourself to believe that you can accomplish anything in this life.”
Equipment such as a baseball, bat, gloves and cleats can exceed $300. Some camps or showcases start out at $150. And then there’s travel ball, which can cost thousands each year.
Taking into consideration those who have more than one child in the sport, Kendrick said it gets “a little expensive.”
“Our sport has moved from what I would call, once upon a time, a ‘blue collar sport’ to now a country club kind of ‘pay to play’ sport,” Kendrick said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to bridge that economic divide.”
Sullivan, a former UC Davis pitching coach whose company Perfect Game Pitching Solutions sponsors the annual game, says players don’t always receive the attention needed to develop their game.
“Are you getting enough games? Are you getting looked at? Are you being showcased? Are you able to advance? Are you making any improvements?” Sullivan said. “Most of the time they’re not. It’s things like this (event) where it concentrates on them being seen and focusing on their skills.”
He said Sunday’s exhibition gave “everybody a chance.”
