Minor League Baseball proudly presents "The Other Boys of Summer" in partnership with Tumbleweed Pictures. This 42-minute documentary shines a spotlight on the legacy of Negro Leagues baseball and amplifies the voices of its Black players through exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with the men who played alongside Jackie Robinson.
The Other Boys of Summer Barnstorming Tour will make 12 stops across Minor League Baseball ballparks from June to September, beginning at the Greenville Drive’s Fluor Field on June 17. The film is accompanied by screening events and discussions that are built to bring people together and engage fans of all ages in a social and cultural discourse.
Greenville Drive (June 17)
Pregame screening at 5 p.m., followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with former players and historians John Whiteside and Luther Norman. During the game, the Greenville Drive players will honor the Black Spinners, a historical Negro league team across the Upstate community. More info.
Charleston RiverDogs (June 24)
Screening was held in conjunction with the RiverDogs’ annual tribute to Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League. Doby's No. 14 is retired by the club, and previous editions of Larry Doby Heritage Weekend included Negro League alumni guests, giveaway items and themed uniforms.
Montgomery Biscuits (July 18)
The screening of the documentary was followed by a panel discussion led by the film’s director, Lauren Meyer. In 2024, the Biscuits will play a special regular-season game against the Barons at historic Rickwood Field.
Birmingham Barons (July 19)
Screening to be followed by panel discussion led by director Lauren Meyer, as part of Salute to the Negro Leagues promotion. Birmingham has hosted many iterations of the Rickwood Classic at historic Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the United States. Rickwood Field is scheduled to host the Cardinals and Giants for a special regular-season game in 2024, as well as a game between the Barons and the Biscuits two days prior.
Gwinnett Stripers (July 22)
The Stripers honored the Negro Leagues with an Atlanta Black Crackers t-shirt giveaway during Jackie Robinson Weekend in April.
Bowie Baysox (Aug. 1)
The Baysox have staged Negro League tribute nights, featuring historical displays and appearances from former players, since 2001. The club played as the Mitchellville Tigers, a local sandlot team that operated from 1946 into the early 1970s, in 2022.
Wilmington Blue Rocks (Aug. 3)
The field at Frawley Stadium is named after Negro League legend Judy Johnson, the first Delawarean elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. There is also a statue of Johnson outside the ballpark, and the club pays tribute to Johnson’s legacy on its website. This season, the team's annual Johnson tribute is scheduled for Aug. 25.
Norfolk Tides (Aug. 27)
The Tides celebrated the Norfolk Red Stockings, a team that played in the Negro Leagues between 1878 into the early 1900's, in late June.
Richmond Flying Squirrels (Aug. 28)
Last year, the Flying Squirrels celebrated the legacy of the Richmond 34, a group of students who were jailed and convicted of trespassing during a nonviolent movement at a Richmond department store in 1960.
Charlotte Knights (Sept. 8)
The screening at Truist Park is scheduled for the same game as the club’s HBCU Night. The Knights have hosted Negro Leagues tribute nights since 2014.
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Sept. 19)
The Jumbo Shrimp played as the Red Caps in April and June as a tribute to the nearby historically black Edward Waters College, whose alumni includes John “Buck” O'Neil. In April, the club played against the Memphis Redbirds, who played as the Akron Black Tyrites.
Nashville Sounds (Sept. 22 or 23)
The club honors the pivotal role that the city played in the development of the Negro Leagues as part of it's timeline of Nashville baseball history display at First Horizon Ballpark.