Leon Day

One of baseball's most enduring shames is its neglect of the old Negro leagues. That is gradually being remedied by long overdue recognition of some black stars who played before 1947, when Jackie Robinson and Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey broke the color barrier in major league baseball. Now it's the belated turn of Baltimore's Leon Day, who has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame decades after he should have been.Leon Day was a big star in those leagues, but his name is less known to fans, even African-Americans, than the millionaire players with inflated egos who pass for stars today.

Leon Day would not have minded seeing his grandson with a baseball in his hand. A book in his hand, however, would have impressed him more. "He always told us: 'Pick up a book and read. Get an education; they can't take that away from you. Knowledge is power,' " recalled Sarah Newkirk Clark, the daughter of the Hall of Fame pitcher and Negro league legend. Clark's 15-year-old son, Leon Day Newkirk, seems to have absorbed the lesson. He frequently picks up and reads honor-roll certificates, academic awards, college scholarship offers, and, last month, an invitation to attend the annual National Young Leaders Conference this summer on Capitol Hill.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Six days before his death, Leon Day had a dream. Edward W. Stack, the Baseball Hall of Fame chairman, came to his room at St. Agnes Hospital, told him of his election and presented him with his Hall of Fame ring.Day woke up -- a former teammate gave him the good news later that afternoon. Day, a native of Mount Winans in Southwest Baltimore, never received his ring. He died of heart and kidney problems on March 13.Day's deferred dream changed but finally came true yesterday, when he became the 12th Negro league player inducted into the Hall.

As if sent on assignment from the baseball gods, three former Negro league players and the widow of a fourth descended onto the State House complex in Annapolis yesterday afternoon. Technically, they were there to speak to the Senate and House members on behalf of a joint bill to establish an official day in honor of Maryland's contributions to the Negro leagues. In essence, they also were there to remind everybody, at a time it was needed most, that as foul as baseball can be sometimes, it still can give birth to heroes.

Ida May Bolden saw her younger brother play baseball on the sandlots of Mount Winans in Southwest Baltimore every Sunday when he was a boy. She saw him strike out 18 batters at Baltimore's Bugle Field and pitch a no-hitter at Newark's Ruppert Stadium when he was the star pitcher for the Negro National League's Newark Eagles.Her brother is Leon Day. He is 78, suffers from gout, diabetes and a bad heart and has spent most of last week in a bed at St. Agnes Hospital. Tuesday he is up for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Please remember this: I called Geraldine Day, she didn't call me. And the first time I got through to her -- last Friday, at the recycling center where she operates a forklift on the night shift -- she was reluctant to talk about money problems. "I don't want to sound like I'm begging," she said.So, let's be careful out there. This is a proud woman, the widow of Hall of Famer Leon Day, and you shouldn't get the idea she's looking for a handout. Or that she's starving. She works very hard, and lives very modestly.

It was muggy and hot, and their audience was scant. But yesterday morning, members of the Charm City Challengers dance troupe were most definitely ready for showtime. Decked out in smart white uniforms with red and gold trim, the sparkly and sequined teenagers left the parking lot of a West Baltimore school and stepped out to take part in the 5th Annual Leon Day Festival. Their parade route along Poplar Grove Street was short, and the summer heat was becoming nearly unbearable. But the vibrant procession danced, undaunted, and they quickly drew a crowd.

Several hundred people gathered yesterday to honor Leon Day, the late Negro League and Hall of Fame pitcher at the dedication of a Baltimore park renamed for him.The dedication included $100,000 contributed by the Baltimore Orioles to help pay for a baseball field at Leon Day Park, 15 acres in West Baltimore off Franklintown Road and Ellamont Street, the former Bloomingdale Oval Park.Day -- who died in 1995 at age 78, six days after he was voted into baseball's Hall of Fame -- lived up the street from the park for 17 years and often played ball in the small field there, neighbors said.

The memory of Leon Day, who taught neighborhood children the finer aspects of pitching after he retired from an illustrious career in the Negro leagues, will be celebrated today when the city renames a West Baltimore park in his honor.Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke will rename Bloomingdale-Oval park during the 10 a.m. dedication ceremony. Leon's widow, Geraldine Day, other members of the Day family and former Negro league teammates are expected to attend the day-long festivities."We hope to revitalize community interest in using Leon Day Park as a resource for recreational activity for youth," said Louis Fields, executive director of the Baltimore African-American Tourism Council and resident of the Rosemont community for 34 years.

Expect heads to turn tomorrow as the Baltimore Cricket Club introduces the gentlemanly sport to West Baltimore youngsters who don't know a wicket from a wombat.The group also is inaugurating a new home in Leon Day Park. In an exhibition match against Washington-area players, the club hopes to attract youths from nearby basketball courts and other hangouts to check out the sport."This is what we promised the city: Provide us the field and we will teach the sport to young people," said John Hay, a longtime club member.

Last issue's Flashback Congratulations to UniSun readers who recognized Leon Day (left), a former star pitcher in the Negro Baseball League, who was photographed at his home in West Baltimore. Day poses with a photograph of himself in uniform taken in the 1930s. He died in 1995. This issue's Flashback Can you guess who this former basketball player is and what team he played for? Write to unisun@baltsun. com, or UniSun Flashback, Features Department, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278.

It was muggy and hot, and their audience was scant. But yesterday morning, members of the Charm City Challengers dance troupe were most definitely ready for showtime. Decked out in smart white uniforms with red and gold trim, the sparkly and sequined teenagers left the parking lot of a West Baltimore school and stepped out to take part in the 5th Annual Leon Day Festival. Their parade route along Poplar Grove Street was short, and the summer heat was becoming nearly unbearable. But the vibrant procession danced, undaunted, and they quickly drew a crowd.

In Baltimore County Tribute to rabbi raises $750,000 for scholarships PIKESVILLE -- A gala that paid tribute to Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg and featured violinist Itzhak Perlman raised about $750,000 for Beth Tfiloh Community School's scholarship fund, school officials said. "This was the largest and most successful fund-raiser ever," said Zipora Schorr, director of education at Beth Tfiloh, where Wohlberg is dean and rabbi of the Beth Tfiloh congregation. She said the money from the gala last week would be used to help parents pay tuition, which ranges from $8,500 to $10,000 for students age 2 through 12th grade.

In Baltimore City Colossal Plant Sale runs through Sunday in Druid Hill Park The Department of Recreation and Parks will hold a Colossal Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today through Sunday at the Conservatory & Botanic Gardens at Druid Hill Park, to make room for the conservatory's $4.5 million expansion and renovation. Exotic and native species will be sold. Proceeds will be used to buy unique plant specimens for the conservatory's new exhibits after the renovation is complete, the department said.

Bring the little sluggers for a day at the park for the official opening of the Leon DayPark Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until dusk. The Leon Day Park is built in memory of Leon Day, a Baltimore resident who pitched in baseball's Negro Leagues for 22 years and is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The events begin at 8:30 a.m. with a parade starting at Alexander Hamilton Elementary School. After the opening ceremonies and ribbon cutting the fun begins. The day's events include meeting Negro League ball players, children's games, baseball games, baseball exhibits and hiking through the park.

Expect heads to turn tomorrow as the Baltimore Cricket Club introduces the gentlemanly sport to West Baltimore youngsters who don't know a wicket from a wombat.The group also is inaugurating a new home in Leon Day Park. In an exhibition match against Washington-area players, the club hopes to attract youths from nearby basketball courts and other hangouts to check out the sport."This is what we promised the city: Provide us the field and we will teach the sport to young people," said John Hay, a longtime club member.

Geraldine Day stood in front of the crowd in Cooperstown, N.Y., in the summer of 1995 and read an emotional speech on the day her late husband, Negro leagues pitcher Leon Day, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.She remembers that day vividly. Her husband of 30 years had died of heart failure that March, six days after learning of his election to the Hall. She had to give his acceptance speech, while dealing with his loss and the feeling "that Leon had somehow been cheated."It seemed all their lives they had struggled, financially and physically.

Bring the little sluggers for a day at the park for the official opening of the Leon DayPark Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until dusk. The Leon Day Park is built in memory of Leon Day, a Baltimore resident who pitched in baseball's Negro Leagues for 22 years and is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The events begin at 8:30 a.m. with a parade starting at Alexander Hamilton Elementary School. After the opening ceremonies and ribbon cutting the fun begins. The day's events include meeting Negro League ball players, children's games, baseball games, baseball exhibits and hiking through the park.

Several hundred people gathered yesterday to honor Leon Day, the late Negro League and Hall of Fame pitcher at the dedication of a Baltimore park renamed for him.The dedication included $100,000 contributed by the Baltimore Orioles to help pay for a baseball field at Leon Day Park, 15 acres in West Baltimore off Franklintown Road and Ellamont Street, the former Bloomingdale Oval Park.Day -- who died in 1995 at age 78, six days after he was voted into baseball's Hall of Fame -- lived up the street from the park for 17 years and often played ball in the small field there, neighbors said.

The memory of Leon Day, who taught neighborhood children the finer aspects of pitching after he retired from an illustrious career in the Negro leagues, will be celebrated today when the city renames a West Baltimore park in his honor.Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke will rename Bloomingdale-Oval park during the 10 a.m. dedication ceremony. Leon's widow, Geraldine Day, other members of the Day family and former Negro league teammates are expected to attend the day-long festivities."We hope to revitalize community interest in using Leon Day Park as a resource for recreational activity for youth," said Louis Fields, executive director of the Baltimore African-American Tourism Council and resident of the Rosemont community for 34 years.