Hall of Fame to honor Negro League's East-West All-Star Game - ESPN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The traditional format of the Negro Leagues' East-West All-Star Game will be revived in the spring when the National Baseball Hall of Fame hosts a tribute to the one-time fixture with a legends exhibition in Cooperstown, New York.

The Memorial Day weekend game, announced during the winter meetings Tuesday, will be played at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown on May 25, 2024, and will feature a number of prominent ex-big leaguers. Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Ozzie Smith will help manage and coach the squads. Serving as team captains will be former All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia and outfielder Chris Young.

«The East-West All-Star Game was the annual showcase for the Negro Leagues, and we are privileged to be able to honor the legacy of those stars over Memorial Day Weekend in Cooperstown as part of the Hall of Fame's celebration of Black baseball,» Sabathia said in a statement. «As players, we are indebted to the pioneers who came before us, and recognizing the All-Stars of the Negro Leagues pays tribute not only to their playing ability but also to their courage and devotion to the game.»

Other players scheduled to appear include Josh Barfield, Tim Beckham, Prince Fielder, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, Dontrelle Willis, Ryan Howard and Tony Gwynn Jr. Also appearing will be brothers Scott Hairston and Jerry Hairston Jr., whose grandfather, Sam, played in the Negro Leagues and appeared in an East-West All-Star game.

The first East-West All-Star Game was played on Sept. 10, 1933, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, two months after the first major league All-Star Game was played on the same field. The contest was played annually until 1962, with some seasons featuring multiple games, all in the East-West