Bloomfield, Missouri - At 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 29, Phil Dixon, author of several books about the Negro Baseball League and co-founder of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO, will speak at the Stars and Stripes Museum/Library about the Kansas City Monarchs.  Mr. Dixon’s ”Monarchs in Our Hometown” tour is taking him to cities and towns where the Monarchs once played league and exhibition games between 1920 and 1965. 

Dexter is one of the towns that the Monarchs played exhibition games when they challenged the Dexter Red Sox.   Some of the Red Sox’s team members during the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s were: Joel Brown, "Lefty" Harness, Gene Nichols, Matt Edwards, Perry Daniel, Charles Hart, Cletus Dodge, Dal Daniel, Clyde Martin, Zip Kruse, Dick Martin, John Hart, Yeuell Hall, Grundy Turlington, Mason Poinset and John Pritchett.

In 1940, the Monarchs won the Negro American League title following unforgettable outings from Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson and Booker McDaniels. McDaniels started the game in Dexter and eventually held out for the win.

“My mission is to educate people about the goodwill and positive race relations the league and its players generated, and to ensure that future generations know of the important role Kansas City’s Monarchs played in baseball history; history that was often made right in their hometowns,” said Dixon. “I believe the audiences feel my passion, dedication and commitment to the history I convey. Today, more than ever, I understand how African-American players lived and traveled – the sacrifice they made to play baseball.  Perhaps everyone I’ve touched does also.”

This presentation will be of interest to baseball fans of all ages.