“They didn’t tell me that all those people would come.”Īmy Sprout, central intake coordinator for St. “It was overwhelming,” Sazon later said of the party and the support he received. Prior to the event, the members of the Xavier University baseball team personally visited the ex-Negro Leaguer and gave Sazon a signed ball, bat and shirt, a gesture that carried extra significance because of Xavier’s status as an HBCU. The bash included short talks by people who know Sazon, as well as a group rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Nursing home staff also presented Sazon with a baseball signed by the members of the Tulane University varsity team. Margaret’s staff, members of Sazon’s family, other loved ones and other baseball enthusiasts attended the party. Margaret’s at Mercy nursing home, where the ex-pitcher now lives in his golden years. On April 28, Sazon was feted with a 86th birthday party at St. As a member of local pro outfits like the New Orleans Black Pelicans and the New Orleans Creoles, as well as the national touring team, the famed Indianapolis Clowns, who in the 1950s launched the careers of players who made the jump from Black baseball to the Majors, particularly the legendary Henry Aaron. “Catchers had to put extra rubber in their mitts” to protect their hands.Īlthough Sazon celebrated his 86th birthday recently, such memories linger clearly in his mind for the man who played in the segregated Negro Leagues in the 1940s and ’50s. “I used to throw it so hard, you wouldn’t see it until it hit the catcher’s mitt,” Sazon said. “I used to love to hear that sound of the ball hitting the mitt – pow!” Sazon said.Īnd Sazon’s fastball, he’s proud to say, had enough zip to it to vex hitters and battery mates alike. The guy walking up and down and through the stands, hawking hot dogs and popcorn and beer.įor Gerald Sazon of New Orleans, the auditory stimulus came when his fastball’s arrival at home plate. The roar of the crowd when a team scores in the bottom of the ninth inning. ![]() The sounds of baseball are part of what makes America’s pastime so unique, and for those who love the game, the sounds become indelibly seared into one’s memories. The original version ran in the newspaper’s edition. (Photo courtesy Amy Sprout.)Įditor’s note: This post is an expansion of an article I previously wrote for The Louisiana Weekly. ![]() The Xavier University of Louisiana baseball team visited former Negro Leaguer Gerald Sazon for his birthday recently.
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