The Anderson Monarchs 2012 Barnstorming Tour presented by A tribute to Jackie Robinson and Negro Leagues Baseball
2012 Anderson Monarchs Barnstorming Tour A tribute to Jackie Robinson and Negro Leagues Baseball April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson takes the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers and becomes the first African American to play Major League baseball in the 20 th century, opening the door for future generations to pursue their dreams. For decades African Americans, shut out of the major leagues, formed and played in their own leagues the Negro Leagues. In the offseason, players from the Negro leagues often boarded buses and barnstormed their way around the country, playing games against town teams, as well as Major League players. It was a tough way to live but a way to make a living playing the game they loved. The high level of play and the success these players enjoyed were what paved the way for Jackie Robinson s historic accomplishment. Fast forward 65 years June 30, 2012 as a tribute to Jackie Robinson and the Negro Leagues, the Anderson Monarchs, an inner city, 11 year-old African American baseball team from South Philadelphia, will board an authentic 1947 Flxible Clipper touring bus, and embark on a 22-day, 4000-mile journey barnstorming their way across the country all the way to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, arriving during the 2012 Major League Baseball All Star Game festivities. Along the way, The Monarchs will play games against local youth teams, meet surviving players from the Negro Leagues, visit historic sites - such as Jackie Robinson s grave site in Brooklyn, Wrigley Field, the Field of Dreams in Iowa, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Louisville Slugger Museum, the three remaining stadiums in the country which Negro League teams called home, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The young Monarchs will experience, first-hand, what life on the road was like for Jackie and the Negro League players. They ll be kids in a time capsule travelling back through time. They won t just be reading about history, they ll be living it.
The Anderson Monarchs Baseball Club The Anderson Monarchs Baseball Club, named after the Kansas City Monarchs, the most famous of Negro League teams, was established in 1995. The teams grew out of the Jackie Robinson Baseball League at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. As the only predominantly African American club to compete in the best leagues and tournaments in the area, the Monarchs have, like Jackie Robinson, broken down barriers and shattered stereotypes wherever they ve competed. Their hard work, disciplined style of play, and unprecedented success has completely reshaped the common perception of inner city kids and baseball. This current Monarchs team of 10 & 11 year-olds have captured the Philadelphia A League City Championship in each of the past two years. On top of that, in 2011 they were runners-up at the Sports at the Beach July 4 th Baseball Tournament in Delaware, featuring some of the best 10 year-old teams from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions. More amazingly, this same group of kids has also won city titles in basketball, outdoor soccer, and indoor soccer. Most importantly, seven of the players have gained admission to some of the best private schools in the Philadelphia area. The Monarchs train year round at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center, the future home of the next MLB Urban Youth Academy. They are living, shining examples of what is possible, athletically and academically, when inner city kids are afforded opportunities to succeed.
The Bus To make the experience even more authentic, the Anderson Monarchs will be traveling in their 1947 Flxible Clipper touring bus (the same year that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball). Through the tour, the team hopes to raise awareness of this rich chapter in American history. The 2012 Anderson Monarchs 1947 Flxible Clipper touring bus The 1948 Newark Eagles 1947 Flxible Clipper touring bus
Tour Itinerary Day 1 New York City - Sat, Jun 30 - visit Jackie Robinson s gravesite in Brooklyn - attend Yankees/ White Sox game vs. Harlem RBI Day 2 Williamsport, PA - Sun, Jul 1 - visit Lamade Stadium home of Little League World Series - drive to Pittsburgh Day 3 Pittsburgh, PA - Mon, Jul 2 vs. Josh Gibson Foundation team - visit Josh Gibson s gravesite - walk across Roberto Clemente Bridge - attend Pirates/Astros game Day 4 Cleveland, OH - Tue, Jul 3 at League Park (where Negro League games were played and where Babe Ruth hit his 500 th home run) - attend Indians/ Angels game Day 5 Detroit, MI - Wed, Jul 4 - attend Tigers/ Twins game Day 6 Chicago, Il - Thu, Jul 5 - travel to Chicago - tour Wrigley Field Day 7 Chicago, Il - Fri, Jul 6 on North side on South side - attend Blue Jays/ White Sox game
Day 8 Dyersville, IA - Sat, Jul 7 - - travel to Dyersville - play on Field of Dreams - travel to Cedar Rapids - attend Cedar Rapids Kernels game or play game Day 9 Des Moines, IA - Sun, Jul 8 - travel to Des Moines - attend Iowa Cubs game (1:00 PM) - travel to Kansas City Day 10 Kansas City, MO - Mon, Jul 9 vs KC RBI - attend Fanfest and Home Run Derby Day 11 Kansas City, MO - Tue, Jul 10 - visit Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - travel to Columbia, MO - watch All Star Game at hotel Day 12 St. Louis, MO - Wed, Jul 11 - travel to St. Louis - visit the St. Louis Arch at Cool Papa Bell Stadium - travel to Louisville Day 13 Louisville, KY - Thu, Jul 12 - tour Louisville Slugger Museum - attend Louisville Bats game Day 14 Indianapolis, IN - Fri Jul 13 - travel to Indianapolis - visit Bush Stadium site (home of Indianapolis ABCs) - visit Indianapolis Motor Speedway - attend Indianapolis Indians game
Day 15 Cincinnati, OH - Sat, Jul 14 - travel to Cincinnati - attend Reds/ Cardinals game Day 16 Charleston, WV - Sun, Jul 15 - travel to Charleston - travel to Washington, DC Day 17 Washington, DC - Mon, Jul 16 - tour Smithsonian, Washington Monument - meet Mamie Peanut Johnson who pitched for Indianapolis Clowns (Mamie Johnson throw out first pitch) - after game visit Lincoln Memorial (where Marian Anderson performed historic concert in 1939). Day 18 Washington, DC - Tue, Jul 17 - visit MLK Memorial, White House - attend Nationals/ Mets game Day 19 Aberdeen - Philadelphia - Wed, Jul 18 in Aberdeen (Ripken Complex) - return home for homecoming party at Marian Anderson Rec Center Day 20 Cooperstown, NY - Sat, Jul 21 - travel to Cooperstown - visit Hall of Fame Day 21 Cooperstown, NY - Sun, Jul 22 - attend Hall of Fame induction ceremony