The city of Nashua, New Hampshire, is teaming up with the Black Heritage Trail to make Holman Stadium a new stop.Historians said the stadium and the Nashua Dodgers played a key role in the integration of U.S. sports, but that distinction almost belonged to a different team.Holman Stadium has been home to several teams in its 86-year history, but its first team has forever lodged itself into baseball lore. In 1946, the Nashua Dodgers welcomed Black players Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe to the team.Their additions made the Nashua Dodgers the first integrated professional sports team of 20th century America.To honor the accomplishment, the city of Nashua and the Black Heritage Trail are teaming up to make Holman Stadium a stop on the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire."Being part of the Black Heritage Trail as a result of the history of Holman Stadium is a great honor and something we're very pleased with," said Mayor Jim Donchess.According to Minor League Baseball, then-general manager Branch Rickey chose to send Campanella and Newcombe to Nashua after a Dodgers affiliate in Illinois told him they would not be welcomed on the team."I think Nashua has always been and still is a community that's very welcoming to new people and it does not exclude anyone, and that was true back even in the 1940s," Donchess said.In an interview in the mid-2000s, Newcombe reflected on his time in Nashua."It turned out for the better that we went to Nashua," he said. "I always thanked God for Nashua. We had a lot of fun. We were considered people, not Black people.""This is something the city is very proud of, that Don Newcomb had a good experience here, unlike he might have in other places, but somehow, they knew that this was likely to be the result," Donchess said.Newcombe and Campanella won a couple of championships with the Nashua Dodgers before being called up to the major leagues. Newcombe went on to win a Cy Young Award, rookie of the year and a most valuable player award.Campanella won three MVPs and is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame."We were lucky to have them," Donchess said. "And then they went on to the major leagues and, again, had very successful careers there."Despite their success in the major leagues, Newcombe and Campanella fell victim to the same prejudice that led the Dodgers to bring them to Nashua in the first place."Not being able to stay in a hotel because the man did not want us to use the swimming pool," Newcombe. "Those kinds of degrading things certainly had an impact on our thinking. We knew we had to make change. We knew we had to succeed."To coincide with the Black Heritage Trail plaque, Nashua City Hall is working to collect memorabilia for a permanent display. Donchess said the city is looking for Nashua baseball artifacts, specifically ones related to Campanella, Newcombe — the Dodgers and Holman Stadium."There is a gentleman here, Craig Michaud, who has an entire collection of Nashua memorabilia, and I'm going to be going visiting him pretty soon," Donchess said.The Black Heritage Trail plaque will be unveiled on May 30 before a Nashua Silver Knights game at Holman Stadium.
The city of Nashua, New Hampshire, is teaming up with the Black Heritage Trail to make Holman Stadium a new stop.
Historians said the stadium and the Nashua Dodgers played a key role in the integration of U.S. sports, but that distinction almost belonged to a different team.
Holman Stadium has been home to several teams in its 86-year history, but its first team has forever lodged itself into baseball lore. In 1946, the Nashua Dodgers welcomed Black players Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe to the team.
Their additions made the Nashua Dodgers the first integrated professional sports team of 20th century America.
To honor the accomplishment, the city of Nashua and the Black Heritage Trail are teaming up to make Holman Stadium a stop on the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire.
"Being part of the Black Heritage Trail as a result of the history of Holman Stadium is a great honor and something we're very pleased with," said Mayor Jim Donchess.
According to Minor League Baseball, then-general manager Branch Rickey chose to send Campanella and Newcombe to Nashua after a Dodgers affiliate in Illinois told him they would not be welcomed on the team.
"I think Nashua has always been and still is a community that's very welcoming to new people and it does not exclude anyone, and that was true back even in the 1940s," Donchess said.
In an interview in the mid-2000s, Newcombe reflected on his time in Nashua.
"It turned out for the better that we went to Nashua," he said. "I always thanked God for Nashua. We had a lot of fun. We were considered people, not Black people."
"This is something the city is very proud of, that Don Newcomb had a good experience here, unlike he might have in other places, but somehow, they knew that this was likely to be the result," Donchess said.
Newcombe and Campanella won a couple of championships with the Nashua Dodgers before being called up to the major leagues. Newcombe went on to win a Cy Young Award, rookie of the year and a most valuable player award.
Campanella won three MVPs and is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"We were lucky to have them," Donchess said. "And then they went on to the major leagues and, again, had very successful careers there."
Despite their success in the major leagues, Newcombe and Campanella fell victim to the same prejudice that led the Dodgers to bring them to Nashua in the first place.
"Not being able to stay in a hotel because the man did not want us to use the swimming pool," Newcombe. "Those kinds of degrading things certainly had an impact on our thinking. We knew we had to make change. We knew we had to succeed."
To coincide with the Black Heritage Trail plaque, Nashua City Hall is working to collect memorabilia for a permanent display. Donchess said the city is looking for Nashua baseball artifacts, specifically ones related to Campanella, Newcombe — the Dodgers and Holman Stadium.
"There is a gentleman here, Craig Michaud, who has an entire collection of Nashua memorabilia, and I'm going to be going visiting him pretty soon," Donchess said.
The Black Heritage Trail plaque will be unveiled on May 30 before a Nashua Silver Knights game at Holman Stadium.
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