Nashville Sounds to Celebrate Late Negro Baseball League Star Henry Kimbro with Special Game Activities and Giveaways on Aug. 10 at First Horizon Park

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The contributions of the late Negro Baseball League star Henry Kimbro will be celebrated by the Nashville Sounds during special game activities and giveaways beginning at 6:35 p.m. Aug. 10 (Saturday) at First Horizon Park in Germantown. 

The Nashville baseball legend ranks highly for all-time statistics for the Elite Giants, a NBL team that started in Music City. He finished his 15-year career ranked first for hits in games (511), stolen bases (55), and runs batted in (264). As a center fielder, he led the league in games five times, putouts three times, and assists twice.

“I am very excited and humbled by it because my dad was a man who did not believe in tooting his own horn,” said Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton, a sports advocate, author, and former professor in sports administration at Tennessee State University. 

Highlights of the Henry Kimbro baseball night — featuring a game between the Sounds and Indianapolis Indians — will include

* A Henry Kimbro bobblehead giveaway to the first 1,000 fans who enter the stadium. Containers will include the star’s image and biography.

* The Screening of a trailer for Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton’s documentary, “A Tour of One City: The History of the Negro Leagues in Nashville and Beyond.”

* The first pitch by Henry Kimbro’s grandson (Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton’s son), Patrick G. Hamilton, a former baseball star at Glencliff High School. 

* An appreciation ceremony for the Fisk University 1975 SIAC Conference Championship team, which included the baseball star’s son Phillip Kimbro (also a center fielder).

Kimbro was documented as the best player in several categories in 1947 and 1948. He led all leagues in doubles, (OBP) on base percentage, (SLG) slugging percentage, (OPS) on base percentage, winning the batting title for 1947. He played in seven East-West All-Stars games. Before retiring, he served as manager for the Birmingham Black Barons from 1952-1953. 

“The way the Nashville Sounds Baseball organization will be honoring my dad reflects that they are a class act and have always been on the right side of history,” Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton added. “They have included the story of the Negro Leagues at First Horizon Park, celebrating the historic impact of numerous Black baseball pioneers.”

Henry Kimbro began his baseball career with the Cuban baseball leagues, helping the Almandares win the 1939 league championship. He won the batting title there during the 1947-1948 season. 

Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton has served as a historian and advocate for Black baseball leaguers, penning the books “Home Plate: Henry Kimbro and Other Negro Leaguers of Nashville, Tennessee” and “Daddy’s Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter’s Perspective.” She currently serves as a member of the Nine, a committee for the Sounds that has honored former Nashville Negro League players and provided resources to help improve baseball facilities for the Black community. 

“It is now important to educate the country about this phenomenal era to appreciate the courage, sacrifice and talent of these men,” Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton noted.

To buy tickets to the Aug. 10 game honoring Henry Kimbro, visit https://www.milb.com/nashville. 

Daughter of Baseball Legend Henry Kimbro Expresses Appreciation After Major League Baseball Elevates Negro Leaguers to Major League Status

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 2021) -- Author/educator Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton said she "felt like a kid at Christmas" after Major League Baseball announced it was correcting a longtime oversight in the game's history by elevating the Negro Leagues from 1920 through 1948 to major-league status.

            The MLB December announcement honored approximately 3,400 Black and Latino players from seven district leagues who were barred from joining the segregated National and American leagues. Newly classified Major Leaguers include Nashville baseball legends such as James "Junior" Gilliam (Baltimore Elite Giants); Harriet's father Henry Kimbro (Nashville/Baltimore Elite Giants); Bruce Franklin "Buddy" Petway (Leland Giants); and Norman "Turkey" Stearnes (Nashville Elite Giants/Detroit Stars).

            "When the announcement from Major League Baseball came on Dec. 16, I received so many texts and calls," said Harriet, who recently celebrated the release of a new book honoring Nashville's Black baseball legends. "I felt like a kid at Christmas who was so excited about the present. What a great present to be given to all of the families of those Negro Leaguers."

            Harriet's book, "Home Plate: Henry Kimbro and Other Negro Leaguers of Nashville, Tennessee," honors the memories of 18 Black baseball heroes who called Nashville their home.

            "Finally, my father and so many other Negro Leaguers who labored for the love of their sport, when half of the population in the country didn't even know they existed, was the final victory for injustice," she added. "The recent movement and recognition of this generation that stood up for the Black Lives Matter issues shined a light on the question of why injustice. This issue covered several areas of concern, and because professional sport is a venue that is highly visible in that regard, I think Major League Baseball gave the right answer to the injustice question at the right time."

            The reclassification of Negro Leaguers came after "Home Plate" was released on Dec. 5. A virtual event also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Negro Baseball League. To watch a recording of the event, visit https://youtu.be/IZhONpi7wxA.

            "My goal is to first nurture a partnership with a group to see if we can get 'Home Plate' donated to every middle and high school library in the Metro-Davidson County School System," said Harriet, who recently retired as an associate professor at Tennessee State University. "This is the only book that provides the history of Negro League baseball for Nashville."

Black baseball legend Henry Kimbro (from the book "Home Plate")

            Harriet added that she and other descendants of Nashville's Black baseball heroes are organizing an educational program to honor their legacies.

            According to the History Channel, the league was launched in 1920, with Black baseball enjoying periods of success in the early 1920s and again after the Great Depression. The Nashville White Sox/Nashville Elite Giants, which were members of the Southern Negro League, made history by introducing some of the greatest baseball players of all time. The integration of major league baseball began with Jackie Robinson in 1947. After that, there was a slow but irreversible influx of talent to the majors, with the remaining Negro League teams generally folding by the 1960s.

             Also featured in Harriet's book (and re-classified as Major Leaguers) are the late baseball legends Robert "James" Abernathy, Daniel Black, William "Soo" Bridgeforth, Sidney Bunch, Elliot Coleman, Wesley "Doc" Dennis, Edward Lee "Lefty" Derrick, Edward Martin, Clinton "Butch" McCord, Taylor Smith, Thomas "Tom" Wilson, and Jim Zapp.

            The book features a foreword by Henry Kimbro's great-granddaughter (Harriet's great-niece) Jada Scott, and a chapter titled "My Adventures with Grandpa" that documents the unforgettable experiences of Harriet's son, Patrick Hamilton. A photo in "Home Plate" shows Harriet's great-niece, Brooklyn Scruggs, visiting the street sign of Junior Gilliam Way in front of the Nashville Sounds Baseball Stadium with her dog Blossom.

            The author's book includes information about Vernon and Henyene Green, the husband-and-wife owners of the Nashville Elite Giants (later the Baltimore Elite Giants). Henyene became the first woman in Nashville to become a team owner after her husband's death. Under her leadership, the Baltimore Elite Giants won the 1949 League Championship.

            The author has included a special "Scavenger Hunt" chapter to provide a free, fun and educational activity in Nashville for children of all ages. Readers can win prizes by finding three Negro League landmarks and e-mailing their photos to HenryKimbro14@gmail.com.

            Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton served as an associate professor for Tennessee State University in Nashville until her retirement in 2020. During her athletic career, she served as head coach in various sports and athletic director of Fisk University. She also has served as a professor for Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The author also chaired the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Committee and served on the ABA-USA Committee that selected the 1984 USA Olympic Gold Medal Women's Basketball Team. In 2016, she received the Robert Peterson Recognition Award for her book, "Daddy's Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter's Perspective." She also has received awards from the Women's Sports Foundation; the National Association of Girls and Women in Sports (the Dr. Nell C. Jackson Award); Fisk University (Women of Prominence Award); and the Temple University League for Entrepreneurial Women (Hall of Fame inductee). She was inducted into the Fisk University Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

             "Home Plate," which retails for $12, is available exclusively at www.Amazon.com. For more information, contact Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton at HenryKimbro14@gmail.com. To learn more about Nashville's important role in Negro League baseball, visit www.Facebook.com/HenryKimbro or www.Twitter.com/KimbroNlb.

Daughter of Nashville Baseball Legend Henry Kimbro to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Negro League with Book Honoring Black Baseball Heroes

             NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 2020) -- The daughter of black baseball legend Henry Kimbro has spent the past year writing a new book to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Negro Baseball League in Nashville.

            Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton's new book, "Home Plate: Henry Kimbro and Other Negro Leaguers of Nashville, Tennessee," honors the memories of 18 Black baseball heroes who called Nashville their home. It will officially be released at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 (Saturday) during a virtual book launch on the Zoom platform. Access to the online celebration is free and open to everyone. To attend, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4289850752 and enter the Meeting ID: 4289850752.

            "I'm releasing my new book just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Negro Baseball League," said Hamilton, who published a book about her father in 2015. "I wanted the other families of those Negro Leaguers to have their loved ones documented and remembered as my father was in my first book. "'Home Plate' is a book that can be passed down through generations so their legacies are never forgotten."

            According to the History Channel, the league was launched in 1920, with Black baseball enjoying periods of success in the early 1920s and again after the Great Depression. The Nashville White Sox/Nashville Elite Giants, which were members of the Southern Negro League, made history by introducing some of the greatest baseball players of all time. The integration of major league baseball began with Jackie Robinson in 1947. After that, there was a slow but irreversible influx of talent to the majors, with the remaining Negro League teams generally folding by the 1960s.

             Negro League players from Nashville are remembered with biographical highlights and photos. Students, family members, and baseball fans can learn more about Nashville legends such as James "Junior" Gilliam (Baltimore Elite Giants); Henry Kimbro (Nashville/Baltimore Elite Giants); Bruce Franklin "Buddy" Petway (Leland Giants); and Norman "Turkey" Stearnes (Nashville Elite Giants/Detroit Stars). Also featured in Harriet's book are Robert "James" Abernathy, Daniel Black, William "Soo" Bridgeforth, Sidney Bunch, Elliot Coleman, Wesley "Doc" Dennis, Edward Lee "Lefty" Derrick, Edward Martin, Clinton "Butch" McCord, Taylor Smith, Thomas "Tom" Wilson, and Jim Zapp.

            The book is a family affair. It features a foreword by Henry Kimbro's great-granddaughter (Harriet's great-niece) Jada Scott, and a chapter titled "My Adventures with Grandpa" that documents the unforgettable experiences of Harriet's son, Patrick Hamilton. When he was 9 years old, Patrick flew with his grandparents to Baltimore to attend a 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game ceremony honoring Henry Kimbro and other Negro Baseball League legends. The grandson later shared his experiences in a senior paper at Stillman College. A photo in "Home Plate" shows Harriet's great-niece, Brooklyn Scruggs, visiting the street sign of Junior Gilliam Way in front of the Nashville Sounds Baseball Stadium with her dog Blossom.

             The book, which retails for $12, is available exclusively at www.Amazon.com (search "Home Plate: Henry Kimbro and Other Negro Leaguers of Nashville, Tennessee"). For more information about the book "Home Plate" and the upcoming virtual book launch event, contact Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton at HenryKimbro14@gmail.com. To learn more about Nashville's important role in Negro League baseball, visit www.Facebook.com/HenryKimbro or www.Twitter.com/KimbroNlb.

            Harriet's mission to recognize Black baseball heroes began when her mother challenged her with the sacred task of preserving the memory of her father, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame member Henry Kimbro. Shortly before her death, Cuban-born Erbia C. Mendoza-Kimbro gave her daughter an old scrapbook filled with articles, pictures and other items from Henry's career.

            "As an African-American, it is well known that stories are passed down verbally," Harriet continued. "This book provides another means of passing down family stories."

            Harriet, who recently retired as an associate professor at Tennessee State University, penned chapters that tell the late Nashville Negro Leaguers' stories, contributions and impact on future generations. Descendants of the late stars helped her find rare photos to bring their baseball contributions to life.

            The author's book includes information about Vernon and Henyene Green, the husband-and-wife owners of the Nashville Elite Giants (later the Baltimore Elite Giants). Henyene became the first woman in Nashville to become a team owner after her husband's death. Under her leadership, the Baltimore Elite Giants won the 1949 League Championship. Harriet noted that the Greens were accidentally left off a Negro League commemoration plaque that adorns the E.S. Rose Park Baseball Pavilion.

            With her niece's encouragement, Harriet decided to write her book for middle school students so they could better understand the players' invaluable contributions. The author plans to donate copies to Metro Nashville Public Schools, and she has included a special "Scavenger Hunt" chapter to provide a free, fun and educational activity in Nashville for children of all ages. Readers can win prizes by finding three Negro League landmarks and e-mailing their photos to HenryKimbro14@gmail.com.

            "When Jada read my first book, 'Daddy's Scrapbook,' she said she didn't understand it," Harriet added. "It was important to me that school-age students who lived in Nashville and surrounding counties have a book to learn about those Negro Leaguers who once lived here, too."

            Harriet added that the most challenging part of her research was finding pictures of all of the owners and players. She is still trying to find a printable photo of legendary player Taylor Smith.

            "The pictures that are in this book are the stories," she said. "The photographs in the beginning show the revisiting of the moment in time when my father was honored at the 1993 Major League All-Stars Game but quickly move into the history of the Negro League. I share pictures of Rube Foster, the father of the Negro League, and Tom Wilson, who is considered the architect of the growth of Black baseball in Nashville."

            Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton served as an associate professor for Tennessee State University in Nashville until her retirement in 2020. During her athletic career, she served as head coach in various sports and athletic director of Fisk University. She also has served as a professor for Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The author also chaired the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Committee and served on the ABA-USA Committee that selected the 1984 USA Olympic Gold Medal Women's Basketball Team. In 2016, she received the Robert Peterson Recognition Award for her book, "Daddy's Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter's Perspective." She also has received awards from the Women's Sports Foundation; the National Association of Girls and Women in Sports (the Dr. Nell C. Jackson Award); Fisk University (Women of Prominence Award); and the Temple University League for Entrepreneurial Women (Hall of Fame inductee). She was inducted into the Fisk University Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

            "The book is important because it can reflect the rich, diverse history that exists in our Tennessee culture," Harriet said. "This history needs to be celebrated, shared and appreciated by all Tennesseans. It adds to the knowledge that promotes diversity in education."

            Harriet has dedicated "Home Plate" to her family but especially in loving memory of her older brother, Larry Henry Kimbro. He died on Dec. 9, 2019. She noted that Larry was thrilled when "Daddy's Scrapbook" was released to honor their father five years ago.

            For more information about the book "Home Plate" and the upcoming virtual book launch event, contact Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton at HenryKimbro14@gmail.com. To learn more about Nashville's important role in Negro League baseball, visit www.Facebook.com/HenryKimbro or www.Twitter.com/KimbroNlb.

TSU Professor Receives National Award for Book About Negro Baseball League Star

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 2016) -- Tennessee State University Associate Professor Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton has received the Robert Peterson Recognition Award for her book, "Daddy's Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter's Perspective".

            The award was presented to Hamilton during the 19th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The award is given annually for bodies of work that increase public awareness about the Negro Baseball League. "Daddy's Scrapbook" is filled with personal observations, newspaper articles, and other items from Henry Kimbro's glory days as a player for the NBL's Baltimore Elite Giants, Birmingham Black Barons, and the New York Black Yankees.

            In related news, publicity surrounding the book has led to Hamilton finding her lost half sister (Kimbro's first daughter), Geraldine Kimbro, who lives in Baltimore. Geraldine, who is mentioned in the book, connected with Hamilton and other family members on Henry Kimbro's Facebook page. The two talk almost every day.

            "I cannot believe it... It's a miracle," said Hamilton, who labored for several years writing the book celebrating her father. "I was blown away, surprised, and very humbled that my book was held in such high esteem by this group. My father would have felt the same way, and he would have been surprised that people were even interested in his story."

TSU Associate Professor Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton holds her award.

            Hamilton was totally surprised when she received the award on July 9 at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel in Kansas City. This year's Jerry Mallow Negro League Conference was sponsored by the Society of American Baseball Research.

            Shortly before her death, Hamilton's Cuban-born mother, Erbia C. Mendoza-Kimbro, gave Hamilton a 60-year-old scrapbook her father had assembled during his life.

            "No one in my family ever saw the scrapbook with the exception of my mother," Harriet said with a smile. "When she placed it in my hands, she told me to do something with it. 'You know what to do,' she told me. The look she had on her face at that time was, 'I trust you.'"

            Her heartfelt family tribute includes insights on Henry's Nashville upbringing, controversial off-the-field shenanigans, baseball stardom in Latin America, marriage to Erbia, role as the father of five children, and induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

            Harriet's efforts to honor her father started in 2003 with a challenging but successful campaign to have Henry inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Her book recalls a legendary outfielder once dubbed the "Black Ty Cobb" of the NBL. According to The New York Times, Henry played mostly with the Baltimore Elite Giants and the New York Black Yankees. He also played briefly for the Birmingham Black Barons shortly before retiring in 1953. The Negro Leagues were disbanded in the 1960s when African-American players began joining Major League Baseball. Henry died in 1999.

            "Daddy's Scrapbook", which retails for $14.95, is available at Amazon.com and other major online retailers. For more information about the book, call (615) 963-5581 or send an e-mail inquiry to harrioo@hotmail.com. To learn more about Henry Kimbro, visit http://www.Facebook.com/HenryKimbro.

            "My favorite story was when my father gave me a left-handed glove," noted Harriet, who wanted to show the humble side of a man who loved his wife and children. "I don't think he knew what an impact he had on a little girl's confidence, someone who loved learning how to play baseball alongside her brother. I look back and see a man ahead of his time in terms of gender equality, and I truly appreciate that."

            "Daddy's Scrapbook" includes a host of pictures, including Henry's baseball days, family snapshots, and post-career activities in the latter part of his life. The last photo of Henry on Page 125 shows him waving a baseball cap at fans while being recognized at the 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Baltimore.

            Harriet is an associate professor for Tennessee State University in Nashville. During her athletic career, Hamilton served as head coach in various sports and athletic director of Fisk University. She also has served as a professor for Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The author also chaired the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Committee and served on the ABA-USA Committee that selected the 1984 USA Olympic Gold Medal Women's Basketball Team. She has received awards from the Women's Sports Foundation; the National Association of Girls and Women in Sports (the Dr. Nell C. Jackson Award); Fisk University (Women of Prominence Award); and the Temple University League for Entrepreneurial Women (Hall of Fame inductee).

            Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton is available for speaking and book-signing appearances. For more information, contact her at (615) 963-5581 or harrioo@hotmail.com.