ZEBULON, NC — On September 3, Five Counties Stadium, home of the Carolina Mudcats baseball team, turns into an athletic showcase of historic proportions.
That is the day the Mudcats and the U.S. Postal Service come together to introduce the Postal Service’s newest 44-cent commemorative Negro Leagues Baseball stamps. At least four former Negro League players will be in town for this unique dedication event, to be held on Friday, September 3 at 6:45 pm, at Five Counties Stadium, Highway 39, Zebulon, NC, prior to the Mudcats 7:15 pm game versus the Tennessee Smokies.
Some of the players scheduled to participate are Carl Long, from Kinston, a former all-star player with the Birmingham Black Barons; Willie Sheelor, from Kannapolis, formerly with the Memphis Red Sox; Hubert “Big Daddy” Wooten, from Goldsboro, formerly of the Indianapolis Clowns; and Stephen Anderson, from Advance and the Clowns, who was once called the “world famous one-armed baseball player.”
In 1920, Rube Foster organized a baseball league open to players of color, citing the nationwide exclusion of those players from the established major and minor leagues of baseball. The Negro Leagues showcased hundreds of black and Latin players for many years, eventually leading to one of the players, Jackie Robinson, to join the Brooklyn Dodgers major league club, in 1947. His signing broke the color barrier and opened the door for other Negro Leaguers to join clubs. The Negro Leagues suffered in comparison, however, and the last teams of the league folded in the early 1960s.
“The time has come to recognize these true-to-life heroes of American sport, and we are honored these legendary figures have chosen to join us in this special event,” said Beverly Paschall, Smithfield Postmaster. “
The stamps are now available and on sale at Post Offices nationwide and online at www.usps.com/shop. The event is open to all paying customers of the baseball game that evening.
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