Bees To Honor Utah’s Black Baseball Pioneers with Occidentals Night
The Salt Lake Bees will host their first ever Salt Lake Occidentals night this Saturday, June 24 at Smith’s Ballpark. First pitch for the game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with fireworks following the game. The Occidentals were an all-Black baseball team that called Salt Lake City home in the
The Salt Lake Bees will host their first ever Salt Lake Occidentals night this Saturday, June 24 at Smith’s Ballpark. First pitch for the game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with fireworks following the game.
The Occidentals were an all-Black baseball team that called Salt Lake City home in the early 1900s. The 1909 team won the Utah State League and were declared the Utah State Champions. The Occidentals were regarded as one of the best baseball teams in the Western United States at the time, winning games against teams from all over Utah, Idaho and Colorado. The team barnstormed California in the winter months taking on Pacific Coast League teams like the Los Angeles Angels and All-Star squads like the Yellow Sox that featured Major League players like future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson. Not only a winning squad on the field, but the team was also a draw at the box office often bringing in over 3,000 fans to watch them play at Walker Field in Salt Lake City.
On the field, the Bees will wear throwback jerseys and caps. The first 2,500 fans will receive an Occidentals mini pennant. Outside the ballpark fans can visit Black-owned food trucks Kafe Mamai, Makaya Caters and Balabe along with the Utah Black History Museum. Artists and vendors from the Utah Black Artists Collective will set up along the concourse and Wynter Storm and Afia Chin will be sharing poetry and history throughout and following the game.
The Occidentals throwback night is part of Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine” program, a Black-community focused outreach platform designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact Black baseball pioneers made on the sport, provide opportunities for youth baseball and softball participation, further diversify the business of baseball and embrace millions of passionate fans throughout Minor League Baseball’s 120 communities nationwide. The Nine is named after Jackie Robinson’s iconic Minor League number, worn with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946.
Additional information about the team and the night as well as tickets are available at www.slbees.com.