The Ems Tip Their Cap to the 100th Anniversary of the Negro Baseball League

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

This season the Eugene Emeralds were set to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Negro Baseball League at PK Park. This league was known for spotlighting some great sportsmanship. Although the pandemic has stopped the Emeralds season, we will move forward with recognizing some of the great players who played in the Negro Baseball Leagues.

Baseball had a prominent standing in African American society since the mid to late 1800s. Racist norms of the day prevented teams with black players from joining the Association of Amateur Baseball Players and this segregation was codified in the 1890’s by a “gentlemen’s agreement” among National League owners. Banned from the major leagues, black athletes and teams barnstormed in the US, competing against anyone who would play them.

In 1920, Andrew “Rube” Foster, the managers of one of these teams and a former pitcher, met with 7 of the owners of similar teams in Kansas City, MO and created the Negro National League, comprised of eight teams from the Northeast and Midwest. This Negro National League is generally recognized as the first of the Negro Leagues, and it provided a spotlight on some of the best baseball players of the era.

From the beginning the league had many hardships. In addition to racism, Jim Crow laws, and tough economic conditions, most teams played in ballparks owned by white teams which were only available when the white team was out of town. Games were sometimes cancelled when a profitable exhibition against a white team became available. Wide disparity in the quality of teams exasperated financial woes and led to a number of team failures which, in turn, led to league failures. Despite the hardships, the decades between 1920 and 1950 always included at least one active league.

World War II led to an improvement in the economic situation of many African Americans, which in turn lead to a great improvement in the leagues. Similar to MLB, many teams lost players to the armed forces, but the leagues continued to put a quality product on the field. Teams became a linchpin for economic development in black communities. Games drew crowds of over 5,000 and black business men and women started to build their businesses around the game of baseball. They saw the chance to offer goods, services and entertainment to the players as they would come through town for games. Cities began to see hotels, restaurants, night clubs, barbershops and barrooms being created to cater to players and their crowds.

The integration of Major League Baseball that started in 1947 with Negro League alumnus Jackie Robinson led to a slow but irreversible gutting of talent of the Negro Leagues. Teams were not able to compete financially and did not want to stand in the way of African Americans playing in the Majors. Quality of play declined and finances suffered. Teams tried to stay relevant by signing white players as well as women, but it wasn’t enough and the last one folded in the 1960’s.

Many outstanding players started their playing careers in the Negro League and the Eugene Emeralds will be highlighting some of the players over the next week. Be sure to watch the Emeralds Facebook page as we learn more about founder Rube Foster, Josh Gibson, James Bell and Toni Stone. You can also visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum e-museum (http://www.nlbemuseum.com/ to find out more about the League and its players. Please join us as we tip our cap to honor the Negro Leagues in its centennial year.

Emeralds and Kendall to Host Be a Hero Drive

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

On Wednesday, August 19th the Eugene Emeralds and Kendall Toyota are inviting the Eugene/Springfield community to become superheroes through their Be a Hero Drive. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. community members will be able to donate blood, join the bone marrow registry and learn about organ donation. They will be joined by members from American Red Cross, Be the Match and Donate Life NW at Kendall Toyota of Eugene.

The American Red Cross Blood Mobile will be on site to collect blood donation. Donating blood products is essential to community health and the need for blood products is constant. Additionally, the Red Cross is testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The Red Cross has added safety precautions to the drive to ensure the health and safety of all who attend. This will include a temperature screening, enhanced disinfecting of areas and social distancing wherever possible. They are also asking donors to sign up for a pre-scheduled appointment at redcrossblood.org/give, instead of walking in, as to adhere to the social distancing guidelines. All blood types are needed, and people who have never donated before are encouraged to donate. Donors must be 17 years old or older, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in general good health.

Seventy percent of blood cancer patients requiring a marrow transplant are waiting for a match through the Bone Marrow Registry. It is normally 1 in 300 of those who register will be matched with those in need. Be the Match, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, manages the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world. They will be on site collecting volunteers to be listed as a potential blood stem cell donor, ready to save the life of any patient in need of a transplant through a quick cheek swab.

Another way members can Be a Hero is to register to be an organ donor through Donate Life NW. Of the almost 120,000 Americans waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, more than 3,000 live in the Pacific Northwest.

“This was an event we had planned for one of our games this summer,” said Anne Culhane, Director of Community Relations. “These are three amazing, lifesaving programs that rely on volunteers so we wanted to move forward with this drive.”

Individuals not feeling well or who are exhibiting any symptoms, which include fever, tiredness and dry cough should stay home. Donors will be asked to wear a mask while attending this event.

Help our MiLB CommUNITY

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The Eugene Emeralds are proud to be a part of the MiLB CommUNITY First Initiative for the month of May. This national initiative was developed in conjunction with Feeding America, to raise funds for local food banks and to honor individuals risking their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emeralds fans are encouraged to visit the CommUNITY First website through May 31st to help MiLB, and the participating teams, raise money for local food banks. Once on the site, fans can choose their donation amount and the Emeralds as the recipient of their donation to direct funds to the Oregon Food Bank and FOOD for Lane County. By selected the Emeralds for the donation, you will ensure that the money will go to support local food banks. If a team is not selected, funds will go to the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund which is providing food assistance and supplies to communities most affected by the pandemic.

Ten dollars provides access to 30 meals to families and individuals in need. With school closures and rising unemployment since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, FOOD for Lane County has seen a noticeable increase in the number of people seeking help with food for the first time. With the suspension of food rescue and food drives, the food supply for FOOD for Lane County has been drastically disrupted. The donations will go towards purchasing local food so they can offer a variety of food choices to the community.

Since April, the Emeralds front office has been volunteering with FOOD for Lane County once a week, stocking and creating produce bags for one of the four emergency mobile pantries the nonprofit has set up. By supporting the CommUNITY First Initiative, the Emeralds hope to help families and individuals across the country most impacted by the pandemic by making sure they are fed and cared for during these uncertain times.

In addition, for every $10 donation, the Emeralds will donate one ticket to a home game for either the 2020 or 2021 season to a local hero of the pandemic. Fans are invited to join the national campaign by donating and selecting the Eugene Emeralds at MiLB.com/CommUNITYFirst and use #MiLBCommUNITYFirst on social media to show your support.

Season In Review | Ems Go Above And Beyond To Benefit Local Community

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

With another season of Emeralds baseball now officially in the rear-view mirror, we’re taking a look back at some of the special moments and memories created during the 2019 season. Today, we reflect on all the good that the Emeralds imparted throughout the Eugene/Springfield community.

Over the past decade, the Ems have made a concerted effort to ingrain the organization within the fabric of Eugene/Springfield through countless community efforts and initiatives. With almost too many donations, drives and events to keep track of, let’s go by the numbers to see exactly how the Emeralds made a positive impact in Lane County during the past season.

$7,451: Dollars raised to benefit local nonprofits through Good Karma Monday.

Good Karma Monday, presented by Yogi, is a weekly ticket promotion created in recent years with the goal of supporting local nonprofit organizations and initiatives. During every Good Karma Monday throughout the 2019 season, fans were able to purchase discounted box seat tickets ($10) with 50% of ticket sales directly benefitting a local nonprofit organization. All told, the Ems raised a combined $7,451 that together benefitted the Pearl Buck Center, Relief Nursery, A Family For Every Child, and Womenspace.

7: Community focus nights.

The Ems aim to use their influence to shine light on causes and efforts that are near and dear to the organization. During the 2019 season, a total of seven (7) different home games were used to highlight important (local) causes, efforts, and personalities: PRIDE, Climate Change, First Responders Appreciation, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), League Of Her Own (Lois Youngen – former AAGPBL Player), Suicide Prevention, and Military Appreciation.

5: Community events.

Even when there aren’t ballgames happening at PK Park, the Emeralds are often still playing their part in helping support the local community. All told, the Emeralds hosted five (5) separate non-gameday events during the 2019 season to support local nonprofits and organizations: American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Eugene Police’s National Night Out, Eugene Food Truck Fest benefitting Eugene Mission, Wham Bam Kendall Jam Car Show benefitting Relief Nursery, and the Boys and Girls Club‘s Field of Dreams.

$3,500: Dollars raised through specialty jersey sales during the 2019 season.

Every year, the Emeralds front office collaborates to design one-of-a-kind, specialty jerseys to be worn on a select night during the season. During each specialty jersey game, fans in attendance can bid on the game-worn jerseys via a silent auction, and the auction winners receive their jersey directly from the corresponding player immediately following the game.

Below, you can find the corresponding nonprofit beneficiary for each specialty jersey worn by the Ems this past season.

PRIDE – HIV Alliance

Climate Change – Our Children’s Trust

Star Wars – Children’s Miracle Network

Black Panther – Ems Community Fund

3: Collection drives hosted to benefit nonprofit organizations.

The Emeralds hosted three separate community collection drives during the past season: a book drive benefitting United Way, a cat/dog items drive benefitting Greenhill Humane Society, and a new socks/underwear drive benefitting Eugene Mission.

6,500: Tickets donated to local elementary school students and teachers through Sluggo’s Home Run Reading Challenge, presented by Oregon Medical Group and Wildish.

Year after year, Sluggo and the Emeralds staff spend the spring visiting countless Lane County schools in an effort to encourage reading among children. Participating schools and teachers decide on a reasonable reading goal for their students’ respective reading levels. Once the individual goal is reached by a student, they automatically receive two free tickets to one of the Emeralds Reading Program Redemption games.

This year, the Emeralds hosted a total of eleven (11) Reading Program Nights with more than 6,500 total tickets donated to local elementary school students and teachers.

6: Monarcas games at PK Park this past season.

Starting in 2018, the Emeralds proudly joined “Copa de la Diversión,” or “Fun Cup,” a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with participating teams’ local U.S. Hispanic/Latino communities. As such, the Emeralds created their own unique identity as Los Monarcas de Eugene, using the Monarch butterfly as a subtle and beautiful symbol for the migrant community. Every Sunday home game, the Emeralds transformed into los Monarcas by donning specially designed uniforms while also incorporating Latin-themed food, music, and decorations all throughout PK Park.

$6,850: Dollars raised through the 50/50 raffle for Eugene Little League and Boys & Girls Club.

25: Emeralds player outings and efforts within the community totaling more than 175 hours of volunteer work.

5: Days Emeralds players hosted baseball clinics during the season.

1: Guide dogs that the Emeralds helped train this season.

Last but not least, fans at PK Park likely noticed a new four-legged friend roaming the concourse during the 2019 season. Vegas, the Emeralds service dog in-training, joined the organization earlier this year under the direction of Anne Culhane, the team’s Director of Community Relations. Since his arrival, Vegas has been a (rapidly growing) staple at the Ems office and at PK Park, and thanks to Culhane’s guidance he’s also continued to take major steps towards his goal of one day becoming a service dog.

To learn more about The Joys of Living Assistance Dogs visit joydogs.org.

Stay up to date with the Emeralds by following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Emeralds To Host UnderAWARE Drive In Support Of Eugene Mission

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

Universally, socks and underwear are the most needed clothing item for emergency shelters across our nation but one of the least donated items. This month the Eugene Emeralds are hosting an UnderAWARE Drive to help provide the Eugene Mission with new underwear and socks for those they serve. From August 11th to the 22nd the Emeralds hope fans will bring in new socks and underwear for men, women and children.

Statistically, the Eugene Mission sees 700 people a day and allows them access to their free clothing rooms stocked with essential clothing. Over the last five months, they’ve distributed over 8,400 items, including over 1,000 pairs of underwear.

“Having a clean pair of underwear is something so simple we don’t really think much about it,” said Anne Culhane, Director of Community Relations. “It really is something that brings comfort and dignity to a person.”

Fans can drop their donations off at the Ticket Office or inside the ballpark at the Information Booth. To thank fans for their donations, the Emeralds will provide each donor with one coupon good for 20% off their next team store purchase.

“The Eugene Mission does amazing things for our community, we are just happy to be able to help them out with this collection drive,” said Culhane.

The Eugene Missions works to compassionately provide emergency services and long-time solutions to help our homeless neighbors transitioning back into the community with gainful employment, sustainable income and stable housing. The Emeralds hope fans will be able to help support the Eugene Mission.

Tickets to Emeralds home games are on sale now at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or by calling (541) 342-5367.

Stay up to date with the Emeralds by following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Emeralds Set to Hit a Home Run in Reading

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

The Eugene Emeralds are excited to announce they are once again partnering with Oregon Medical Group and Wildish for Sluggo’s Home Run Reading Challenge. Starting this week, the program is designed to motivate students to become better readers by completing reading assignments to earn free Ems tickets!

Last year, 56 schools signed up for the Reading Challenge and a record 11,528 completed the program. “The growth of the Reading Program over the 10 years here at PK Park has been incredible,” said Ems Assistant General Manager Matt Dompe. “It is one of our biggest community outreach programs year after year, and it’s a great way to kick off the Emeralds season with games filled with kids that completed the reading challenge.”

For 2019, the new and improved Reading Challenge assembly will take on a Super Hero theme as Sluggo travels faster than a speeding green bear all over Lane County to spread the joy of reading. At the end of the assembly, teachers will give their students a 10-task reading goal, which students will track with a Sluggo-themed bookmark.

Students who complete their bookmarks receive two free tickets to a Eugene Emeralds baseball game this summer. In addition to the tickets, students will be invited to go down onto the field at PK Park and have a chance to meet some of the 2019 Emeralds players!

“We are committed to helping build healthier communities, and the connection between literacy and health is strong. Oregon Medical Group is excited to once again be part of Sluggo’s Home Run Reading Challenge. It motivates kids to read, and it gets them out to a ballgame – that’s a pretty healthy combination.” says Josh Cox, Director of Marketing and Public Relations.

The Emeralds and OMG will be updating the progress of Sluggo’s Home Run Reading Challenge through social media posts all spring so be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.