February 24, 2022
Black History Month
Tarrik Brock Interview
In honor of Black History Month, the Pirates celebrate Pittsburgh's rich Negro League history. Pittsburgh was home to two of the most historic Negro League franchises: Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. Also, Pittsburgh fielded an array of the game's top stars – Josh Gibson, Leroy "Satchel" Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Buck Leonard and others – which made Pittsburgh a powerhouse for black baseball. The Pirates remain committed to educating and celebrating this rich legacy of the Negro Leagues with Pirates fans of all ages and backgrounds, not just during Black History Month, but all year long. On February 4, Pirates First base Coach Tarrik Brock joined Pirates Community Engagement Manager Joel Gray for a conversation in PNC Park's Legacy Theatre. Brock shared his take on the legacy and lessons learned through the story of Negro League Baseball featured in the Pirates Long Live Their Legacy series, a community relations initiative to educate our surrounding communities about Negro League Baseball, its ties to Pittsburgh, and the significant influence it has had – and still has – on the game of baseball. Area teachers and youth organization leaders are encouraged to share the Pirates' Long Live Their Legacy curriculum with their students throughout the month of February as a way to honor an important part of baseball history.

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Pirates RBI Resource Fair
Pirates RBI Resource Fair event photo
On Saturday, February 12, the Pirates partnered with Pittsburgh's CitiSports to host the first-ever Pirates RBI Resource Fair at PNC Park for coaches, league organizers and umpires of youth baseball and softball teams within the city limits who were interested in or plan to join the Pirates RBI program this upcoming season. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) is an MLB outreach program designed to increase participation and interest in baseball and softball among inner city youth. Pirates President Travis Williams joined Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey at the event where both addressed the audience on the importance of keeping sports activities available for youth in our city. In addition, participants also had the opportunity to gather resources provided by the Pirates and CitiSports such as Pirates Charities grant information, fundraising opportunities through the sale of Pirates Tickets and receive necessary background checks as an authorized adult in the program. The Pirates also announced that the Pirates RBI Championship games would once again be played at PNC Park July 25-27, providing those teams with a one-of-a-kind experience to play on a major league field. You can read more about this event at pirates.com.

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