September 27, 2005

The boroughs of Darby and Yeadon have joined with the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in a new campaign for a historical marker to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Hilldale Giants 1925 Negro League World Series Championship.

DARBY, PA (PRWEB) September 27, 2005 -- The boroughs of Darby and Yeadon have joined with the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in a new campaign for a historical marker to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Hilldale Giants 1925 Negro League World Series Championship.

The Hilldale Giants, who played at Hilldale Stadium in the Darby/Yeadon area from 1910 thru 1932, were one of the top teams in the Negro Leagues for over 20 years. Also referred to as the Darby Daisies, throughout those years, the Hilldales featured Baseball Hall of Famers Judy Johnson, Pop Lloyd, Martin Dihigo, Joe Williams and Oscar Charleston. In 1924, the Giants appeared in the very first Negro League World Series, losing 5 games to 4 to the Kansas City Monarchs. The following year, the teams met again, with the Hilldales taking the championship 5 games to 1.

John Bossong, a Darby native and unofficial Negro League historian, has initiated a campaign for the historical marker. This marker will celebrate the Hilldale teams from 1910 thru 1932, the hall of fame players, the three Eastern Colored League championships and the 1925 World Series Victory.

“With this as the 80th anniversary of the championship we feel it is long overdue to honor one of the area’s greatest teams”, says Bossong. “This historical marker will be a lasting tribute to one of the few championships from Delaware County.”

According the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s (PHMC) website, the historical marker program captures “…the memory of people, places, and events that have affected the lives of Pennsylvanians…” It is a bureaucratic process with specific rules, guidelines and deadlines so approval for the Hilldales marker is hardly guaranteed. However, for unapproved markers, the PHMC encourages organizations “… to erect their own signs or markers (consistent with legal requirements).” Whether approved for an official PHMC marker or not, Bossong is confident that the Hilldales will get their due.

“We have the full backing of Darby Mayor Paula Brown, Yeadon Mayor Jacqueline Mosley, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame and the historical societies from both Darby and Yeadon,” continues Bossong. “Our hope is to have an official state historical marker but we do have plans under way for a number of other options.”

As with most such efforts, the primary need is funding. To help raise funds a website has been established to sell commemorative Hilldale shirts: http://www.cafepress.com/hilldales. With the help of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation, a tax-deductible donation program has also been set up. Donations can be made online at

http://www.phillyhall.com

Or mailed to:
Hilldales Marker C/o Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
410 Waverly Rd.
Wyncote, PA 19095.

For more information on how to help out, call John Bossong at 484.437.8005 or via email to darbarian @ gmail.com

The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Foundation is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation.

Founded in 2002, it is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organizations, the Maxwell Club, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums and the International Association of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame. For More information visit: http://www.phillyhof.org/