Birmingham, AL – The Negro Southern League Museum will host an open house event on Saturday, August 20, celebrating the life and legacy of baseball magnate Sam Hairston. The community is invited to come out from 10 am to 2 pm to learn about Hairston and his family of baseball giants. There will be free guided tours, food trucks, an appearance by NSLM mascot “Barry” and more.
“It is important to honor Mr. Hairston and his groundbreaking contribution to baseball,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “Many athletes enjoy the fruit of his labor, and I am thrilled that we can celebrate him at one of the city’s crown jewels, The Negro Southern League Museum.”
Hairston was a Negro League and Major League Baseball player. He played for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Indianapolis Clowns before going on to the Chicago White Sox. Hairston also became the patriarch of a large family of professional baseball players. His son’s Jerry, Sr. and Johnny as well as his grandsons Jerry, Jr. and Scott all played in the major leagues. His son, Sammy, Jr. and grandsons Johnny, Jr., Jeff and Jason played in the minor leagues.
A new exhibit will tell the story of this legendary family and opens at Saturday’s event. Dr. Layton Revel, the founder and executive director for the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, helped to assemble the artifacts that honor the achievements of Sam Hairston and his family. Revel will lead a “PitchTalk” at 10:30 am
“The addition of this new exhibit will create a positive impact on the Birmingham community by showcasing the achievements of another homegrown group of sports heroes, thereby increasing pride in the museum and Birmingham,” said NSLM Director Alicia Johnson-Williams. “The Hairston family exhibit gives NSLM staff another opportunity to educate and engage students and visitors from around the world on the importance of the Negro Leagues and its unsung heroes.”
The National Southern League Museum is located at 120 16th Street South. Its mission is to present the history of African American baseball in an unsurpassed manner by maintaining a world-class facility that recognizes the League’s impact on Birmingham, Alabama and the world of professional baseball. For more information, go to https://www.birminghamnslm.org.