MLB The Show Joins With Negro Leagues Baseball Museum To Honor Great Players
Monday, February 6, 2023 at 10:43PM By Barry Janoff
February 6, 2023: Sony San Diego Studio has signed a multi-year alliance with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its president Bob Kendrick to bring Negro Leagues stars to MLB The Show.
MLB The Show 23 will feature eight players considered among the greatest in Negro League history: Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Buck O'Neil, Rube Foster, Hilton Smith, Hank Thompson, John Donaldson and Martín Dihigo.
The news comes during Black History Month.
They will be part of a new game mode, “Storylines."
“The Negro Leagues are an important part of baseball and American history, whose iconic figures are not nearly as well-known as other baseball players of the era,” according to Sony San Diego Studio.
“We plan to use MLB The Show as a gateway to expose new generations of baseball fans to these historic figures and their stories of triumph over adversity.”
Kendrick narrates "Storylines" in the game.
According to Sony San Diego Studio, “Focused on a particular player, users will experience an entertaining narrative journey through short informational videos, followed by gameplay reflecting important moments in that player’s career.”
All eight Negro League stars will also be available in exhibition mode of MLB The Show 23, and usable in other areas of the game.
“It’s our honor to bring the Negro Leagues to MLB The Show 23 in partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and president Bob Kendrick and president,” according to Sony San Diego Studio.
“We invite you on a journey to celebrate the Negro Leagues and their stories of triumph over adversity in a new game experience!”
On Feb. 9, Sony is planing “a deep dive" into Storylines with Kendrick. The event will air on Sony San Diego Studio Twitch and YouTube platforms.
Sony San Diego Studio said that, via this partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, “Our goals align with the museum's to Educate, Enlighten, and Inspire by celebrating the rich history of the Negro Leagues.
“Every new launch of MLB The Show represents a new Season, with it we’ll introduce a new group of Negro League Legends and their stories to pay rightful tribute to these mostly unknown baseball superstars.”
Next year's game will include a new roster of Negro League legends in Season 2.
Sony’s San Diego Studio plans to donate $1 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for every MLB The Show 23 Collector's Edition — which includes the Digital Deluxe and The Captain Edition with Derek Jeter on the covers — sold in the U.S. now through the end of 2023.
MLB The Show 23 is scheduled to be released on March 28.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins was named cover athlete for the main version (pictured).
Separately, to celebrate Black History Month, MLB and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum are running an animated series, Undeniable, also narrated by Kendrick, telling unique short stories from the historic era of the Negro Leagues.
It airs via MLB Originals, MLB.tv and the MLB app, with additional promotional support from MLB Network and MLB social media platforms.
Episodes include Women of the Negro Leagues,” featuring the stories of Toni Stone, Connie Morgan and Mamie “Peanut” Johnson; International Impact; and Jackie Robinson & Monte Irvin.
MLB Undeniable Support For Black History Month
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