to view the 2012 Tour Details - Philadelphia Youth Organization

The Anderson Monarchs
2012 Barnstorming Tour
presented by
A tribute to Jackie Robinson
and Negro Leagues Baseball
2012 Anderson Monarchs Barnstorming Tour
A tribute to Jackie Robinson and Negro Leagues Baseball
April 15, 1947 – Jackie Robinson takes the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers
and becomes the first African American to play Major League baseball in
the 20th century, opening the door for future generations to pursue their
dreams. For decades African Americans, shut out of the major leagues,
formed and played in their own leagues – the Negro Leagues. In the offseason, players from the Negro leagues often boarded buses and
“barnstormed” their way around the country, playing games against town
teams, as well as Major League players. It was a tough way to live but a
way to make a living playing the game they loved. The high level of play
and the success these players enjoyed were what paved the way for Jackie
Robinson’s historic accomplishment.
Fast forward 65 years…
June 30, 2012 – as a tribute to Jackie Robinson and the Negro Leagues,
the Anderson Monarchs, an inner city, 11 year-old African American
baseball team from South Philadelphia, will board an authentic 1947
Flxible Clipper touring bus, and embark on a 22-day, 4000-mile journey
– barnstorming their way across the country – all the way to the Negro
Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, arriving during the 2012 Major
League Baseball All Star Game festivities.
Along the way, The Monarchs will play games against local youth teams,
meet surviving players from the Negro Leagues, visit historic sites - such
as Jackie Robinson’s grave site in Brooklyn, Wrigley Field, the Field of
Dreams in Iowa, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Louisville
Slugger Museum, the three remaining stadiums in the country which
Negro League teams called home, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame
in Cooperstown, NY.
The young Monarchs will experience, first-hand, what life on the road was
like for Jackie and the Negro League players. They’ll be kids in a time
capsule travelling back through time. They won’t just be reading about
history, they’ll be living it.
The Anderson Monarchs Baseball Club
The Anderson Monarchs Baseball Club, named after the Kansas City
Monarchs, the most famous of Negro League teams, was established in
1995. The teams grew out of the Jackie Robinson Baseball League at the
Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. As the only
predominantly African American club to compete in the best leagues and
tournaments in the area, the Monarchs have, like Jackie Robinson,
broken down barriers and shattered stereotypes wherever they’ve
competed. Their hard work, disciplined style of play, and unprecedented
success has completely reshaped the common perception of inner city
kids and baseball.
This current Monarchs team of 10 & 11 year-olds have captured the
Philadelphia “A” League City Championship in each of the past two years.
On top of that, in 2011 they were runners-up at the Sports at the Beach
July 4th Baseball Tournament in Delaware, featuring some of the best 10
year-old teams from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions. More
amazingly, this same group of kids has also won city titles in basketball,
outdoor soccer, and indoor soccer. Most importantly, seven of the
players have gained admission to some of the best private schools in the
Philadelphia area.
The Monarchs train year round at the Marian Anderson Recreation
Center, the future home of the next MLB Urban Youth Academy. They
are living, shining examples of what is possible, athletically and
academically, when inner city kids are afforded opportunities to succeed.
The Bus
To make the experience even more authentic, the Anderson Monarchs will be traveling
in their 1947 Flxible Clipper touring bus (the same year that Jackie Robinson broke the
color barrier in Major League Baseball). Through the tour, the team hopes to raise
awareness of this rich chapter in American history.
The 2012 Anderson Monarchs’ 1947 Flxible Clipper touring bus
The 1948 Newark Eagles’ 1947 Flxible Clipper touring bus
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
New York City - Sat, Jun 30
-
Day 2
visit Jackie Robinson’s gravesite in Brooklyn
attend Yankees/ White Sox game
play game vs. Harlem RBI
Williamsport, PA - Sun, Jul 1
-
Day 3
visit Lamade Stadium – home of Little League World Series
play game
drive to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA - Mon, Jul 2
-
Day 4
play game vs. Josh Gibson Foundation team
visit Josh Gibson’s gravesite
walk across Roberto Clemente Bridge
attend Pirates/Astros game
Cleveland, OH - Tue, Jul 3
-
Day 5
play game at League Park (where Negro League games were played and
where Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run)
attend Indians/ Angels game
Detroit, MI - Wed, Jul 4
-
Day 6
play game
attend Tigers/ Twins game
Chicago, Il - Thu, Jul 5
-
Day 7
travel to Chicago
tour Wrigley Field
Chicago, Il - Fri, Jul 6
-
play game on North side
play game on South side
attend Blue Jays/ White Sox game
Day 8
Dyersville, IA - Sat, Jul 7 -
Day 9
travel to Dyersville
play on Field of Dreams
travel to Cedar Rapids
attend Cedar Rapids Kernels game or play game
Des Moines, IA - Sun, Jul 8
-
Day 10
travel to Des Moines
attend Iowa Cubs game (1:00 PM)
travel to Kansas City
Kansas City, MO - Mon, Jul 9
-
Day 11
play game vs KC RBI
attend Fanfest and Home Run Derby
Kansas City, MO - Tue, Jul 10
-
Day 12
-
Day 13
visit Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
travel to Columbia, MO
play game
watch All Star Game at hotel
St. Louis, MO - Wed, Jul 11
travel to St. Louis
visit the St. Louis Arch
play game at Cool Papa Bell Stadium
travel to Louisville
Louisville, KY - Thu, Jul 12
-
tour Louisville Slugger Museum
play game
attend Louisville Bats game
-
Indianapolis, IN - Fri Jul 13
travel to Indianapolis
play game
visit Bush Stadium site (home of Indianapolis ABCs)
visit Indianapolis Motor Speedway
attend Indianapolis Indians game
Day 14
Day 15
Cincinnati, OH - Sat, Jul 14
-
Day 16
travel to Cincinnati
play game
attend Reds/ Cardinals game
Charleston, WV - Sun, Jul 15
-
Day 17
travel to Charleston
play game
travel to Washington, DC
Washington, DC - Mon, Jul 16
-
Day 18
tour Smithsonian, Washington Monument
meet Mamie “Peanut” Johnson who pitched for Indianapolis Clowns
play game (Mamie Johnson throw out first pitch)
after game visit Lincoln Memorial (where Marian Anderson performed
historic concert in 1939).
Washington, DC - Tue, Jul 17
-
Day 19
visit MLK Memorial, White House
attend Nationals/ Mets game
Aberdeen - Philadelphia - Wed, Jul 18
-
Day 20
play game in Aberdeen (Ripken Complex)
return home for homecoming party at Marian Anderson Rec Center
Cooperstown, NY - Sat, Jul 21
-
Day 21
travel to Cooperstown
visit Hall of Fame
play game
Cooperstown, NY - Sun, Jul 22
-
attend Hall of Fame induction ceremony