SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It's no secret that Sacramento is a hotbed for baseball talent, from Greg Vaughn to Rhys Hoskins. It's a list that goes on and on. However, this Sunday, in the Capital City, various generations of ball players with ties to Sacramento will come together to pay homage to the Negro Leagues.
"I'm a second-generation Negro League player. I had two uncles who played in the Negro Leagues before me," said Donald "Rook" Porter.
Porter was just 16 years old when he made his Negro League debut.
Brothers Leron and Leon Lee, who are both from Sacramento, were trailblazers during their time playing baseball professionally in Japan.
"When the Lee brothers came, it was a big deal," Leon said. "We became rock stars there, and it was sort of a trendsetting thing."
Leon would go on to become the first African-American manager in Japan.
Porter, along with the Lee Brothers, will be on hand for the annual Honorary Negro League Game, an event organized by Todd Sullivan.
"I just felt I needed to do something for my community to show people that there are people who do care," Sullivan said. "Sacramento baseball is just baseball headquarters, and I thought what better way to do something in the public is reach out to the baseball community here."
Sunday's game will feature Black and Brown high school players, and will promote diversity in the sport while celebrating the trailblazers from the past.
The game will take place at 1:00 p.m. at John Smith Field on the Sacramento State University campus.
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