Salt Lake Bees pay tribute to incredible history of baseball in utah
Over the weekend , the athletes learned from the best while playing on a big-league field . On top of that , it unified and grew the local community . Players , families , elected officials , and coaches from different backgrounds connected through their love for the game . The tremendous occasion enriched the lives of many and showcased the powerful presence of baseball in the state of Utah .
The Salt Lake Bees took the field on June 24 , 2023 , as the Salt Lake Occidentals , to honor Utah ’ s all-Black baseball team from the early 1900s .
The Salt Lake Occidentals called Utah home from 1906-1913 . What started as a team that would play company teams for small side bets turned into one of the best baseball teams in the Western United States , beating teams across the West Coast and drawing crowds of thousands along the way . Though the group disbanded , many players went on to play with other clubs or the Negro Leagues .
“ It ’ s such a hidden gem of a history story in Salt Lake ( and ) I just don ’ t think a lot of people know about it ,” said Kraig Williams , Salt Lake Bees communicators director . “ Baseball history is American history , so we wanted to be able to tell the story of that team .”
The players wore a special white uniform , reminiscent of the Occidental ’ s uniforms , with the Occidental ’ s name printed in black with orange trim across the chest and a Bee ’ s logo in matching colors on the shoulder .
The Bees partnered with the Utah Black Chamber of Commerce to tell the story of the Occidentals . Blackowned food trucks and vendors were available for guests to visit and enjoy , and local artists and activists performed original spoken
word poetry and sang “ Lift Every Voice and Sing ”. The Black Utah History Museum also stationed The Black History Bus outside Smith ’ s Ballpark . The bus is a traveling exhibit on wheels that features stories from local and national Black history .
The night ended with a firework show on the field to celebrate the Occidentals ’ impact on Utah ’ s rich baseball history .
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