Somerset Patriots Honor New York Black Yankees

The New York Yankees' Double-A affiliate, Somerset Patriots, held their third annual tribute to the New York Black Yankees of the Negro Leagues on Saturday, August 2, at TD Bank Ballpark.

Former Yankees infielder, coach, and Mets Manager Willie Randolph served as ambassador to the program the past three seasons, and was on hand for the event.

"Being here, and seeing the enthusiasm to keep this history is something that I am proud to be a part of," Randolph said. "Feeling like you are part of that history is pretty cool. What they are doing here in Somerset with the Kalifer family is tremendous because history is so important to us. If you are a baseball fan, you should know baseball history and Negro league history."

Randolph, who played for the Yankees from 1976 to 1988 and coached with the Bronx Bombers from 1994-2004 ,called the opportunity to speak to and learn from players of that age a true "honor."

"I think with the modern-day players, they are the ones who came out and laid the foundation. The fact that you lived these great lives, there were people who paved the way," Randolph added.

The honorees of the night were two legendary Negro League players: James Cobbin and Dennis Biddle.

Cobbin played for the Indianapolis Clowns and New York Black Yankees in the 1950s, and would hit .317 with 38 homers in his career. Biddle played for the Chicago American Giants in 1953 and came to be known as the "Man who beat the Man, who Beat the Man (Satchel Paige)."

"I feel this is something that should have happened years ago," Biddle said about Major League Baseball recognizing the Negro League's in its record books. "I played with and against some of the greatest baseball players that ever played the game."

The New York Black Yankees were founded by the famous American tap dancer, singer and Hollywood actor, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and played from 1931 to 1948. While they played in various stadiums during their 17 years in existence, the Black Yankees called Paterson's Hinchcliffe Stadium home from 1933-35, and again from 1937-38.

"The Yankees being the Somerset Patriots' affiliate, I thought this was our good tie-in," Senior Vice President of Marketing Dave Merek added. "It allows us to educate our fanbase on what happened with the Negro Leagues and what happened in those time periods, and allows us to reach out to other organizations to join and get involved."

Merek and his staff got to work with Ryan Foose, an award-winning designer who focuses on sports branding, to make the uniforms. Foose has worked with the Patriots on other alternate designs, including the Zorros uniforms and the Jersey Diner's set. The Black Yankees jersey is black with grey and white piping; "Black Yankees" is splayed in bold white type across the chest, and an interlocking BY logo adorns a black baseball cap.

"The Black Yankees jersey that we created for the Black Yankees team, which we can put it on one of those former Negro League players is an honor to be able to do something like that," Merek added.