BDI to Commemorate Bradenton Nine Devils with Historical Marker Installation at LECOM Park

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The Boxser Diversity Initiative will join local leaders, community members and descendants of players on Saturday, June 14, for a private ceremony dedicating a new historical marker honoring the Bradenton Nine Devils, one of Florida’s most accomplished Negro League baseball teams. The marker will be installed at LECOM Park, where the Nine Devils played their home games for almost two decades. The team earned its name after winning its first nine games and quickly became a symbol of pride for the Black community in Manatee County during the era of segregation. Many of the players rivaled the talent of those in the major leagues but were denied opportunity because of racial discrimination.

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