EUGENE, OREGON – The Eugene Emeralds are excited to announce a new speciality jersey that honors the Negro League and Eugene’s Black Community.
The Emeralds put together a focus group with Black community leaders to create something that represented them. The NAACP of Eugene-Springfield,the Black Cultural Initiative and former Emeralds player George McPherson were amongst the group who helped guide the conversation.
“This project wouldn’t exist without them,” Nina-Grace Montes, the Director of Community Relations for the Emeralds, said. “I’m so thankful for all of the leaders in the community who took the time and helped us put the jersey together.”
In partnership with a local Black designer, Kyrstin Ginter, the Emeralds’ Graphic Designer, helped bring the vision to life. The cream “Eugene” logo across the chest and the batter logo with notable Negro League star’s numbers pay homage to the Negro Leagues. The bright colors on the sleeves and the jersey numbers represent Eugene’s Black community.
The Nine is a Minor League Baseball activation launched in 2022 focused on honoring and celebrating the historic impact of the numerous Black baseball pioneers, Named for the number Jackie Robinson wore during his only season playing in MiLB with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946, The Nine recognizes and honors numerous Black pioneers and trailblazing civil right leaders across all 120 MiLB communities. The new initiative follows Copa de la Diversion, the Latinx fan engagement platform that was introduced in 2017.
“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.”
The Emeralds will wear the speciality jerseys on April 17th for Jackie Robinson Day, June 14th for the Juneteenth Celebration with a cap giveaway and they will be auctioned off on August 31st.
The Eugene Emeralds are the High-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants. The Eugene Emeralds are dedicated to providing the best in family entertainment and creating a fun, safe environment for everyone to enjoy watching a baseball game. For more information, please visit our website at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or call the Emeralds front office at 541-342-5367. • Emeraldsbaseball.com • Facebook.com/EugeneEmeraldsfanpage • Twitter.com/EugeneEmeralds
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