Jim “Mudcat” Grant and Mike Norris will be attending

the First Annual African-American Little League World Series

in Gary , Indiana , September 21 - 23

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“BLACK ACES COMING TO MILWAUKEE”  

The Milwaukee Brewers have “acquired” Jim “Mudcat” Grant, the first African-American in the American League to win 20 or more games in a single season, for one afternoon.

 Grant, who was a 21 game winner for the Twins in 1965 and led the Twins against the Dodgers in the 1965 World Series, has just authored “The Black Aces – Baseball’s Only African-American 20 Game Winners”, and will be appearing at Miller Park on Thursday, August 10, 2006 for the Brewers against the Cubs, when he will be selling and signing copies of his new book which was featured by the Baseball Hall of Fame during Induction Weekend. 

Throughout the long history of Major League Baseball there have been only 13 African-American 20 game winners.  The Hall of Fame proclaims: “The list of men who overcame the odds and achieved the milestone number is a Who’s Who of hurling greats from the past six decades: Don Newcombe, Sam Jones, Jim Grant, Bob Gibson, Earl Wilson, Ferguson Jenkins, Al Downing, Vida Blue, J.R. Richard, Mike Norris, Dwight Gooden, Dave Stewart, Dontrelle Willis.” 

Grant’s book profiles all 13 of the Aces as well as 10 pitchers who played in the Negro Leagues who Grant believes would have been 20 game winners if they had been given the chance to play.  Grant said, “This book is a celebration, not a criticism.  It talks about what happened in the game and America, how you can get over a hurdle no matter how high it is and succeed.  I am looking forward to being at Miller Park and meeting the great fans in Milwaukee.”

 For more information about The Black Aces, visit theblackaces.com or contact the Aces at 516-249-5800.

_____________________________________________________________________

17 from Negro Leagues Elected to the Hall of Fame

A special committee has elected 17, including the first

woman elected to the Hall of Fame, owner Effa Manley.

More        (Courtesy Baseball Hall of Fame)