Black Tourneys Titlists Redefine ‘Group Effort’

by Patrick Obley

SOUTH CAROLINA -- When the sky opened up Saturday night during the fifth annual Bobby Bonds Symposium at Benedict College, the fate of the first Black World Series was in the balance.

Throughout the evening, players, coaches and parents voiced their concerns during the gathering. The consensus: Blacks need baseball and historically black colleges need players. If youngsters can be persuaded to stick with the sport, a college education is within reach.

Attendees hoped this first Black World Series (for the 12-and-younger age group), held in conjunction with the symposium and the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League’s Inner-City Championships (for older age groups), can be an important step in reviving the baseball pipeline to HBCUs.

Teams arrived in Columbia for both tournaments from throughout the country, from as far as Oakland, Detroit, and Miami. Two teams came from the Bahamas. For all, funding was scarce and the trip was made with little more than lint remaining in their pockets.

They stared out at the torrential rain on Saturday night and prayed for it to stop.

It didn’t.

Black Tourneys Titlists Redefine ‘Group Effort’....