Top 5 Black Players in Sugar Land History 

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

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

As we gear up for the first season in Sugar Land Space Cowboys history, here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up in Sugar Land.

Jeremy Barfield

Jeremy Barfield became the first Sugar Land player to be awarded the Atlantic League Player of the Year, blasting a team-record 27 home runs in 2016. Sugar Land also went on to win its first Atlantic League Championship that season. The son of former Major League All-Star, Jesse Barfield, Jeremy ranks top-10 in the franchise’s independent history in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs and RBI.

Marty Costes

Costes was a fixture in the Sugar Land lineup during the second half of the 2021 season. Costes hit .262 with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 40 games with Sugar Land, following a promotion from Double A Corpus Christi. One of those four home runs left his bat at 115 mph, making it the hardest-hit home run in terms of exit velocity hit at Constellation Field in ‘20. Including his time with Corpus Christi, Costes ranked fifth of all MiLB players last season (min. 400 plate appearances) with a .427 on-base percentage.

Ronnie Dawson

Ronnie Dawson was a consistent presence in the Sugar Land lineup during their first season as the Houston Astros Triple A affiliate in 2021. Dawson was tied for fourth on the team with 90 games played and hit .249 with seven home runs and 43 RBI. Dawson quickly emerged as a fan-favorite at Constellation Field for his upbeat style of play and ability to engage with fans. Dawson hit the first-ever Triple A grand slam at Constellation Field on May 30. Dawson also made his Major League debut with the Astros in ‘20 prior to debuting in Sugar Land.

Deacon Jones

While Deacon Jones never donned a Skeeters or Space Cowboys uniform as a player, he’s undoubtedly one of the most influential in the organization’s history. Jones was an instrumental figure in bringing professional baseball to Sugar Land in 2012. He worked with City of Sugar Land officials and leaders of the community to bring a quality baseball product to Constellation Field. Since 2012, he’s served as a Special Advisor in the Sugar Land front office. His No. 4, which he wore as a player, was retired in 2019. He became the first person to have their number retired in the organization’s history. Jones played for the Chicago White Sox from 1962-63, ‘66. He proceeded to have a decades-long coaching and scouting career, which included stints as the hitting coach for the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres.

Tracy McGrady

Yes, you read the name correctly. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Famer had a brief stint in Sugar Land as a pitcher while the club was still playing in the independent Atlantic League. McGrady, who spent six seasons with the Houston Rockets, made four starts for Sugar Land in 2014. He also started the 2014 Atlantic League All-Star Game at Constellation Field. The organization honored McGrady with his own bobblehead night in 2018, as he returned to Constellation Field that night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Although McGrady’s stint in Sugar Land was brief, he’s positively one of the most iconic players in franchise history.

Minor League Baseball Announces “The Nine,” a New Initiative to Celebrate, Engage and Welcome Black Fans

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

NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 1, 2022 — Minor League Baseball® (MiLB™) today announced the launch of “The Nine,” a new, 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 MiLB’s 120 communities nationwide.

Named for the number Jackie Robinson wore during his only season playing in MiLB with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946, The Nine will connect MiLB teams’ existing, Black-community focused development efforts with new national programming and future special events in a coordinated and centralized campaign. The new inclusion initiative follows MiLB’s Copa de la Diversión Latino fan engagement platform introduced in 2017 that included 76 MiLB teams in 2021.

The Nine will recognize and honor numerous Black pioneers and trailblazing civil rights leaders in all 120 MiLB communities, ensuring the heroes of the past and their contributions continue to be celebrated through ceremonies and events at MiLB ballparks and in the community. Recent tributes and celebrations have included Negro Leagues commemorative games honoring the Austin Black Senators in Round Rock (TX), the Bradenton (FL) Nine Devils, and Page Fence Giants near Lansing (MI). Additional tribute games are being planned for the 2022 season and beyond.

“The Nine will shine bright spotlights on these successful initiatives and transform them into national campaigns reaching more fans and communities, further showcasing our teams’ commitment to representing, honoring, and welcoming all fans to MiLB’s unique brand of fun,” said Kurt Hunzeker, MLB’s Vice President of Minor League Business Operations. “The Nine is just the latest example of MiLB teams being true community champions.”

In addition to player- and team-related content, The Nine will focus heavily on creating new opportunities for youth participation among young Black boys and girls, particularly in communities where youth baseball and softball programming is either nonexistent or difficult to access.

Central to this youth-focused push is a planned expansion of Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program throughout MiLB’s national footprint. New competitions in MLB’s Pitch, Hit & Run and Junior Home Run Derby event series will also debut in MiLB markets beginning in 2022.

MiLB teams will continue to build relationships with local Black-owned and operated businesses, local artists and entertainers in an effort to embrace Black culture and make MiLB ballparks a hub for culturally relevant concerts, shows, and community events.

With several MiLB teams having a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in their community, opportunities will be provided for those schools to start internship and mentorship programs with their local team, creating opportunities for on-the-job experience for students prior to entering the job market. Additionally, MiLB recently partnered with TeamWork Online to create a more inclusive virtual job fair and ongoing talent pipeline that aims to recruit and position qualified and ready-for-hire candidates from across the country for potential management- and executive-level roles within MiLB team front offices.

Prasek’s Family Smokehouse Lends a Helping Hand to Community

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

Prasek’s Family Smokehouse is accustomed to delving out heavy portions of their award-winning sausage and other items to their many patrons.

But even they may have outdone themselves in terms of quantity this year.

Prasek’s, a proud partner of the Sugar Land Skeeters, served approximately 10,000 soldiers, veterans and families at Fort Hood this past October in support of Cowboys 4 Heroes. They served 2,500 pounds of sausage and were prepared to serve up to as many as 20,000 people.

“Prasek’s Family Smokehouse is proud to partner with Cowboys 4 Heroes and combine our beliefs and efforts to assist our military families. Providing a family meal will give them a little break from the kitchen,” said Prasek’s Generals Manager of Retail Operations, Duane Korenek. “It is our civic duty to support our veterans. Food is our business so we will do it with sausage, burgers and hot dogs.”

This is not the first time that Prasek’s has donated a large quantity of food to a worthwhile cause.

This past March, once again in support of Cowboys 4 Heroes, they donated 2,000 meals as part of the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show Armed Forces Day. In April, there were 2,880 meals donated to Gallery Furniture to help feed the less fortunate amidst the pandemic.

In 2019, Prasek’s donated a combined 14,000 meals to the Houston Food Bank, Victoria Food Bank and Christ’s Kitchen – Victoria.

“Prasek’s is built on strong family values and there are families in need; that’s why we are doing this,” said Vice President and GM of production and sales for Prasek’s Family Smokehouse Mike Prasek, Jr. in 2019. “We support as many causes as we can including the needy, military veterans, law enforcement and countless non-profits. It’s part of Prasek’s culture. It’s what we do. It’s who we are. Texas has a reputation of being friendly. In giving, we stay true to our deep-rooted Texas traditions.”

In a year where many have needed an extra hand in finding where their next meal might be, the Skeeters are proud to partner with an organization like Prasek’s that displays such dedication and thoughtfulness toward its community.