The National Urban Professional Baseball League is bringing a team to Laurel, MS, in the spring of 2018. The league announced the plans through a media release late Wednesday afternoon.
It’s newly created league consist of four teams representing four states: Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi. It plans to expand in the coming years.
Wooten Legion Field in Laurel will serve as Mississippi’s home field. The Laurel City Council approved the use of the field to serve as Mississippi’s hosting site. Laurel Recreational Director Elvin Ulmer plans to upgrade the field and park to accommodate the league’s specifications. The city of Laurel will receive a sum of 30,000 dollars from the league and at least 3% of all advertisement sales.
“Baseball in our inner-cities is dying, and the NUPBL will be giving African American baseball players a new hope to live out America’s past-time,” said Michael E. Mayden, a coach in the league. “This league will offer minority baseball players the opportunity to play the game they love on a professional level, an opportunity many have been denied.
“A few years ago, a little league baseball team from the Southside Chicago by the name of Jackie Robinson West captured the hearts and soul of the nation. Most importantly, they captured the heart and soul of the African American community around the world. We want this league, the NUPBL, to capture the heart and soul of the nation and most importantly the hearts and the souls of the African American community. We are looking for excitement, enthusiasm and support from the African American Community for this league from the East, West, North and the South.”
Each team will play 90 regular season games, 45 at home and 45 on the road. Tryouts for the Mississippi team is scheduled for October 20. Mayden adds that the league is “in no way will be limited to only African American players.
Players will receive a salary – based on a players need and athletic ability – and will be open to high school senior players, college players not playing league ball and non-committed major league players.
Each team consists of a 24-man roster and will be led by a manager and two coaches. There will be 15 three-game home stands, and six games played every week of the regular season.
The season, which begins in the spring of 2018, will start in May and go through August.
The league’s vision is as follows: to promote diversity in baseball and to develop economic, social and educational programs as well as to promote entrepreneurship.
A press conference is set to be held in Laurel, MS, on October 20.
More updates will be available as they come in.
