Russell patterson negro leagues museum
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Russell ‘Crazy Legs’ Patterson reflects on spotlight finally shining on Negro League
Tim Leible
Russell Patterson is a man like few others.
The 85-year-old former Negro League player known as “Crazy Legs” still has as sharp a tongue as he did when he suited up for the Indianapolis Clowns in the early 1960s. He’s quick to make a joke or tell a tale of his wild upbringing in the sport of baseball, as he traveled across the South for any opportunity he could latch onto to play his favorite sport.
“We played ball because we had to play ball,” Patterson said while recounting memories of his playing days, which included a stretch of his career in Paterson, Virginia, where he played for three teams at the same time under three different names in order to quench his hunger for the game. “When I got into the Negro Leagues, you either played or you went home; there was no beating around the bush.”
Patterson is a walking museum, a fact that is evident by the number of times he travels to tell stories from his career that spanned over three decades. His house is full of memorabilia, postcards he collected from different stops in his career and newspaper clippings from both his time in the sport and more modern stories of the work of Cam Perron, a prominent Negro League historian whom
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Contact: Bri Salley
Director of Marketing & Communications
912.790.8862
salleyb@telfair.org
Savannah, GA – June 13, 2024 – Telfair Museums is pleased to announce its 17th annual Juneteenth with a Free Family Day celebrating freedom and African American culture, along with a Juneteenth Lecture by former professional baseball player, Russell “Crazy Legs” Patterson. Celebrate Juneteenth Free Family Day on Saturday, June 15th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and enjoy Russell Patterson’s lecture “My Career in Baseball” on Tuesday, June 18th at 6:00 pm. Both events will be held at the Jepson Center, located at 207 W York St, Savannah, GA 31401.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. Telfair Museums is honored to continue the tradition of observing this significant day with a lineup of engaging activities and performances. Residents of Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Liberty, Jasper, and Beaufort Counites can enjoy free admission to the Jepson Center.
Telfair Musuems is happy to welcome Dr. Jamal Toure back to kick off Juneteenth with a special libation ceremony as the African Spirit. Children and families are invited to participate in the festivities, including art activities and storytellin
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Lookouts, Barons celebrate depiction Negro Leagues
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