Flying Squirrels, MiLB using Jackie Robinson’s legacy for action with ‘The Nine’ | Professional Sports

It was a recognition of Jackie Robinson Day, with this yr of the yearly celebration a exclusive a person in unique — the 75th anniversary of Robinson’s major league debut, when he turned the 1st Black MLB participant in the modern-day era.

But also, throughout the diamond — among initial and second foundation — the No. 9 was drawn in the infield grime, way too. That selection, while not as traditionally distinct as Robinson’s 42, which has been retired throughout the majors given that 1997, carries twin this means.

Nine was the quantity that Robinson wore in his lone small league time in 1946 with the Triple-A Montreal Royals, just before he made his MLB debut on April 15, 1947. And it was also the inspiration for the identify of a new MiLB initiative — introduced this 12 months and dubbed “The 9.” It is a nationwide platform for outreach to the Black group all around baseball.

According to MiLB, The Nine is “designed to honor and celebrate the historic influence quite a few Black baseball pioneers made on the sport, deliver new alternatives for youth baseball and softball participation, even further diversify the organization of baseball and embrace millions of passionate supporters throughout MiLB’s 120 communities nationwide.”

And the Traveling Squirrels had been selected as a person of MiLB’s 5 “team captains” for the initiative, mainly because of the franchise’s background of making an attempt to boost variety in the activity and mainly because of the metropolis of Richmond itself, and the Traveling Squirrels’ desire to be section of alter in the town.

And, for the franchise, equally existing and blossoming initiatives will touch its involvement with the mission of The 9.

“It’s not any singular issue that we’re carrying out,” stated Todd “Parney” Parnell, the Flying Squirrels’ chief procedure officer, on Friday afternoon. “The Nine is going to turn out to be aspect of who we are on an day to day basis.”

The Nine method was declared Feb. 1, but it is a little something Parnell reported that Kurt Hunzeker, MLB’s vice president for minimal league business enterprise operations, has labored on for a even though.

Black illustration in MLB has declined sharply in excess of the past 30 a long time. Black players made up a large of 18.7% of the league in 1981, in accordance to the Culture for American Baseball Exploration. But, today, that variety is just 7.2%, according to MLB.com.

The February announcement marked a dawning of the software, and groups about the activity are starting to create their respective efforts.

In Richmond, one initiative connected to The 9 will tie into Flying Squirrels Charities. The Flying Squirrels have labored with the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League for the period of their 13 many years in the city — MJBL was launched in 1966 right after founder Dr. William M.T. Forrester’s son was not allowed to participate in in a number of all white Very little League plans. It’s regarded as 1 of the oldest Black-owned interior-metropolis youth baseball leagues in the state.

But now, MJBL is functioning with the Richmond Law enforcement Athletic League to develop committed baseball leagues inside of community housing communities in the city. And cash elevated by way of the Traveling Squirrels Charities’ golf tournament on May 9 will be utilised to obtain jerseys for the league.

“I feel around time, that is wherever we’ll see the most effect with The Nine,” Parnell reported, of a league like the just one that the MJBL and PAL are organizing.

Also, in partnership with VCU’s Middle for Sport Leadership, the Flying Squirrels held a applied glove push for the MJBL on Friday.

Elsewhere, while not directly linked to The 9 — but connected to the sort of operate the program will try out to foster throughout the nation — is the Traveling Squirrels’ partnerships with HBCUs in the location. The club started an executive instruction application with Virginia State University last calendar year, that’s aimed to groom selected learners to develop into whole-time club workers. Traveling Squirrels group hospitality manager Carnie Bragg came from the program.

“I feel we’re acknowledged as one particular of the franchises, 1 of the possession teams, who are striving to adjust what minimal league baseball appears like,” Parnell reported. “This has been my life for 33 years. When I depart this, when that is, I want entrance offices across America to seem distinct.”

The Flying Squirrels are making a marriage with Virginia Union College as nicely, tied in portion to its Richmond 34 Legacy Weekend, which debuted very last year. The club moved the weekend from July to September this calendar year, when courses are in session, to permit for far more college student involvement.

The 9 plan isn’t a 1-calendar year drive, but will be ongoing. And the Traveling Squirrels’ involvement will keep on to unfold in much more, various strategies around time.

It’s employing Robinson’s legacy for motion.

“We’re placing systems and courses in area in which rather of just indicating, ‘We want to change,’ we’re producing that adjust,” Parnell stated. “And I believe, to me, which is the biggest big difference in how we’re going about it now and how we see the development that we’re building.”