A Message From The President:

The Leon Day Foundation, Inc. is about kids and baseball; and the fierce urgency of connecting the two; we do this by making baseball history relevant and exciting and by playing baseball. Leon Day was passionate regarding connecting kids with sports. The life-long lessons that are formed on the baseball diamond are essential for long-term success in the real world. We are committed to creating opportunities that provide West Baltimore youth with the pertinent tools to succeed in all endeavors.

Welcome to the official website of The Leon Day Foundation, Inc. Since 2001, the Leon Day Foundation has been committed to creating opportunities for kids to engage in baseball in West Baltimore. Through signature programs such as the Leon Day Youth League, Sandlot Saturdays, Baseball Tuesdays, the Leon Day Classic, the Leon Day Festival, the Leon Day 10th Man Award, and most recently, sponsoring a youth league team in the James Mosher Baseball Youth League, the foundation strives to positively impact the lives of children and their families in the Rosemont/Franklintown community.

 I am extremely proud of what our organization has accomplished with the support of our Board of Directors and community partners. In 2016, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Leon Day’s birth. We celebrated with a successful fundraiser that will allow us to continue to create opportunities for kids to play baseball in West Baltimore. We cannot do any of this without your continued support. Together, we will move the narrative of Leon Day’s legacy forward and engage kids with baseball for many years to come.

Best regards, 

Michelle R. Freeman, President  

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THE LEON DAY FOUNDATION, INC

A 501 (c) (3) Non-profit organization






Leon Day

(October 30, 1916 – March 13, 1995) was an American right-handed pitcher in the Negro leagues. He played for the Baltimore Black Sox, the Brooklyn & Newark Eagles, and the Baltimore Elite Giants.






Leon Day

Day, born in Alexandria, Virginia, is noted for pitching a perfect season in 1937 (13-0) while playing for the Newark Eagles, and for his fastball. Day was also a good hitter and baserunner, batting .320 in 1937.




Leon Day

From 1935 through 1946 he appeared in a record seven East-West All-Star Games, and set an all-star record by striking out 14 batters. On July 24, 1942 Day set an NNL record when he struck out 18 Baltimore batters in a single game – including Roy Campanella three times. Day's teammate Monte Irvin referred to him

"He (Day) was as good or better than Bob Gibson. When he pitched against Satchel Paige, Satchel didn't have an edge. You thought Don Newcombe could pitch. You should have seen Day"

Leon Day

When the Negro league was in the off-season, Day played winter ball in Puerto Rico. There he established a Puerto Rican record of 19 strikeouts.

During World War II, Day served in the United States Army, landing on Utah Beach on D-Day.
He was discharged in February 1946, and on May 5 of that year pitched an Opening Day no-hitter against the Philadelphia Stars.

In 1950 he left the United States to play in Canada, with the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club in the International League in 1951, for a year. The next two years he returned to play in the minor leagues, (most of which by then were also becoming integrated), then returned to Canada to finish his career.

Leon Day

He died of a heart attack in March 1995, just six days after learning he had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Leon Day was the 12th Hall of Famer chosen from the Negro leagues, and the seventh to be selected while he was still living. The "Bloomsbury Oval", a meadow/playgrounds in West Baltimore's Gwynns Falls Park was renamed for him as "Leon Day Oval" in the 1990s.



Leon Day

Leon Day was a great Negro Leaguer and a fine gentleman whose Negro League career as a pitcher earned him seven All-Star Game berths and eventual induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Mission Statement

The Leon Day Foundation, Inc. is about kids and baseball and the fierce urgency of connecting the two; we do this by making baseball history "relevant and exciting" and by playing baseball.

Leon Day Park

'What It Means, To Play at Leon Day Park'

The Yankees

James Mosher Baseball Youth League
Sponsored by The Leon Day Foundation, Inc.


2016 THE YANKEES
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Testimonials

“There are many expenses involved in operating a competitive youth baseball program such as ours here at James Mosher Baseball. Thanks to the financial support of the Leon Day Foundation, we are able meet our goals of keeping youth baseball alive in the Rosemont, Sandtown-Winchester and Harlem Park Communities. Your sponsorship helps to provide such things as the purchase of uniforms, insurance, baseball gear, field maintenance and umpire fees.

“We also thank you for attending our Family Day celebration for the last several years and for the contribution of snacks, beverages and monetary gifts to help our children not only learn the sport but to build life-long friendships.”

Walter Douglass, James Mosher Baseball
Coach
"The Sandlot Saturdays was an amazing program that provided city children with an opportunity to play baseball. The program exposed the young children in the community to the fundamentals of baseball and also fostered positive and educational life skills and development. 

I was impressed with how much Coach Mike emphasized sportsmanship and being respectful of others. For the few times that I was able to participate, I felt like I was part of a program that made a positive impact on players lives- physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

The coaches were all very friendly, informative and welcoming individuals. They were all great with the kids and made learning to play baseball fun.

It was amazing to see the excitement in each kid when they  received something as nice as a baseball glove or as simple as snacks at the end of the session." 


Stan Arnold,
Voluteer
“Leon Day epitomizes the type of man and athelete  that called the Negro Leagues home.  . .. he   served his  country during the war,  he was a workhorse on the field, when he wasn't pitching he played in the outfield and the infield.  There was nothing that Leon Day could not do on the baseball field. As great as  a baseball player that Leon Day was, in my estimation, he was an even greater man."
Bob Kendrick, Negro  Leagues Baseball Museum
President

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