June 27, 2018 | by: DCGrays.com Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. – – The DC Grays are named for the famous Negro League champion Homestead Grays, and on Friday June 29 the team will salute the great history of Negro League Baseball on Friday, June 29 at a home game against the Baltimore Dodgers at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. As it has done in year’s past, the Grays – members of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League – are partnering with the Hubert Simmons Negro League Museum, which is located in Owings Mills and has a well-known traveling exhibit of Negro League memorabilia. Ray Banks from the museum will be available to answer questions about the exhibit, the Negro Leagues, and about the museum. Negro League veterans will be featured prominently at the game, including DC native and former Indianapolis Clowns infielder Jim Bland. Luther Atkinson from Temple Hills, MD will also be on hand. He barnstormed with the famed Satchel Paige All-Stars. The Grays will sponsor special contests and giveaways during the game – giving away specialty hats and shirts and other Negro League merchandise. There will be a wiffle ball Home Run Derby for the kids – with special prizes for the winners. Scholar-Athletes from the Washington Nationals Youth Academy will be honored before and during the game. The first 50 fans at the game will also receive a free Grays program.
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June 14, 2018 | by: DCGrays.com Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. – – The DC Grays long relationship with Tony Kornheiser reached a stunning new level this week, as the Grays were named the “official summer college baseball team of the Tony Kornheiser Show.” The DC Grays beat out precisely zero other teams for this prestigious honor. To the best of anyone’s knowledge, no other teams requested this honor. Thanks to the efforts of DC Grays Baseball vice president Chris Spera, the Grays have a relationship with the Tony Kornheiser Show that dates back several years – to when the show could be heard on ESPN 980. Each summer, Spera personally delivers Grays gear to Tony and the crew – they especially like the athletic tee-shirts with the Grays DC logo. Tony has been kind enough to devote a few minutes of the show on such occasions to a short discussion of the Grays, the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, and the Grays’ ongoing efforts to support inner-city baseball in Washington, DC. This year, with the Tony Kornheiser Show now a popular podcast, the relationship reached a whole new level. On Tuesday, June 12 Spera personally delivered a game-quality Grays jersey to Mr. Tony – personalized with his HoF/WoF honorifics. (Kornheiser is a member of the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame and the Wall of Honor at Nationals Park.) The photo accompanying this article commemorates this presentation. Mr. Tony was so overcome with emotion that he proclaimed the Grays the official summer college team of the show. Kornhieser also generously donated gift cards to his new restaurant Chatter to be used as prizes for the Grays’ in game raffle. The Tony Kornheiser Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the industry and is broadcast from studios attached to Chatter at 5247 Wisconsin Avenue NW. It can be found online at www.tonykornheisershow.com, on Apple Podcasts and on other online outlets. June 11, 2018 | by: DCGrays.com Press
ANNANDALE, VA – – The make-up game for a previously scheduled June 4th game vs. the FCA Braves (rain out) has been scheduled for Saturday, June 16th at 7pm at Annandale High School. Make sure to mark your calendars and come support the Grays! June 5, 2018 | by: DCGrays.com Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. – – Coming off a disappointing 2017 season and looking to strengthen the roster for the 2018 season, the Grays released their first look at this summer’s team today. The 2018 DC Grays roster will feature a large majority of new players with only five returning players from last summer’s team for now. Grays General Manager, Antonio Scott, has very few words to express his overall summary of this year’s roster. “We’re trying to figure it out still, but we are confident that the process is going to work at some point with some point being this season”said Scott. The GM feels that this year’s roster will be a more coachable team due to the fact that Manager Reggie Terry had way more input and say so with the making of the roster. Scott feels that coach Terry will naturally have more of an “attachment” to this roster and some of the details of last year’s team that went overlooked will not happen again this year. Like most seasons, the Gray’s 2018 roster consist of a bulk of rising Sophomore players and/or players who are expected to become primary players next season at their respective school. Some of the notable returners to the Grays are Juwan McCallister (Longwood U.) and Khevin Brewer (Rice). Both outfielders and both are returners from the 2016 Grays team after playing on different teams in different leagues last summer in 2017. McCasllister was an all-star for the Grays in 2016 season while Brewer ended his 2016 season early due to an unfortunate injury to his wrist. Other returners include Cory Alexander OF (Old Dominion), Andrew Webb C/1B (Virginia Tech), and Mason Belcher LHP (Catholic U.) all returning from last summer’s team and expected to contribute more this summer. Some of the notable new players added to the Grays for this summer’s campaign include John Marti 3B/2B (Lafayette) who received a spot on the Patriot League’s first team All-League roster. He is expected to man the hot corner for the Grays this summer. Both Mitch McIntyre OF (BYU) and Jhaleel Sewer OF (Virginia State) had good seasons this spring and are expected to contribute to this summer’s team as well. Although the Grays will not have the usual San Diego State connection as it’s west coast pipeline this year, a new connection with Santa Clara has emerged. Two players from the California school will embed the Grays roster this summer in Cory Moore 1B/DH and Cade Negley RHP. Another new school connection this is with the University of Cincinnati as the Grays will add two pitchers from that program this year. Nathan Moore and Isaac Olson are both RHP who are expected to be high impact players in DC this summer. “With a condensed number of position players this year, we are hoping that we can focus more on our pitching and defense to help us win more ball games this year”, Scott added. Let’s just The Grays GM expects to make a play-off run but as always, fingers crossed!! |