The daughter of black baseball legend Henry Kimbro has spent the past year writing a new book to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Baseball Negro League in Nashville. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton's new book, "Home Plate: Henry Kimbro and Other Negro Leaguers of Nashville, Tennessee," honors the memories of 18 Black baseball heroes who called Nashville their home. It will officially be released at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 (Saturday) during a virtual book launch on the Zoom platform. Access to the online celebration is free and open to everyone. To attend, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4289850752 and enter the code 4289850752. Negro League players from Nashville are remembered with biographical highlights and photos. Students, family members, and baseball fans can learn more about Nashville legends such as James "Junior" Gilliam(Baltimore Elite Giants); Henry Kimbro (Nashville/Baltimore Elite Giants); Bruce Franklin "Buddy" Petway (Leland Giants); and Norman "Turkey" Stearnes(Nashville Elite Giants/Detroit Stars). Also featured in Harriet's book are Robert "James" Abernathy, Daniel Black, William "Soo" Bridgeforth, Sidney Bunch, Elliot Coleman, Wesley "Doc" Dennis, Edward Lee "Lefty" Derrick, Edward Martin, Clinton "Butch" McCord, Taylor Smith, Thomas "Tom" Wilson, and Jim Zapp. The book is a family affair. It features a foreword by Henry Kimbro's great-granddaughter (Harriet's great-niece) Jada Scott, and a chapter titled "My Adventures with Grandpa" that documents the unforgettable experiences of Harriet's son, Patrick Hamilton. When he was 9 years old, Patrick flew with his grandparents to Baltimore to attend a 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game ceremony honoring Henry Kimbro and other Negro Baseball League legends. The grandson later shared his experiences in a senior paper at Stillman College. A photo in "Home Plate" shows Harriet's great-niece, Brooklyn Scruggs, visiting the street sign of Junior Gilliam Way in front of the Nashville Sounds Baseball Stadium with her dog Blossom. The book, which retails for $12, is available exclusively at www.Amazon.com (search "Home Plate: Henry Kimbro and Other Negro Leaguers of Nashville, Tennessee"). For more information about the book "Home Plate" and the upcoming virtual book launch event, contact Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton at HenryKimbro14@gmail.com. To learn more about Nashville's important role in Negro League baseball, visit www.Facebook.com/HenryKimbroor www.Twitter.com/KimbroNlb.
