#Spotlight – This week we are paying tribute to the players of the Negro Leagues and their post playing exploits. Today is Leon Day known for being one of the greatest and most versatile players in the league. A tremendous overview of Leon’s post playing days appears in Justin Klugh’s piece – Who is Leon Day.
Leon Day would spend his post playing days working as a Bartender, first in Newark where he played for the hometown Eagles, then in his hometown of Baltimore. In 1970 he would go to work as a Security Guard, a position he would serve for almost a decade.
Klugh’s story would tell of Leon Day’s epic path to the Hall of Fame, including how Roy Campanella (a long time supporter of Day’s inclusion) was ill for the final vote in 1993 and how Leon Day would fall one vote short. Our own Gary Cieradkowski makes an appearance in this story, lending his considerable artistic talents to a campaign that would eventually result in Day’s election the Hall of Fame in 1995, six days before passing away from a heart failure at the age of 78.
A foundation bearing his name, The Leon Day Foundation was started by his widow Geraldine in 2001 and is run by Michelle Freeman and benefits youth baseball in West Baltimore.
#HistoryInYourSize
