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| July 17-23, 2019
Game.
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The Warstic Woodmen defeated the Detroit All-Stars 17-5 at Hamtramck Stadium.
Former Negro League Ballpark Hosts Sandlot Baseball Game for Charity By Branden Hunter
ler. Earlier this year, the former founder of White Stripes kick-started a crowdfunding campaign, donating $10,000 of his own money to help restore the playing field and eventually the stands.
Negro League baseball has not been played in the City of Detroit in nearly 70 years. But back in its heyday, the Detroit Stars played its home games at Hamtramck Stadium in the historic city of Hamtramck. Thursday, it was the site of a sandlot-style charity baseball game between Detroit native and rock star Jack White’s Warstic Woodmen and the Detroit All Stars. The game was put on by the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium to help raise funds for the 89-year-old stadium. It is one of only five Negro League stadiums left in America and hosted many Negro League legends over the years, including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and Detroit’s own Norman “TurMichigan Chronicle writer Branden key” Stearnes.
Hunter started in left field for the Detroit All-Stars.
White, who is a 1993 grad-
Despite the outcome of the game, the entire day celebrated the history of the Negro League baseball stadium. Former Negro Leaguer Ron Teasley, 92, threw out the first pitch to former Detroit Tiger and Hamtramck native Ike Blessitt.
Detroit Stars legend Norman “Turkey” Stearnes’ daughters, Joyce Thompson (right) and Rosilyn Brown (left), and granddaughter Vanessa Rose. uate of Detroit Cass Tech, led his Warstic team to a 17-5 victory. Warstic refers to the Dallas-based sporting goods
company founded by former Philadelphia Phillies farmhand Ben Jenkins, White, and former Detroit Tiger Ian Kins-
Stearnes’ daughters, Joyce Thompson and Rosilyn Brown, sang the national anthem, and Detroit’s own Robert Bradley sang his original composition, “Born in America,” during the fifth-inning stretch. Stearnes’ granddaughter, Vanessa Rose, started in center field for the home team, just as her grandfather did decades prior.
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