NILES, OH –Niles, OH - The Mahoning Valley Scrappers will debut a new display at Eastwood Field which will feature historic baseball figures with ties to the region. The unveiling will take place before a game on Monday, July 25, 2022, a date which will coincide with the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The display has been funded by local baseball historian P. M. Kovach and will feature six individuals with ties to the area: Bud Fowler, the first African-American professional baseball player who began his career in New Castle, PA; Jimmy McAleer, a Youngstown native who played and managed in Cleveland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and helped establish the American League; Elmer Flick, who played in the minors in Youngstown and went on to a Hall of Fame career; Red Ames of Warren who played in three World Series; Billy Evans who played baseball for Rayen HS in Youngstown and became the youngest MLB umpire at the age of 22 in 1906; George H. Burns, a Niles native who helped the Cleveland Indians beat Brooklyn in the 1920 World Series.
The Scrappers will take on the Fredrick Keys and the game will also feature the Peppers in Oil promotion and Niles Community Day with first pitch at 7:05pm. The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are one of six founding members of the MLB Draft League, joining the Frederick Keys, the State College Spikes, the Trenton Thunder, the West Virginia Black Bears and the Williamsport Crosscutters. For more information, visit mvscrappers.com or contact the front office at 330-505-0000.
