MLB Network will pay tribute to African-American ballplayers of the past on Martin Luther King Day with the debut of documentary Pride and Perseverance: The Story of the Negro Leagues.
This never before aired one-hour special, narrated by Hall of Famer and Negro Leagues advocate Dave Winfield, will premiere at 9 p.m. on Jan. 19.
Produced by Major League Baseball Productions, Pride and Perseverance: The Story of the Negro Leagues, will showcase rarely seen footage from the 1920s through 1950s that feature the birth of the Negro Leagues, and that depict both the struggles endured and milestones achieved by its players.
Footage will also highlight the Negro Leagues' innovations that helped shape modern day baseball, such as the Leagues' usage of portable light towers to enable games to be played after dusk for the first time ever.
The program also focuses Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and on April 15, 1947 became the first African-American in the modern era to play on a MLB club
"The impact of the Negro Leagues changed not only the sport of baseball, but our culture and society," said Tony Petitti, president and CEO of Major League Baseball Network, which launched in a record 50 million homes
on Jan. 1, in a statement. "This documentary will take our viewers through this important milestone in American history."
