Guest Author - Mona McKenzie

Negro Leagues baseball played an important role in shaping baseball history. I’ve read several books and looked at a few web sites about the players who made the League great. Years ago, I spent a few minutes discussing the good ol’ days with Mamie “Peanut” Johnson at her Negro Leagues store in Maryland. So, I thought I would try to look up Peanut for an article. Well, on my way to getting some background information on the web, I came across Oakville.

Oakville, Maryland was home to African American men who loved to play baseball in the days prior to Major League Baseball integration. Every weekend during baseball season, Oakville teams would either travel to play other Negro teams in the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Virginia or they would play host at their own stadium. While the teams were not part of “the” Negro Leagues per se, they comprised the Chesapeake Bay Area Negro League. Fathers and sons, uncles and nephews, brothers and friends played alongside each other in the game that helped shape their persona. When playing baseball, their lack of societal status, monetary and other troubles went away and the community came together to root for their team.

I found pictures of the old Oakville stadium on the web. The pictures indicated that the stadium was in extreme disrepair. It is one of only a few stadiums remaining from that era. Luckily, there is a group in the Oakville area attempting to preserve the stadium under a historical designation. The group also posted the pictures to document the stadium’s the plight. I am thankful for the group because they are not only attempting to preserve the stadium, they are helping me preserve a part of my family’s legacy. You see, my grandfather, and my father to a small degree, played with Oakville’s team. Seeing the stadium picture reminded me of a picture of my grandfather standing at the field with a big smile on his face. He didn’t have on his uniform because, at the time of the picture, he was well beyond his playing days, which ended while he was in his 50’s. Just being at the field made him happy. Granddad passed away over twenty years ago, but, I’m sure he would love the attention being paid to his old stomping ground.

Seeing the pictures prompted me to call my dad and my aunt to question them about the stadium. I’m glad to say that my renewed interest in granddad’s past-time has led me to get involved in saving Oakville. To see the stadium picture gallery, please visit http://www.digitalballparks.com/Negro/Oakville.html