Raleigh Grays Jerseys Now Available Via Auction

ZEBULON, N.C. – The Carolina Mudcats honored the legacy of local Negro Leagues teams by playing as the semi-pro Raleigh Grays, with specially designed game jerseys, during Negro Leagues Weekend on Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27 at Five County Stadium. The player-worn Raleigh Grays-inspired game jerseys are now available for purchase via online auction at www.carolinamudcats.com/auction. Net proceeds of this jersey auction will benefit the Buck Leonard Association for Sports and Human Enrichment. The auction will run through Sunday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

The Buck Leonard Association for Sports and Human Enrichment engages and empowers with programming and resources that promote the education, health and well-being of children and the community. The Buck Leonard Association for Sports and Human Enrichment also runs the Buck Leonard Baseball League, which was established in 2005 and has been an affiliate of Major League Baseball’s RBI Program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) since 2010.

The association honors the legacy of Baseball Hall of Famer, Negro Leagues legend and Rocky Mount, N.C. native Walter 'Buck' Leonard who played for and captained the legendary Homestead Grays of the Negro National League from 1934 to 1950. While with the Homestead Grays, Leonard won 10 league championships and three Negro Leagues World Series titles. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Leonard played against the Raleigh Grays as part of an exhibition game between his defending national champion Homestead Grays and semi-pro Raleigh Grays on August 29, 1939.

The Raleigh Grays were a semi-pro Negro Leagues team that played in Raleigh during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Home games were played in Raleigh at Shaw Alumni Field and later Chavis Park beginning in 1939. The 1939 team in particular was a powerhouse as they won the vast majority of their games, including a 19-game winning streak that ran from early in the season through June 8, 1939.

Local opponents from the 1939 season included the Durham Black Sox, Charlotte Black Hornets, Rocky Mount Black Swans, Goldsboro Red Sox, Greensboro Red Wings, Winston-Salem Mohawk Giants, Belleville Grays, Raleigh Tar Heels and Kinston Grays.

Notable 1939 Raleigh Grays players included Allan Brewer, Haggie Smith, Buck Alston, John Parker, Lonnie Floyd, Red Baskerville and pitchers Howard "Big Train" Cozart, Schoolboy Howard, and Leniel Hooker.

Cozart at one point won 10 straight starts and often reached double-digits in strikeouts in his outings. Born in Holly Springs, N.C., Cozart later signed with the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League in September of 1939. Hooker also went on to play for the Eagles and spent nine seasons in the Negro National League with Newark. From Sanford, N.C., Hooker was also a member of Newark's 1946 championship team that also featured Hall of Famers Larry Doby and Monte Irvin.

The 1939 Raleigh Grays were managed by player-manager Joe Watkins. They were operated by business manager Pete Wilder.

Carolina's Negro Leagues Weekend event was part of Minor League Baseball's "The Nine" initiative. “The Nine” is a Black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport, provide new opportunities for youth baseball and softball participation, further diversify the business of baseball and embrace millions of passionate fans throughout Minor League Baseball's 120 communities nationwide.

*References
*_News and Observer_. 1939, Newspapers.com.

The Carolina Mudcats are the officially licensed Class-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. First established in 1991, the Carolina Mudcats have provided affordable family fun for over 30 years at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. Follow the Mudcats online at www.carolinamudcats.com, and on social media at facebook.com/carolinamudcats, twitter.com/carolinamudcats, tiktok.com/@carolinamudcats and instagram.com/carolinamudcats.

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