Michigan declares May 2nd as “Negro Leagues Day” to honor black baseball players • Michigan Advance

“Without the influence of these extraordinary players and the Negro League, Major League Baseball would not be what it is today and America would not be the country it is today,” Scott said last year during a hearing of the state House of Representatives’ Governmental Operations Committee.

And for Scott, it’s a personal matter, as she said in a press release Wednesday that Ron Teasley, the oldest living Michigan player and her great-uncle, is part of the rich legacy of the Detroit Stars.

“Although Jackie Robinson is the name we know for the integration of baseball leagues, there were also men like my Uncle Ron who played despite racial segregation. I feel tremendous admiration and pride when I think of how important the Negro Leagues were to black families and the Detroit community,” Scott said. “Every May 2nd is Negro Leagues Day in Michigan. We salute and remember these players for breaking records and making history in their own league.”

Teasley’s daughter, Lydia Teasley, told lawmakers last month that it would be the family’s dream to see her father and other Michigan athletes recognized and for the state to learn more about its role in baseball desegregation.

“…Just a league where players can come together and showcase their talent in a way that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to. So May 2 would be an important day not only for the players but for our students, our student-athletes,” Teasley told the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee in May. “It would be so wonderful for them to learn more about the game, preserve its history, and we hope to integrate MLB as much as possible on that day.”

According to the governor’s office, other notable players in the league included Cecil Kaiser, Melvin Duncan, George Wilson, Walter Owens, John W. Patterson, Willie Powell and Johnny Walker.