Seven team players from the pioneering days of Negro Leagues baseball will be honored Friday evening, August 27, at AutoZone Park in conjunction with the game between the Memphis Redbirds and Round Rock. The recognition is part of the U.S. Postal Service’s dedication of the new Negro Leagues Baseball stamps. The game begins at 7 p.m.

The Negro Leagues Baseball stamps pay tribute to the all-black professional baseball leagues that operated from 1920 to about 1960. The baseball league helped spark integration of American professional sports in America. A second commemorative stamp features the league’s founder, Andrew “Rube” Foster, who is considered the “father” of Negro Leagues Baseball. In 1981, Foster was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the “foremost manager and executive” of Negro Leagues baseball.

The seven players, who will be honored at the end of the game with a stamp dedication and fireworks afterwards, are:

Memphis Red Sox: Lonnie Harris, Joe B. Scott, Ollie Brantley, Jim Woods and Milton Kelly Collierville Tigers: Charlie Taylor and Henry “Shane” Mabon

The stamps are on sale in Post Offices or may be purchased at the online Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop and by calling 1-800-STAMP-24. A commemorative folio is also available on the website or by phone. It includes information such as a historical timeline of the Negro leagues, plus a list of its “all star” players, and a pane of 20 Negro Leagues Baseball stamps (Item 465274, $16.95). The stamps and stamp products will also be available for sale at the game.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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