It is with great sadness that we begin this episode of Black Diamonds, acknowledging the

untimely passing of someone who was a dear friend of the Negro League's Baseball Museum

and a dear personal friend of mine for many years, the legendary Mori Wills. In 2017,

the Negro Leaks Baseball Museum inducted him into our

Hall of Game. And during his on-stage induction conversation that we had with him, he talked

very glowingly about the fact that he was just on the cusp of signing to play in the Negro

leagues with the great homestead grays when the grays were operating in Washington, D.C., where

Morrie wills grew up. And they had extended an opportunity for Mori to join them. And at the 13th hour,

the Dodgers came calling with an opportunity to try out and he would then seize that opportunity

and make the best of that opportunity and then move into the major leagues where he became

one of the most feared base runners in major league baseball history, someone who I absolutely believe deserves to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was a tremendous athlete, but an even more special human being.

And there is absolutely a part of my heart where there is a great void,

as we will certainly miss the legendary Mori Wills.

The Negro League Baseball Museum and our entire family extend our condoluses to the Will's family.

And it's special to know, though, that he will always have a very special place in terms of his well-deserved recognition here at the Negro League's Baseball Museum as a member of our Hall of Game honorees.

Thank you, Maury, for everything that you gave this game.

This season, we've dedicated a great portion of black diamonds celebrating and commemorating the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking of Major League Baseball's color barrier.

And of course, we've talked about the fact that Jackie Robinson's

illustrious professional baseball career began right here in Kansas City with the great Kansas City

monarchs in 1945. And so when Jackie breaks the color barrier two years later with the Brooklyn Dodgers,

he now creates a spark.

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