BCSP Notes 17.9 Points and 4.4 Assists and Was Inducted Into the Hall of Fame in 1993
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B A S E B A L L A T T H E B R E A K , P A R T T H R E E FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 24 - 30, 2007 Southern, B-CC part of MLB initiative ™ Black college diamond powers to be showcased in Los Angeles in February 2008 LUT WILLIAMS selves. The Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, BCSP Editor Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox and Washington There have been plenty of stories and much Nationals are all planning an academy. I think discussion about the lack of African-American soon you will have baseball academies in the players in Major League Baseball. For the last shadows of a lot of ballparks." MLB.com Photo several years, Southern head coach Roger Solomon also started the first "Civil Rights MAN WITH A PLAN: Cador has been busy trying to do something Game" in March of this year, an exhibition game Solomon's initiatives in- clude a new baseball se- about it. played in Memphis, home to the National Civil DIAMOND ries matching Southern and In addition to running one of the best and Rights Museum and the city where Dr. Martin Bethune-Cookman with most talented programs in black college baseball Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. The GEMS UCLA and USC. that has dominated play in game was played between the World Champion the Southwestern Athletic St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians and ▼ TEXAS SOUTHERN MAKES HOOPS Conference with a roster full was carried on ESPN. COACHING CHANGE; MURPHY INTERESTED of African-Americans, Hamilton grew up in Baton Rouge, La., also Cador has also worked Chicago White Sox photo the home of Cador's Jaguars, and is quite familiar closely with Major League HAMILTON: Former big leaguer and Baton Rouge with Southern University baseball. He was not native working with Major League Baseball to Baseball officials speaking recruited by Southern out of high school but return African-Americans to a game they once UNDER THE BANNER around the country on pro- populated. attended Nichols State, another Louisiana school. grams like his and the ob- "If Coach Cador had been there, I would WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS CADOR stacles they face in attract- Solomon with "doing more in three years (since probably have attended Southern," said Hamilton ing those players. he's been in the position) than had been done in whose parents both attended Southern. Hamilton's COURTNEY OUT AT TSU: Texas Cador has spoken yearly on symposiums at the last 150 years." father, John Hamilton, was a Baton Rouge area Southern Athletics Director Alois Blackwell announced black college venues covering the topic with the "The Freedom Games will bring attention to high school baseball coach who was at one time up last week that Ronnie Courtney likes of Hall of Famer and home run king Hank the fact that not a lot of African-Americans are for the Southern head coaching job before Cador has been released as head coach Aaron, Hall of Famer Dave Parker, former San playing college baseball," said Darryl Hamilton, arrived. of the men's basketball program. Francisco Giants star outfielder Bobby Bonds, a 13-year Major League veteran who currently Hamilton, who played for five teams in a 13- Courtney had led the Tigers' bas- the late father of current baseball star Barry works under Solomon as Senior Specialist for year career in the big leagues, says things have ketball program for seven sea- Bonds, former Oakland A's World Series hero On-field Operations with Major League Base- changed since the time he came up. sons with an overall record of Dave Stewart, former Minnesota Twins pitching ball. "African-Americans are not around like they 76-99. Texas Southern was 14- ace Jim "Mudcat" Grant and former Atlanta Solomon played football at Dartmouth be- were then," said Hamilton. "When I came up it 17 overall and 9-9 in the SWAC Braves hitting star Ralph Garr among others. fore earning a law degree at Harvard and is was common for players to lay the groundwork for last season. He and his teams After his death, the symposiums were named for credited with founding the Futures Game, a the youngsters, school them. I was mentored by made four trips to the South- Bobby Bonds. matchup staged during Major League Baseball's the players that came before me. They showed you Now, Cador – who has the only three black All-Star Game break which showcases up-and- the ropes and what to watch out for. All the black western Athletic Con-ference TSU Sports Photo college players currently in the Major Leagues – coming baseball talent and has become nearly as players stuck together. And it was known that COURTNEY: Released (SWAC) Championship Tourna- in association with MLB, will have his program big a draw as the all-star game itself. your job was to pass this on to someone else." after seven years lead- ment. His 2002-2003 team was showcased another way next year. Solomon also championed the Major League Now, because of so much competition for ing Texas Southern the SWAC tournament champi- men's basketball. The Jaguars will join Mid Eastern Athletic Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, their jobs, the black players are not "sticking ons and went on to compete in Conference power Bethune-Cookman in a se- Ca., an inner-city program run by Darrell Miller, together," Hamilton said. Current statistics indi- the NCAA Tournament play-in game against UNC- ries of games dubbed the Freedom Games to be the brother of NBA star Reggie and womens' cate that just 8.4 percent of major leaguers are Asheville. Men's Basketball Assistant Coaches John Howie staged in Los Angeles in late February or early basketball star Cheryl Miller, that imparts knowl- black, down from 27 percent in 1975. and Keith Berard were also released. "Courtney did a good March 2008 against big-time programs at UCLA edge, gives opportunities to play and teaches The Freedom Games are just one more effort job for us here...his most successful season coming in his and Southern Cal. Mervyl Melendez is the head skills to underprivileged kids. According to to return young African-American athletes to a second year," said Blackwell. "However, we believe that it coach at B-CC who has won nine of the last ten Solomon, the Academy is drawing interest from game they once all but dominated. Though the is time to move in a different direction under new leader- MEAC titles. a host of major league clubs that are contemplat- principals have not yet determined a specific date ship." The search for a new men's basketball head coach is "This has never been done before," said ing similar facilities in their cities. for the Games, plans call for national television Cador of the idea whose genesis came from "I think that now that many of the players coverage. to begin immediately. Jimmie Lee Solomon, the highest-ranking Afri- and the clubs know what we are trying to do here, "I'm excited," said Cador, who attended this can-American in Major League Baseball and a from a grassroots level, here in Compton and year's Futures Game and sat with Hall of Famer, MURPHY INTERESTED IN TSU JOB: participant with Cador in several of the forums. with the RBI program [Reviving Baseball in Frank Robinson. "These are the kinds of things we According to a television report, former Houston Rockets As Executive Vice President of On-field Opera- Inner Cities] across the country, many clubs have needed to be doing and now we have Major star Calvin Murphy is interested in becoming the next head tions, Solomon is currently the No. 3 man in the decided that they want to bring the academy League Baseball behind it. Now we have people in coach of the Texas Southern men's basketball program. league behind Commissioner Bud Selig and concept to their backyards," Solomon said in a positions to get these things done. I think it's a TSU Athletic Director Alois Blackwell said the school President of Baseball Operations Bob Dupuy. recent MLB.com story. "We have the (Texas) great opportunity." wants to talk to Murphy, 59, about the opening and Murphy, "This is huge," said Cador, who credits Rangers, who are planning an academy for them- who has never coached college basketball, said he wanted the job. "I can take TSU to the next level -- no question," Murphy told KRIV. Murphy played for the Rockets first in San Diego and then in Houston from 1970-83. He averaged BCSP Notes 17.9 points and 4.4 assists and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. He still holds the NBA's single-season free- Preseason SIAC football picks unveiled Joe, Kendall enter College Football HOF throw shooting record for shooting 96 percent in 1980-81. In The SIAC Football Coaches Association's picks for the 2007 season Former Florida A&M head football coach William "Billy" Joe and 2004, Murphy was cleared by a jury of charges he sexually were unveiled July 20 at the conference's annual Preseason Kickoff former Kentucky State star quarterback Joe Kendall were formally Luncheon. abused five of his daughters. He worked as a TV analyst for inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, during enshrinement The preseason all-SIAC team highlighted 29 returning players se- ceremonies, July 19-21, in South Bend, Indiana. Rockets broadcasts from 1989 until 2004 when his contract lected to the first and second teams.