On Tuesday, June 22nd, it will be Negro League Tribute Night presented by TDS at the “Duck Pond.” Former negro leaguers Hank Pressword, Johnny Washington, Nathan Weston and Dennis Biddle will throw out ceremonial first pitches as well as sign autographs before and during the Mallards game against the Waterloo Bucks. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.
BALL Inc. (Black Athletes and Living Legends) are the ones who make Negro League Tribute Night possible and will be setting up a traveling display at the ballpark. More information can be found at their website www.ballinc.org.
Brief bios on each player follow:
Hank “Baby” Presswood, 89, – was an infielder that played for Buck O’Neil. He also played two years (1948 & 1949) with the Cleveland Buckeyes and then two more years with the Kansas City Monarchs – both as a Shortstop & 3B – between 1950 & 1952. Mr. Presswood was recently “drafted,” by the Chicago White Sox.
Johnny “Lefty” Washington, 80 – a Morgan Park Grad – played for Ted “Double Duty” Radcliff where he finished the 1949 campaign with the Chicago American Giants, and then in 1950 he pitched for the Houston / New Orleans Eagles.He served his country in Korea (Marines) and earned two Purple Hearts. In 2009 his high school (Morgan Park, of Beverly, IL) retired his baseball jersey.
Nathan “Sonny” Weston, 79, – a Bloom High School Graduate where Jerry Colangelo (the former majority owner of the Phoenix Suns, and the D’Backs), Jim Bouton, and NFL star Bryant Young went to school. In 2009 Bloom High School retired his jersey.
Sonny played outfield for Ted “Double Duty” Radcliff with the Chicago American Giants. He then was the “last cut” on both the 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. Today he lives in Sauk Village.
Dennis Biddle, 74, – Biddle’s career in baseball began in 1953 when he was seventeen years old. He was playing in the state championship in Arkansas for the National Farmers’ Association. A scout and booking agent for the Negro League Chicago American Giants saw him pitch a no-hitter in the championship and asked him if he would like to try out with the Chicago American Giants. Biddle played for the Chicago American Giants in 1953 and 1954.
