Q & a with Ray Banks
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Q & A WITH RAY BANKS, NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day & Black History Month by learning about the Negro League Baseball! Enjoy a Q&A from Port Discovery friend Ray Banks, Chair & Co-Founder of The Hubert V. Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball Museum below. The 2020 season marks the 100th Anniversary of the start of the Negro Leagues, when Rube Foster, who is known to be the father of the Negro Leagues, gathered owners of several independent African American baseball teams in Kansas City, Mo. and established the Negro National League. On December 16th 2020, MLB, Major League Baseball, finally acknowledged the Negro League Players from 1920 to 1948, as MLB Players. Meaning that the MLB will include the stats of those Negro League players by recognizing them and including their records along with the white MLB players. Q: Does Maryland have a special day to recognize the Negro Leagues? A: On May 7, 2009 former Governor Martin O'Malley signed a bill stating that the 2nd Saturday in the month of May is "Negro League Day in the State of Maryland. Q: Is there a place I can learn more about Negro League Baseball in Maryland? A: Yes! There is: “The Hubert V. Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball" located inside of the Owings Mills Baltimore County Public Library at 10302 Grand Central Ave., Owings Mills, Md. 21117. The museum opened in March 27, 2014. Q: Did Baltimore have any Negro League Teams? A: Yes. Baltimore had two well-known Negro League Baseball Teams: "The Baltimore Elite Giants" and "The Baltimore Black Sox." Q: Did Jackie Robinson play in the Negro Leagues? A: Yes! he played with the Kansas City Monarchs Negro League Team. Q: Did any Negro League Baseball players lived in Baltimore, MD? A: H.O.F. Leon Day. Q: Did women play baseball in the Negro Leagues? A: Three women played, Mamie "Peanut" Johnson (pitcher), Toni Stone (2nd Base), and Connie Morgan (2nd base), all played for the team called the Indianapolis Clowns. PortDiscovery.org.