Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), is immortalising the 1934 Chatham Coloured All-Stars—the first all-Black team to win an … read moreOntario Baseball Association Championship—in a very unique way. OLG and MLB are bringing the team’s memory back to life through baseball’s popular video game, MLB The Show 22. OLG and MLB wants to draw attention to the important story of these baseball legends allowing their memory to live on through the global baseball community’s next generation. Using the game’s team editor function, OLG’s creative agency partner The Hive recreated the Chatham Coloured All-Stars using historical photos and team artifacts. Family members of the team’s players, as well as the Black Historical Society of Chatham, were also consulted. The Hive then uploaded the 13-player roster to the game so anyone searching for the Chatham Coloured All-Stars in the game's Logo Vault and Player Vault can find and download the team roster and logo, and build the team themselves. OLG is also showcasing the Chatham Coloured All-Stars’ legacy through a short yet powerful film featuring the descendants of the legendary players. This poignant film, developed by The Hive and directed by LeSean Harris of Fela, provides an overview of the team’s history and the players’ perseverance through racism and the era’s other challenges. It also provides a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous effort it took to recreate the team for the video game. As part of the celebration to commemorate this historic baseball team, Chatham-area residents were given a front row seat at the Field of Honour Charity baseball game on Sep. 24 at Fergie Jenkins Field in Chatham. This special event was open to the public and featured two baseball games played by the descendants of the former All-Star team. Legendary baseball player, Fergie Jenkins Jr., whose father played on the 1934 team, was also part of the celebrations. In addition, people who attended the event were given an opportunity to experience the video game for themselves.
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