Step into baseball history with the Detroit Tigers as they proudly present the 22nd annual Negro Leagues Weekend, presented by Comerica Bank, from July 12-14, coinciding with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ visit to Comerica Park. Celebrating the longest-running weekend tribute in Major League Baseball, this cherished event honors the enduring legacy and contributions of Negro Leagues players who helped shape America’s favorite pastime.
Today, the Negro League Legend Luncheon marked the beginning of a weekend filled with festivities celebrating baseball history. The event was graced by legendary baseball players such as Willie Horton, Jacob Woods, and Austin Jackson.
“I look at him (Jacob Woods), and I dream. He doesn’t know what he means to Willie Horton. I couldn’t be here without him,” Horton said.
“The only difference between me and Mr. Woods is he’s still playing softball. I can’t play, but just thinking about him playing gives me the incentive to go out, walk, and do things I can,” Horton laughed.
Negro Leagues Weekend festivities will include:
Friday, July 12 (6:40 p.m. first pitch)
• Prior to Friday’s series opener, the annual “Passing of the Bat” ceremony will be held on the field, celebrating African American baseball players and their contributions to baseball. The ceremony features a symbolic “torch passing” from a former Negro Leagues player to several generations of former and current African American Tigers players. The bat is then presented to a local youth player, with U of D Jesuit 2024 graduate Dylan Larkins and Edison 2024 graduate Marwynn Matthews serving as this year’s recipients.
“I’ve worked for it for the past year. It was a goal that my coach and I set. So, I kept thinking about my goals and kept them in the back of my head. I’m pretty proud to have received the award,” Larkins said.
Larkins is committed to play college baseball at Georgetown, while Matthews will play at Western Michigan.
“I’m a bit overwhelmed but grateful at the same time that I’m able to get this award. I put in all the hard work, and it finally paid off. This is what I wanted and what I was working for, ” Matthews said.
• Friday Night’s “Party in the Park,” presented by Casamigos, will include live music and entertainment and specialty food and beverage items on the Comerica Landing. The night’s specialty drink will be the “Motor City Refresher.”
• Prior to the game, members of various HBCU step teams and drumlines will perform on the concourse.
• A special “African American Heritage” ticket package is available. Fans who purchase this package receive a Tigers African American Heritage hat.
• Tigers fans are encouraged to remain in their seats after the game for the display of Friday Night Fireworks.
• The Tigers will wear their new City Connect jerseys for the first game of the series against the Dodgers
Saturday, July 13 (1:10 p.m. first pitch)
• The first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a retro Detroit Stars hat presented by Comerica Bank. Gates will open at 11:30 a.m.
• Tigers fans are encouraged to attend a pregame Q&A with former Negro Leagues players and influencers from 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in the Comerica Big Cat Court. The panel will be moderated by Negro Leagues historian Larry Lester, who will be joined by Johnny Walker, Minnie Forbes, Ron Teasley, Charles Willis, Clinton Forge, Tommy Hayes, Reginald Howard, Bill Hill and Dr. D’Wayne Edwards.
• The pregame on-field ceremony honoring former Negro Leaguers will also include a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Rosilyn Stearnes-Brown and Joyce Stearnes Thompson, daughters of Norman “Turkey” Stearnes.
• The Tigers ticket sales & service team will host “HBCU & Divine 9 Night,” including a special ticket package with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the United Negro College Fund and the Detroit HBCU network, which includes an exclusive HBCU & Divine 9 Night hat.
Sunday, July 14 (1:40 p.m. first pitch)
• Shortly after gates open at noon, Jackson will participate in a fan Q&A in the Comerica Big Cat Court from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m., hosted by Bally Sports Detroit’s Trevor Thompson. Jackson will then be recognized in a pregame ceremony for earning the Willie Horton African American Legacy Award, created in 2009 to honor African Americans who have strengthened the legacy of baseball and have contributed to the rich history of the Tigers.
Austin Jackson, a former Tigers outfielder and part of the 2012 American League Championship team, is set to come back to Detroit for Negro Leagues Weekend. He will engage with Tigers fans on Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14, and he will also be honored with the Willie Horton African American Legacy Award. Jackson debuted in Major League Baseball with the Tigers in April 2010 and was part of the Detroit team from 2010 to 2014.
“I’m so honored to be here, to be in the room with all the legends, and just knowing the history of what they’ve done for players like me and then players that are gonna come after me is a great feeling,” Jackson said.
Asia Gholston, the Vice President of Marketing for Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, is a proud Detroiter with a strong sense of community and belonging. As a member of the Divine 9 and the Tigers family, she is deeply honored to pay tribute to the rich history and enduring legacy of the Negro Leagues.
“It’s not just important for MLB history to honor the Negro Leagues, but it’s also Detroit history. Think about it: back then, there were Black players who fought and found a way to play the game they loved in front of a community that wanted to see them win,” Gholston said.
Tickets are still available, and for more information on the lineup of events, visit www.mlb.com/tigers/tickets
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