June 16-22, 2010


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


Page B-1


Negro Leagues Tribute at Comerica Park highlighted


By Scott Talley SPECIAL THE CHRONICLE


E


rich history and impactful community partnerships Schools double play is a winning com- bination.


tMore


ddie Gates is accustomed to handling big assignments. A senior vice president and re- gional manager for Comerica


But even his vast professional expe-


rience could not prepare for him the challenge that awaited him last Satur- day, when he was given the assign- ment of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Comerica Park.


Gates was representing his com-


pany before more than 30,000 people in the stands. However, there was more on his mind, because the Detroit Tigers contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates was no ordinary game. As a matter of fact, it was the 16th annual Detroit Tigers Negro Leagues Tribute Game, which magnified the moment for Gates.


“I was most gratified and humbled


to be asked to throw out the first pitch at the Tigers Negro League Tribute Game,” said Gates, who is closing in on 38 years of service with Comerica, sponsor of the event. “I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s in the small town of Griffin, Georgia. This allowed me to see first hand the importance of having a Negro League. Segregation was the theme of the day, but my parents never allowed us to be discouraged.


“My brothers and I got a chance


to see some of the best athletes in the world play this great game on Sunday afternoons. Although most of the play- ers never made the big leagues, in my eyes and heart they were bigger than life. This encouraged us to want to do more and dare to be great in whatever field we chose to endeavor.”


Prior to Jackie Robinson breaking


Major League Baseball’s color line, when he played his first official game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, the Negro Leagues were a booming business. At their height, the Negro Leagues held World Series and all-star games and featured some of the greatest performers to ever play the game including Hall of Famers like Satchel Page, Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard.


An example of the Negro Leagues’


popularity was the 1943 East-West All- Star Classic, which attracted more than 50,000 fans to Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The big name teams included the Kansas City Monarchs, Pittsburgh


Bank, Gates is responsible for oversee- ing operations at 17 banking centers in Western Wayne County.


“Through this sponsorship, we


wanted to highlight one of our valued community partners, and expose Cor- nerstone and it’s mission to the large stadium audience,” said Chambers, president of the Comerica Charitable Foundation.


“And it’s fitting that Cornerstone


students were a part of the day. The game and the entire weekend were an important reminder of the histori- cal significance of the Negro Leagues, especially for younger people and children who would not have firsthand knowledge of the trail they blazed.


“It’s just another opportunity for


the students and our community to have a sense of pride.”


Crawfords and the Homestead Grays. Detroit also had a presence in the


Negro Leagues, most notably in the form of the Detroit Stars, and the Tigers paid homage to these heroes by donning replica uniforms during the annual Tribute Game.


"The Negro Leagues are an impor-


tant part of the history of baseball and of America,” said Ellen Hill Zeringue, Detroit Tigers vice president of Mar- keting. “These gentlemen were pio- neers and their true love of the game transcended the racial barriers that prevented them from playing in the major leagues.


“The Detroit Tigers organization


is proud to host the annual Negro Leagues Weekend Celebration and to be one of the first teams in Major League Baseball to host a Negro Leagues Tribute Game in which the Tigers and their opponent wear the historic Negro Leagues uniforms."


Joining Gates on the field during the


pregame festivities, were students from Cornerstone Schools. The Comerica Charitable Foundation presented Cor- nerstone with a $10,000 check in sup- port of the “Partner Program,” which Comerica also assists by providing vol- unteer employee mentors to students.


“I became a partner to provide en-


couragement and hopefully be a posi- tive role model to young people,” said assistant vice president Al Thomas, who attended the game with other Co- merica volunteers. “I have been with my current partner for almost eight years, from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.”


For Comerica’s Caroline Cham- bers, the Negro Leagues-Cornerstone


Fans of all ages gathered for the event, which has evolved into a weekend celebration. The teams wore replica uni- forms honoring the Detroit Stars and Pitts- burgh Crawfords, and during pregame festivities the Comerica Charitable Founda- tion presented Cornerstone Schools with a $10,000 check in support of the “Partner Program,” which matches mentors with students. And before the players took the field, Comerica Senior Vice President Eddie Gates, a fan of the Negro Leagues during his boyhood days in Griffin, Ga., was given the honor of throwing out a cer- emonial first pitch.


Presenting New Center Park: A special venue for summer fun


By David Marvin and Linda Forte As this edition of the Michigan


Chronicle was going to press, we were less than a week away from the first day of summer. While the arrival of summer is usually reason enough to cel- ebrate in Michi-


COMERICA PERSPECTIVE


gan, we also are delighted to report that Comerica Bank is the presenting spon- sor of New Center Park, a sparkling half-acre green space at Second and Grand Boulevard.


At a news conference announcing


the park’s redevelopment, New Center Council President Michael Solaka proud- ly discussed his organization’s commit- ment to “creating a place where people want to be.” It is our belief that New Center Park will deliver on this promise, with a planned schedule of events that will include movie nights; happy hour jazz concerts; rock ’n’ roll shows; week- end block parties; and a host of children and family-oriented programs.


Linda Forte David Marvin Comerica has a long association with


the New Center Council, including the 11-year sponsorship of Comerica City- fest, so we were pleased to have the op- portunity to become involved in such a meaningful way with New Center Park. The sponsorship reaffirms our strong community focus and commitment to Detroit, and transitions our involvement from a weekend holiday event to pro- gramming throughout the summer for residents and visitors of Detroit's historic New Center area. New Center Park will add to the quality of life in the com-


munity, and Comerica shares the New Center Council’s vision that the park will support retail development in the area and ultimately attract more families


This project also reminds us that


our region has a knack for coming to- gether when a winning opportunity is presented to us. Comerica salutes the civic-minded organizations that stepped to the plate to help make the purchase of the land and park upgrades possible including United Way for Southeast Michigan’s Non-Profit Facilities Fund; Kresge Foundation; Detroit Local Initia- tives Support Corp.; the State of Michi- gan through the Cool Cities Initiative; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through its Economic Development Initiative.


And while we are expressing our


gratitude, we must give thanks for the primary reason this project was launched—our people. Special people deserve a first-class special events venue. New Center Park is projected


han aGame


On a sweltering summer night at Comerica Park, the Detroit Tigers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3, on Saturday, June 12, cour- tesy of Carlos Guillen’s walk-off, 10th inning homerun. However, the evening was about much more than baseball as the Detroit Tigers and Com- erica Bank honored the historic Negro Leagues.


Comerica is proud to be the presenting sponsor of New Center Park, which will feature music, arts and family programming.


to be “a community gathering place that serves as a quaint public park, but is also ready to rock at a turn of a switch.” It sounds awesome to us, and we look forward to enjoying it with you this summer!


David Marvin is Comerica


Bank executive vice president of Corporate Banking Administra-


tion. Linda Forte is Comerica Bank senior vice president of Business Affairs. For additional information on Comerica’s com- munity outreach efforts, please visit www.comerica.com. For more information on New Center Park and New Center Council, visit www.newcenter.com.


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