“
I hope that kids that aspire to be an athlete, whatever the sport,... have a hero, a mentor, a role model... Somebody that they really admire and look up to... Willie Mays was that guy for me.
Steve Mariucci
”
Artifact Donors: The Souls of the Game
We are grateful to everyone who has donated artifacts to our collection since the 1930s, when planning for the Museum first began. The following is a list of individuals and organizations who donated artifacts featured in The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT: Steve Mariucci
In 2023, former football coach and current broadcaster Steve Mariucci donated the Candlestick Park locker that Willie Mays used while playing with the San Francisco Giants from 1960 to 1972. The locker was later used from 1993 - 2000, by Mays' godson, Barry Bonds.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT: Mookie Betts
“
I would love to see some people that look like me in the stands, and I’m sure they want to see people that look like them on the field.
Mookie Betts
”
Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers wore this shirt during batting practice before the 2022 All-Star Game. He has actively worked to draw more Black people to baseball, and this shirt showed his commitment to that goal.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT: Carol Watson
“
He wore his rings very proudly.
Carol Watson
”
In 2024, artist Carol Watson, widow of longtime player and executive Bob Watson, donated her late husband’s 1996 World Series ring (bottom) and his 2000 Summer Olympics ring (top) to the Museum. For six decades, Bob Watson fashioned an exemplary career in national and international baseball. He played 19 years in the big leagues (1966-1984), became the first Black general manager to win a World Series (1996), served as GM of USA Baseball’s Olympic gold-medal-winning team (2000), and held the position of MLB’s vice president of on-field operations (2002-2010).
ARTIFACT DONORS
The Souls of the Game features artifacts donated by these individuals and organizations. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of them.
- Hank Aaron
- Hank Aaron’s bat
- Hank Aaron’s Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Hank Aaron’s Sally League ring
- Dusty Baker
- Dusty Baker’s Mimsbandz
- James “Cool Papa” Bell
- James “Cool Papa” Bell’s cleats
- Mookie Betts
- Mookie Betts’ shirt
- Ray Billbrough
- Chicago American Giants vs. Detroit Stars scorecard
- Joe Black
- Joe Black’s first major league win baseball
- Kurt Bloeser
- Rickey Henderson comic book
- Jackie Robinson comic book
- Jackie Robinson comic book in Japanese
- Ozzie Smith comic book
- Dave Winfield comic book
- Lou Brock and the St. Louis Cardinals
- Lou Brock’s jersey
- The Family of Claude C. Brooks Jr.
- Jackie Robinson UCLA yearbook
- Roy Campanella
- Roy Campanella’s bat
- Chicago White Sox
- Comiskey Park chair
- Jane Forbes Clark
- Cuban Giants vs. Atlantic City scorecard
- The Estate of Dean O. Cochran Jr.
- Negro Texas League baseball
- Geraldine Day
- 1945 GI World Series baseball
- Alison DeGenero
- Jackie Robinson’s cap
- Detroit Tigers
- Lou Whitaker’s bat
- Sean Duran
- Roberto Clemente’s cap
- Friends of Cooperstown
- History of Colored Baseball
- Curtis Granderson
- Curtis Granderson’s cleats
- Greater Ashland Foundation
- Chet Brewer’s jersey
- Hilldale belt buckle
- Max Manning’s wristwatch
- Newark Eagles banner
- Bill Powell’s uniform
- Barry Halper Collection
- Buck Leonard’s uniform
- Mel Harder
- 1883 Toledo Base Ball Club cabinet card
- Rickey Henderson and the Oakland A’s
- Rickey Henderson’s batting gloves
- Pete Henrici
- Baltimore Elite Giants pennant
- Philadelphia Stars pennant
- Anne Hewes
- Ed Mackall’s trophy
- Herman Hill
- Jackie Robinson coin bank
- Bill Holland
- Bill Holland’s Venezuelan ID card
- Bill Holland’s airline ticket envelope
- Brad Horn
- Dwight Gooden baseball card
- Reggie Jackson
- Reggie Jackson’s glove
- Ty Jackson
- Ty Jackson’s Florida A&M cap
- Derek Jeter
- Derek Jeter’s high school cap
- Herb Johnson
- Kansas City Monarchs broadside
- Judy Johnson
- 1924 World’s Colored Championship program
- Adam Jones and Major League Baseball
- Adam Jones’ World Baseball Classic jersey
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jim Gilliam’s glove
- Major League Baseball
- Jackie Robinson’s official daily statistics
- Dave Malarcher
- Dave Malarcher’s shoe
- Effa Manley
- 1935 Bacardi trophy
- Steve Mariucci
- Willie Mays and Barry Bonds’ locker
- The Estate of Penny Marshall
- Jackie Robinson doll
- Jackie Robinson doll
- Gay More Maxwell
- 1912 New York Giants photograph
- Willie Mays and the San Francisco Giants
- Willie Mays’ bat
- Clara Meany
- Tom Meany’s scorebook
- Joe Morgan
- Joe Morgan’s cleats
- Terry Mulholland
- 1990 National League baseball
- New York Mets
- Dominic Smith’s jersey
- New York Yankees
- CC Sabathia’s jersey
- Leslie O’Connor
- 1946 East-West All-Star Game program
- The Perez-Steele Galleries
- Jackie Robinson Story lobby card
- Philadelphia Phillies
- 1990 National League baseball
- Black Lives Matter movement ribbon
- Charles Reuland
- Ernie Banks Day pin
- Ken Rosenstein
- Bob Gibson baseball card
- Larry Rutt
- 2021 Atlanta All-Star Game “phantom” patch
- San Diego Padres
- Tony Gwynn’s helmet
- Seattle Mariners
- Ken Griffey Jr.’s cap
- Ron Shapiro
- Eddie Murray’s bat
- Ken Smith
- 1961 East-West All-Star Game scorecard
- Wyonella Smith
- 1945 Letter from Wendell Smith to Eddie Collins
- 1945 Letter from Eddie Collins to Wendell Smith
- Michael Stanley
- Frank Robinson’s jersey
- Dr. Edward Swartz
- Don Newcombe baseball card
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Joe Carter’s cleats
- Carol Watson
- Bob Watson’s 1996 World Series ring
- Bob Watson’s 2000 Olympics ring
- Frank White
- Frank White’s glove
- Bill Yancey
- 1938 Four-team doubleheader program
ARTIFACT DONORS
The Souls of the Game features artifacts donated by these individuals and organizations. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of them.
- Hank Aaron
- Hank Aaron’s bat
- Hank Aaron’s Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Hank Aaron’s Sally League ring
- Dusty Baker
- Dusty Baker’s Mimsbandz
- James “Cool Papa” Bell
- James “Cool Papa” Bell’s cleats
- Mookie Betts
- Mookie Betts’ shirt
- Ray Billbrough
- Chicago American Giants vs. Detroit Stars scorecard
- Joe Black
- Joe Black’s first major league win baseball
- Kurt Bloeser
- Rickey Henderson comic book
- Jackie Robinson comic book
- Jackie Robinson comic book in Japanese
- Ozzie Smith comic book
- Dave Winfield comic book
- Lou Brock and the St. Louis Cardinals
- Lou Brock’s jersey
- The Family of Claude C. Brooks Jr.
- Jackie Robinson UCLA yearbook
- Roy Campanella
- Roy Campanella’s bat
- Chicago White Sox
- Comiskey Park chair
- Jane Forbes Clark
- Cuban Giants vs. Atlantic City scorecard
- The Estate of Dean O. Cochran Jr.
- Negro Texas League baseball
- Geraldine Day
- 1945 GI World Series baseball
- Alison DeGenero
- Jackie Robinson’s cap
- Detroit Tigers
- Lou Whitaker’s bat
- Sean Duran
- Roberto Clemente’s cap
- Friends of Cooperstown
- History of Colored Baseball
- Curtis Granderson
- Curtis Granderson’s cleats
- Greater Ashland Foundation
- Chet Brewer’s jersey
- Hilldale belt buckle
- Max Manning’s wristwatch
- Newark Eagles banner
- Bill Powell’s uniform
- Barry Halper Collection
- Buck Leonard’s uniform
- Mel Harder
- 1883 Toledo Base Ball Club cabinet card
- Rickey Henderson and the Oakland A’s
- Rickey Henderson’s batting gloves
- Pete Henrici
- Baltimore Elite Giants pennant
- Philadelphia Stars pennant
- Anne Hewes
- Ed Mackall’s trophy
- Herman Hill
- Jackie Robinson coin bank
- Bill Holland
- Bill Holland’s Venezuelan ID card
- Bill Holland’s airline ticket envelope
- Brad Horn
- Dwight Gooden baseball card
- Reggie Jackson
- Reggie Jackson’s glove
- Ty Jackson
- Ty Jackson’s Florida A&M cap
- Derek Jeter
- Derek Jeter’s high school cap
- Herb Johnson
- Kansas City Monarchs broadside
- Judy Johnson
- 1924 World’s Colored Championship program
- Adam Jones and Major League Baseball
- Adam Jones’ World Baseball Classic jersey
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jim Gilliam’s glove
- Major League Baseball
- Jackie Robinson’s official daily statistics
- Dave Malarcher
- Dave Malarcher’s shoe
- Effa Manley
- 1935 Bacardi trophy
- Steve Mariucci
- Willie Mays and Barry Bonds’ locker
- The Estate of Penny Marshall
- Jackie Robinson doll
- Jackie Robinson doll
- Gay More Maxwell
- 1912 New York Giants photograph
- Willie Mays and the San Francisco Giants
- Willie Mays’ bat
- Clara Meany
- Tom Meany’s scorebook
- Joe Morgan
- Joe Morgan’s cleats
- Terry Mulholland
- 1990 National League baseball
- New York Mets
- Dominic Smith’s jersey
- New York Yankees
- CC Sabathia’s jersey
- Leslie O’Connor
- 1946 East-West All-Star Game program
- The Perez-Steele Galleries
- Jackie Robinson Story lobby card
- Philadelphia Phillies
- 1990 National League baseball
- Black Lives Matter movement ribbon
- Charles Reuland
- Ernie Banks Day pin
- Ken Rosenstein
- Bob Gibson baseball card
- Larry Rutt
- 2021 Atlanta All-Star Game “phantom” patch
- San Diego Padres
- Tony Gwynn’s helmet
- Seattle Mariners
- Ken Griffey Jr.’s cap
- Ron Shapiro
- Eddie Murray’s bat
- Ken Smith
- 1961 East-West All-Star Game scorecard
- Wyonella Smith
- 1945 Letter from Wendell Smith to Eddie Collins
- 1945 Letter from Eddie Collins to Wendell Smith
- Michael Stanley
- Frank Robinson’s jersey
- Dr. Edward Swartz
- Don Newcombe baseball card
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Joe Carter’s cleats
- Carol Watson
- Bob Watson’s 1996 World Series ring
- Bob Watson’s 2000 Olympics ring
- Frank White
- Frank White’s glove
- Bill Yancey
- 1938 Four-team doubleheader program
More than a new Exhibit
Through this initiative, we have developed outreach programs and online content that are making a positive impact on communities.
THE BLACK BASEBALL INITIATIVE
Is made possible by:
THE YAWKEY FOUNDATION
with additional support from