Sacramento’s top Black and Latino baseball players compete at 100th anniversary Negro League game

Todd Sullivan, the head coach of the Cosumnes River College baseball team, organized an exhibition baseball game at Sutter Health Park to commemorate Negro League Baseball and its 100-year anniversary.

Nearly 400 people attended the game which featured 80-degree weather, sunshine, and a slight breeze from the wind.

Parents and kids were smiling in the stands, coaches were having a good time, and the players enjoyed themselves.

The Negro League began in 1920 and was discontinued in the early 1960s. The League lasted 13 years after Jackie Robinson was recruited from the Kansas City Monarchs to the Brooklyn Dodgers in a move that integrated Major League Baseball in 1947.

According to the Society for American Baseball Research, it wasn’t until after 1947 the demographics of Black players in the MLB began to increase.

Today, Black players make up about 7% of Major League Baseball teams.

“The African American players — they can’t be average or they can’t be above average. They have to be elite to get a shot, and sometimes they don’t even get a shot,” said Sacramento resident Dino Johnson, who was drafted into the New York Yankees organization in 1985.

It was in the same spirit Sacramento natives — Dominic Morris, Donte Morris, along with Sullivan originated the idea to host an exhibition game to symbolize the importance of the Negro Leagues and to highlight the talent of players who may go overlooked.

The exhibition game was minor league style, with seven innings, and featured some of the best Black and Latino high school and collegiate baseball players from the Sacramento area.

Greg Vaughn and his son, Cory, coached the collegiate team representing the Kansas City Monarchs. Their coaching staff was joined by local baseball legends, Dino Johnson and RJ Reynolds.

Jerry Manuel and his son, Anthony, coached the high school team representing the Atlanta Black Crackers.

“It’s very important man, you have to honor those that came before you,” said Justin Johnson, who plays third base for Delta College. “It was fun just to be out here — a great opportunity. I had a blast.”

Former Negro League Baseball player, Donald “Don” Porter was honored at the game by throwing the first pitch.

Although a short career in the Negro Leagues, Porter became the youngest person to compete in the Negro Leagues in 1957, earning the nickname “Rookie”, when he played for the New York Black Yankees at age 16 and the Indianapolis Clowns at age 17.

“It’s a big honor to have someone to think about you, for something that you did many, many years ago,” Porter said.

Sullivan told The Sacramento Bee that the Sacramento River Cats agreed to host another game next year — however there is no official date as of now.

This story was originally published June 1, 2021 at 11:20 AM.