OLG partners with MLB to revive the 1930’s
Championship Ontario Baseball TEAM
through a popular video game and powerful film at
olg.ca/ChathamPlaysOn
TORONTO /CNW/ – Reviving and celebrating Ontario history on the baseball field and in a video game! Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), is immortalizing the 1934 Chatham Coloured All-Stars – the first all-Black team to win an Ontario Baseball Association Championship – in a very unique way. OLG and MLB are bringing the team’s memory back to life through baseball’s most popular video game, MLB The Show 22.
Players can search the video game’s Logo Vault and Player Vault to find the 1934 Chatham Coloured All-Stars as one of the playable teams in the game. The video game provided the tools for us to painstakingly help re-create look alike members of the team, their home baseball field, uniforms and team artifacts from archival materials from Chatham Kent Black Historical Society. The release is part of an ongoing effort by OLG and MLB to draw attention to the important story of these baseball legends and allow their memory to live on through the next generation of the global baseball community.
“OLG is extremely proud to be part of this effort with our MLB partners, to shine a spotlight on historical figures in our province who broke barriers and contributed to the betterment of our communities,” said Duncan Hannay, OLG’s President and CEO. “The Chatham Coloured All-Stars showed the world what it means to persevere in the face of adversity. It is an honour to help keep the team’s memory alive by introducing their story to as many people as possible including a new generation of baseball fans. It’s part of OLG’s commitment to giving back to Ontario.”
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 provides us with an overview of the team’s history and the players perseverance through racism and other challenges of that era. It also gives us a behind the scenes look at the meticulous effort it took to recreate the team for the video game. The film can be found at olg.ca/ChathamPlaysOn
As part of the celebration to commemorate this historic baseball team, Chatham-area residents will get a front row seat at the Field of Honour Charity baseball game on September 24th, 2022, at Fergie Jenkins Field in Chatham. The second edition of this special event will be completely free and open to the public with two baseball games being played by the descendants of the former All-Star team. Legendary baseball player, Fergie Jenkins Jr., whose father played on the 1934 team, will also be part of the celebrations.
“The Field of Honour is such an important event that we hold in our hometown of Chatham. We honour the men who played throughout all the seasons with the Chatham Coloured All-Stars on that day and get their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. to come honour their ancestors on the baseball diamond,” said Dorothy Wallace, President of the Chatham Kent Black Historical Society. “At the root of it, we are hoping to further share the story of the Chatham Coloured All-Stars and get the recognition they deserve. We are beyond thankful to all our supporters and so grateful to OLG and MLB for the project they will be sharing at this year’s game.”
OLG is also proud to support the efforts of the Chatham Kent Black Historical Society with a special cheque presentation of $25,000 for the organization.
To learn more about OLG’s and MLB’S Chatham Coloured All-Stars campaign, visit olg.ca/ChathamPlaysOn
OLG is a crown agency that contributes to a better Ontario by delivering great entertainment experiences for our customers. Acting in a socially responsible way, OLG conducts and manages land-based gaming facilities; the sale of province-wide lottery games; Internet gaming; and the delivery of bingo and other electronic gaming products at Charitable Gaming Centres. OLG is also helping support the horse racing industry in Ontario. Since 1975, OLG has provided approximately $55 billion to the people and Province of Ontario to support key government priorities like health care; the treatment and prevention of problem gambling; and support for amateur athletes. Each year proceeds from OLG’s operations also support host communities, Ontario First Nations, lottery retailers and local charities across the province.
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Rod Washington: Rod is a blogger, writer, filmmaker, photographer, daydreamer who likes to cook. Rod produces and directs the web series, CUPIC: Diary of an Investigator. He also produces news and documentary video projects. Check out his podcast StoriesThisMoment at https://m3e.d71.myftpupload.com/stm-tncn-podcasts/
