BACK AT SOME OF THE GREATS.
THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS HAVE BEEN
HONORING NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL
PLAYERS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS,
BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEAM
HISTORY, THE MADISON MALLARDS
COLLEGIATE TEAM TOOK TO THE
FIELD IN UNIQUE UNIFORMS OF THE
DAY.
"HERE AND NOW" SPECIAL PROJECTS
JOURNALIST MURV SEYMOUR GOES TO
THE BALLPARK AND HAS A TRIBUTE
TO BASEBALL WITH STRONG ROOTS IN
WISCONSIN.
>> BASEBALL, IT'S THE AMERICAN
PAST TIME.
>> IT'S ALMOST GAME TIME FOR THE
MADISON MALLARDS BASEBALL TEAM.
>> IT'S OUR 21ST SEASON HERE IN
MADISON.
IT'S ALL ABOUT FUN AT A MALLARDS
GAME.
FROM BOBBLEHEADS TO FIREWORKS TO
BEERS AND HOT DOGS.
>> IT'S A GOOD ENVIRONMENT COME
COMING HERE EVERY DAY.
>> FOR OUTFIELDER CAM CRATIC,
DRAKE BALDWIN AND THE REST OF
THE TEAM, THE GAME OF BASEBALL
IS SOMETHING SPECIAL.
>> I'VE BEEN PLAYING SINCE I WAS
THREE YEARS OLD, I WOULDN'T DO
IF I DIDN'T LOVE IT.
>> TONIGHT'S GAME ON THE DIAMOND
WILL BE A FIRST.
>> YOU CAN TRACE A LOT OF THE
BIG MOMENTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY
THROUGH BASEBALL.
>> A GEM OF A LEARNING LESSON
WHERE HISTORY IS BROUGHT TO LIFE
ON THE FIELD.
>> TONIGHT IS OUR FIRST EVER
NEGRO LEAGUE TRIBUTE.
>> AND IN THE STANDS WHERE FANS
WAWR WEAR IWEAR JERSEYS, HATS AN
A TRIBUTE OF THE 3400 OR SO
BALLERS THAT PLAYED IN THE NEGRO
LEAGUES FROM 1920 TO 1960.
>> I GOT MY SATCHEL PAIGE JERSEY
TONIGHT, WHO I CONSIDER ONE OF
THE BEST PITCHERS ALL TIME IN
BASEBALL SO YOU KNOW I THINK
REALLY THE IDEA OF UNDERSTANDING
THERE ARE SOME GREAT PLAYERS
THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO BE IN THE
MAJOR LEAGUES BECAUSE OF THE
COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.
>> MALLARDS PLAYERS WEAR ENTIRE
UNIFORMS JUST LIKE THE ONES WORN
BY THE NEGRO LEAGUES BEARS
ALMOST A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
>> WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE
SOME AUTHENTIC REPLICA UNIFORMS
OF THE MILWAUKEE BEARS.
>> I'M EXCITED TO PLAY IN THESE,
FOR SURE.
DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A SPECIAL
EXPERIENCE.
>> I FEEL LIKE I'M IN THE
1940s, LIKE FOR SURE.
>> HONESTLY, SEEING CAM AND I IN
THESE, IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE
WE'RE PLAYING FOR THE MILWAUKEE
BEARS.
>> WE'RE ACTUALLY GIVING OUT
RIGHT NOW TRADING CARDS THAT ARE
OFFICIALLY LICENSED BY THE NEGRO
LEAGUE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME IN
KANSAS CITY.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF TALENTED
PLAYERS BACK THEN THAT WEREN'T
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY IN
THE MAJOR LEAGUE.
>> THE TRADING CARDS FEATURE THE
STORIES AND STATS OF SOME OF THE
GREATEST PLAYERS OF THE NEGRO
LEAGUES.
GUYS LIKE WILLIE CANNON BALL
JACKMAN OF THE 1928 PHILADELPHIA
GIANTS AND GRANT "HOME RUN"
JOHNSON, WHO SMASHED 60 OUT OF
THE PARK WHILE PLAYING ON AN
INTEGRATED MINOR LEAGUE TEAM IN
1894.
THEN THERE WAS THIS GUY,
"HAMMERING" HANK AARON, WHO
PLAYED FOR THE 1952 INDIANAPOLIS
CLOWNS FOR 200 BUCKS A MONTH.
LATER THAT YEAR, HE SIGNED WITH
THE THEN INTEGRATED MAJOR LEAGUE
MILWAUKEE BRAVES.
AARON WENT ON TO BREAK BABE
RUTH'S HOME RUN RECORD.
>> I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE PARENTS
TALKING TO THEIR KIDS TONIGHT
ABOUT THE TEAM.
I HOPE THEY'RE GOING OUT AND
GOOGLING IT AND LEARNING A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE NEGRO
LEAGUES.
SATCHEL PAIGE PLAYED A LOT OF
BASEBALL HERE IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN AND THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE NEED THAT STORY TO BE
TOLD.
YOU KNOW, JESSE OWENS PLAYED
BASEBALL.
JESSE OWENS, THE TRACK STAR,
PLAYED BASEBALL AT STEVENS FIELD
HERE IN DOWNTOWN MADISON IN THE
1930s AFTER HIS RUN IN THE
OLYMPICS.
AND PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ALL THESE
STORIES.
IF WE CAN PROMPT GETTING THAT
DIALOGUE GOING A LITTLE BIT BY
TELLING THAT STORY HERE AT A
BASEBALL GAME TONIGHT, THAT'S
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
>> HOPEFULLY SOME KIDS GO HOME
AND THEY LOOK UP THE NEGRO
LEAGUES AND THEY LOOK UP THE
MILWAUKEE BEARS AND THEY LOOK TO
SEE WHAT THEY DID.
>> FROM WEARING THESE UNIFORMS,
I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO GO HOME
AND LOOK UP SOME STUFF TO SEE
HOW THEY PLAYED, SEE IF I
RECOGNIZE ANY OF THE NAMES.
>> I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW THE
WHOLE STORY OF THE MILWAUKEE
BEARS MYSELF, AND I'M A BASEBALL
FANATIC.
>> NO ONE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THE
1923 MILWAUKEE BEARS.
>> THE MILWAUKEE BEARS ARE ONE
OF THOSE UNTOLD STORIES.
THEIR MANAGER ON FIELD WAS A GUY
NAMED PETE HILL.
HE WAS ACTUALLY INDUCTED INTO
THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME.
>> HISTORIANS BELIEVE THIS
GRAINY, FADED PICTURE MIGHT BE
ONE OF THE ONLY SNAPSHOTS
FEATURING A FEW MILWAUKEE BEARS
PLAYERS.
UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE DOCTORAL
CANDIDATE KEN BARTELT LOVES
TALKING BASEBALL.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE BEARS, HE'S
A STEP AHEAD OF MOST.
PART OF HIS MASTERS THESIS WAS
ON THE MILWAUKEE TEAM.
HISTORY TELLS US THEY BARELY
MADE IT THROUGH ONE LONE,
PARTIAL SEASON.
BUT IN THOSE FOUR SHORT MONTHS,
THE BEARS HAD AN IMPACT ON THE
GAME.
>> THE MILWAUKEE BEARS ACTUALLY
HAVE CONNECTIONS TO SOME OF THE
BIGGEST FIGURES AND MOMENTS IN
BASEBALL HISTORY.
THE BEARS PLAYED IN ONE OF THE
FIRST-EVER GAMES UMPIRED BY
BLACK MEN.
>> WE MET KEN ON THE BASEBALL
FIELD AT ROSE PARK IN MILWAUKEE,
WHICH IS NOW AN HISTORIC
LANDMARK FOREVER CONNECTED TO
THE BEARS, THE BREWERS, THE
BRAVES, AND A LOT OF OTHER BIG
SPORTING EVENTS IN WISCONSIN.
>> WE'RE KIND OF ON THE SIDE OF
THE FORMER BORCHERT FIELD.
THAT WAS MILWAUKEE'S MAIN SPORTS
VENUE UP UNTIL 1953, WHEN COUNTY
STADIUM WAS BUILT.
THIS WAS A COMMUNITY GATHERING
SPACE.
THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS MINOR
LEAGUE TEAM PLAYED HERE,
OBVIOUSLY THE BEARS, THE MINOR
LEAGUE PLAYED HERE, THERE WERE
FOOTBALL GAMES PLAYED HERE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HEARD ABOUT
THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS, BUT
SOME THE SMALLER TEAMS THAT
MAYBE DIDN'T DO AS WELL LIKE THE
MILWAUKEE BEARS, THEY'VE KIND OF
BEEN FORGOTTEN TO HISTORY, BY
LOOKING AT THOSE TEAMS YOU'RE
GOING TO GET A MORE COMPLETE
PICTURE OF WHAT THE NEGRO
LEAGUES WERE LIKE.
THE BLACK POPULATION IN
MILWAUKEE WASN'T VERY BIG YET SO
IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT
FANS, ESPECIALLY IN A MARKET
WHERE YOU HAD A VERY POPULAR
MINOR LEAGUE WHITE TEAM, THE
MINOR LEAGUE MILWAUKEE BREWERS.
THE NEGRO LEAGUES ARE SUCH A
GREAT EXAMPLE OF BLACK
ENTREPRENEURS BUILDING SOMETHING
IN WHAT WAS KIND OF A RACIST
DUAL ECONOMY IN THE UNITED
STATES.
>> THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE IS
A PART OF BLACK HISTORY.
IT PRODUCED SOME OF THE GREATEST
BASEBALL PLAYERS THAT EVER
PLAYED THE GAME.
>> MEET 86-YEAR-OLD DENNIS
BIDDLE.
>> HOMESTEAD BRAVES, NEW YORK
EAGLES, CHICAGO AMERICAN GIANTS,
BALTIMORE.
THERE WAS 72 TEAMS THAT MADE UP
THE NEGRO LEAGUES FROM 19 WITH
IT TO 1960.
>> FROM THE SENIOR CITIZEN
COMMUNITY CENTER AT ROSE PARK,
BIDDLE TELLS US ABOUT HIS TIME
PITCHING FOR THE 1953 AND 1954
NEGRO LEAGUES CHICAGO AMERICAN
GIANTS.
HE ALSO LOBBIED TO HAVE A
LANDMARKER PLACED AT ROSE PARK
AS A PERMANENT REMINDER TO THIS
COMMUNITY.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE READ IT AND
DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S
ABOUT.
THAT THIS AREA WAS A PART OF
THAT GREAT HISTORY.
NOTHING WAS WRITTEN DOWN ABOUT
HANK AARON COMING TO THE NEGRO
LEAGUE BATTING CROSS-HANDED.
ERNIE BANKS COMING IN, HE
COULDN'T STAND THE TREATMENT
THAT WE WERE GETTING BY THE FANS
CALLING US ALL KINDS OF NAMES
AND STUFF.
HE WANTED TO GO HOME.
>> DENNIS BIDDLE SAYS WHEN HE
SEES TODAY'S PLAYERS IN
YESTERDAY'S NEGRO LEAGUES
UNIFORMS, IT BRINGS BACK
MEMORIES.
>> AND I CAN SEE SOME OF THOSE
OLD MEN THAT WERE MAKING
OUTSTANDING PLAYS, SOMETIMES IT
BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES.
THERE'S LESS THAN 40 PLAYERS
STILL LIVING THAT PLAYED IN THE
NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUES.
IT TOOK 10 YEARS BEFORE ALL OF
THE TEAMS HAD ONE.
THINK OF ALL THE GREAT BALL
PLAYERS THAT FELL THROUGH THE
CRACKS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF
THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
THE BOSTON BRAVES HAD A FARM
TEAM HERE CALLED THE MILWAUKEE
BRAVES.
AND THE BEARS COULD ONLY PLAY IN
THE PARK WHEN THEY WERE OUT OF
TOWN.
>> THIS IS BLACK TRIUMPH, YOU
KNOW, IN THE FACE OF THE WORST
RACISM AMERICA HAD TO OFFER.
EVEN OUR NATIONAL PASTTIME WAS
SEGREGATED.
BLACK MEN COULD NOT PLAY ON THE
MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS THAT WE LOVE
AND CHEER FOR TODAY.
THAT'S A STORY WE CANNOT FOR G
GET.
>> I MIGHT NOT BE IN THE
SITUATION THAT I AM RIGHT NOW IF
THE NEGRO LEAGUES WERE NEVER
HERE, SO IT'S PRETTY COOL
REMEMBERING THEM AND KIND OF
THANKING THEM.
>> IT'S SAFE TO SAY THIS
ONE-GAME SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO
HISTORY HAS BEEN A BIG HIT WITH
PLAYERS AND FANS TO A LEAGUE OF
PRO ATHLETES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN
FORGOTTEN.
>> I'M GLAD PEOPLE ARE FINALLY
STARTING TO GIVE RESPECT TO
THOSE PLAYERS WHO DIDN'T GET THE
RESPECT AT THE TIME.
>> INSTEAD, THEY'RE BEING
REMEMBERED.
>> THIS WROTE ABOUT JACKIE
ROBINSON BUT HE WAS THE ONLY
ONE.
HE OPENED THE DOOR, AND HE DID,
BUT THERE WAS MANY, MANY MORE
JUST AS GOOD, JUST AS GREAT, AND
NEVER GOT THE NOTE RIGHT THAT
THEY DESERVED.
SO MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE I
LEAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR THEM.
>>