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

(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) -- In conjunction with Minor League Baseball® (MiLB™), the Charlotte Knights are pleased to take part in today’s launch of “The Nine, a new, Black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport, provide new opportunities for youth baseball and softball participation, further diversify the business of baseball, and embrace millions of passionate fans throughout MiLB’s 120 communities nationwide.

Named for the number Jackie Robinson wore during his only season playing in MiLB with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946, The Nine will connect MiLB teams’ existing, Black-community focused development efforts with new national programming and future special events in a coordinated and centralized campaign. The new inclusion initiative follows MiLB’s Copa de la Diversión Latino fan engagement platform introduced in 2017 that included 76 MiLB teams in 2021.

“The Nine will shine bright spotlights on these successful initiatives and transform them into national campaigns reaching more fans and communities, further showcasing our teams’ commitment to representing, honoring, and welcoming all fans to MiLB’s unique brand of fun,” said Kurt Hunzeker, MLB’s Vice President of Minor League Business Operations. “The Nine is just the latest example of MiLB teams being true community champions.”

NEGRO LEAGUES NIGHT AT TRUIST FIELD

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.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON EDDIE G.G. BURTON

In addition to player- and team-related content, The Nine will focus heavily on creating new opportunities for youth participation among young Black boys and girls, particularly in communities where youth baseball and softball programming is either nonexistent or difficult to access.

Central to this youth-focused push is a planned expansion of Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program throughout MiLB’s national footprint. New competitions in MLB’s Pitch, Hit & Run and Junior Home Run Derby event series will also debut in MiLB markets beginning in 2022.

MiLB teams will continue to build relationships with local Black-owned and operated businesses, local artists and entertainers in an effort to embrace Black culture and make MiLB ballparks a hub for culturally relevant concerts, shows, and community events.

With several MiLB teams having a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in their community, opportunities will be provided for those schools to start internship and mentorship programs with their local team, creating opportunities for on-the-job experience for students prior to entering the job market. Additionally, MiLB recently partnered with TeamWork Online to create a more inclusive virtual job fair and ongoing talent pipeline that aims to recruit and position qualified and ready-for-hire candidates from across the country for potential management- and executive-level roles within MiLB team front offices.