At the end of last week, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced that it will be paying tribute to the 1934 Chatham Coloured All-Stars team in a new project. They were the first all-black team to win an Ontario Baseball Association Championship. And now the OLG and the MLB will join efforts to bring back the teamās memory to life through MLB The Show 22.
Players will be able to open the gameās Logo Vault and Player Vault to find the 1934 Chatham Coloured All-Stars, which will be accessible as a playable team in the game. Through cutting-edge technology, the game was able to re-create the look of the team members, their home baseball field, uniforms and team artifacts from archival materials from the Chatham Kent Black Historical Society.
Remembering the Iconic Team
This latest collaboration of the OLG and MLB aims to draw attention to the important story of these baseball legends and let their memory live on through the next generation of baseball fans. Duncan Hannay, OLGās President and CEO, shared that the company is extremely proud to join efforts with MLB and shine a spotlight on these historical athletes.
The Crown agency stated that it will be showcasing the Chatham Coloured All-Starsā legacy through a short film featuring the descendants of the players. This emotional film will provide an overview of the teamās history and the players’ perseverance through racism and other challenges of that age. It will also share more light on how these players are brought back to life in the video game.
As part of the initiative, Chatham locals got a front-row seat at the Field of Honour Charity baseball game which took place on September 24, 2022, at the Fergie Jenkins Field in Chatham. This was the second running of the special event, and it was completely free to the public, as it hosted two baseball games played by the descendants of the former All-Star team.
Dorothy Wallace, President of the Chatham Kent Black Historical Society commented that the Field of Honour is an event of utmost importance to Chatham. She noted that it honours the men who played through all the seasons with the Chatham Coloured All-Stars on that day and gets their descendants to come and honour their ancestors on the baseball field.
More on the OLG and Its Recent Activities
Last week, the OLG also reported that it has put the first steps toward launching approximately 1,400 self-serve lottery terminals in select lottery retail locations across the province. After receiving approvals from the government, the OLG plans to start launching the terminals in the second half of 2023. The machines will be supplied by the leading gaming provider IGT.
Recently, the Crown has also increased efforts to protect its players from problem gambling, as it introduced āMy PlayBreakā. This is improved and rebranded self-exclusion program which will offer bettors more flexibility and choice when they want to take a break from gambling. It is now available in land-based casinos, charitable gaming centres, and its online platform OLG.ca.
Source: āOLG Helps Immortalize the Chatham Coloured All-Stars Baseball teamā OLG, September 23, 2022
