At its best, baseball embodies the most American of ideals: In the land of opportunity, hard work and fair play are all anyone needs to succeed. The truth is that for Black players in the era of baseball’s self-imposed color line, the opportunity to succeed at the major league level would be just a dream until 1947.  Until then, Negro Leagues Baseball gave them a chance to show the world what they could do. Even in the oppressive shadow of segregation, the Negro Leagues gave Black athletes a chance to play the game they loved, make their own history and lead the way to a new world of opportunities. Last year, the state of Michigan officially designated today, May 2, as “Negro Leagues Day” to honor the date of the first Negro National League game in 1920. We echo that sentiment, and salute all of the teams and players whose indomitable spirits and love of the game led them to break down barriers and change the course of history. In baseball, in America, and around the world.