MADISON, Ala. — Saturday, the Trash Pandas held Negro League Tribute Night. It was a celebration of Black baseball, its history in Alabama, and its enduring legacy.
The festivities included music, food trucks by restaurants and informational booths by Black-owned businesses.
The highlight, was a ceremonial first pitch, thrown by Huntsville native and former Negro League player Horace Moore.
The Negro Southern League Museum was among the organizations in attendance. Deputy director Frank Adams said events like these serve as helpful reminders of baseball's Black heritage, especially in Alabama.
"Well, anytime we have an opportunity to talk about Negro League Baseball and the impact that baseball had on the national game, it's a wonderful chance for us to highlight the legacies and the wonderful enrichment that those players gave to baseball nationally."
This comes during a time where the Negro Leagues are getting fair recognition from baseball world, after years of being relegated to the happenings of a bygone era.
"Well, when Major League Baseball decided to incorporate Negro League stats into their national databases, that was a big step forward to saying that these guys were not only African-American baseball players, but they were great players in their own right. And so celebrating Negro Leagues is really celebrating America's pastime. And really, the totality of the game."