I have been an Associate Scout for the Atlanta Braves for the past 3 years and I wanted to meet Bobby Cox. When I found out that 2010 was going to be his last year of coaching I was just hoping I could meet him and also share in that experience with my son who is the kid on the mound of the book. He is now 25 years old and I thought it would be cool to have my son meet Coach Cox.

I have been to Negro League Reunions here in Texas and one in Biloxi, Mississippi as a past player in those leagues. We were recognized at the national level for our participation in the Negro Bush Leagues that continued on from the 60s into the 80s. But when I received a call from Dr. Layton Revel, Director for the Center of Negro League Research inviting me and my other white pitching partner for the Biloxi Dodgers, Larry “Smitty” Smith, to attend a Negro League reunion in Birmingham, Alabama from 1-5 June of 2010 I was both excited, but also not sure since Smitty and I would be the only white ballplayers there. It never bothered me before but I didn’t play against any of these players.  (The reunion was for past Negro League players who played in the Southern League and others like us who played on the Gulf Coast. It was all part of the 100 year anniversary of Rickwood Field, the oldest ball diamond in America.)

After praying about it both Smitty and I agreed to go and boy are we glad we did. We got to meet 50 other men who loved the game as much as we did and once there we were all family.