MiLB Announces “The Nine,” a New Initiative to Celebrate, Engage and Welcome Black Fans

Date and Time for this Past Event

Friday, Apr 15, 2022 7pm

Location

Details

In Charlotte, the Knights will hold the team’s 7th Annual Negro Leagues Night on Friday, April 15-- Jackie Robinson Day around Major League Baseball. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. As part of the team’s annual Negro Leagues Night this season, all Charlotte Knights players will wear #42 jerseys for the game against the Memphis Redbirds. The team will also welcome Negro Leagues Ambassador, Ray Banks, who will once again bring artifacts from the Hubert V Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball Inc. to display on the concourse that evening. In addition, several former players from the Negro Leagues will be in attendance that night to meet fans. An on-field ceremony will take place before the 7:04 p.m. game that evening.

The Knights will also continue to honor the memory of Eddie G.G. Burton, a Charlotte resident who was instrumental in the team’s tribute to the Negro Leagues each season. Burton, who played in the Negro Leagues beginning in 1947, helped the Knights start an annual celebration of the Negro Leagues in 2014 during the club’s inaugural season in Uptown Charlotte. Sadly, Burton passed away in 2018. The Knights held a memorial service for Burton at Truist Field after his passing and the team dedicated a wall at the ballpark in his honor featuring Negro Leagues history.

In addition to Negro Leagues Night and the honoring of Mr. Burton, the Knights will be developing relationships and year-round programming within the Charlotte community to enhance opportunities to play the game and pursue careers in the baseball industry. More information on those activities will be released in the coming weeks as the Knights seek to make a positive impact for years to come.