Washington, DC – Sunday, October 3 from 3 – 5 PM WHUT TV and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington will co-host a special preview of Ken Burns’ “The Tenth Inning.” WHUT will also premiere highlights from the station’s video oral history project about baseball in the District of Columbia. The FREE event will be at the WHUT studios on the Howard University Campus. For more information or to make a reservation email info.whut@gmail.com or call 202-806-3059.

“The story of baseball in Washington, DC is more than the story of a sport; it’s the story of the unchanging spirit of a city. There’s definitely an important baseball story here.” says WHUT’s general manager, Jennifer Lawson. “Howard University is part of that story, in part because Griffith Stadium was adjacent to the Howard campus. Many major teams played there, including the Negro Leagues and the Washington Senators, until the D.C. Stadium was built in 1961. And now, with Nationals Stadium, the field of dreams continues to inspire the city.”
The oral history includes interviews with Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr., former Army Secretary Clifford Alexander, author E. Ethelbert Miller, writer and sports historian Bijan Bayne, former Senators announcer Charlie Brotman, as well as former Negro League players. The interviews will be featured online and included in Howard University’s American Archive repository.

The stories comprise personal reflections that illuminate events such as the 1962 Major League All Star Game hosted at D.C. Stadium (known today as RFK Stadium). President John F. Kennedy throws out the first ball from the stands. The showstopper that day was L.A. Dodgers’ Maury Wills, a D.C. native and graduate of Cardozo High School. He would be named most valuable player. The President attends the game with Dennis Marcel and Frank Brown, members of the Washington’s Boys Club. Marcel, who now lives in Indiana, will be in DC for the October 3rd “The Tenth Inning” event (photo source: NARA)

“We are thrilled to be included in this monumental celebration acknowledging the players, coaches, fans and fields that make up the game often referred to as America’s Pastime. It is inspiring to know that stories from some of our long time coaches and club alumni are woven into the District’s rich baseball history. For over a century, The Boys & Girls Clubs sports/recreation programs have continued to encourage youth to go that extra inning,” said Pandit F. Wright, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.

Community partners for WHUT’s outreach initiative for ”The Tenth Inning” include the BatterUp Foundation/DC RBI, which looks to enhance youth outcomes by providing opportunities for personal growth and character education through a combination of mentoring and baseball development; the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) celebrating 125 years of continuous service to youth in the DC metro area [BGCGW is the official MLB charity for the Washington Nationals.]; and the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame (NLLHOF), dedicated to educating young and old about the contributions of the Negro Leagues in American baseball.

The Tenth Inning, a film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the tumultuous story of America’s national pastime from the early 1990s to the present day, introducing an unforgettable array of players, teams and fans, celebrating the game’s resilience and enduring appeal, and showcasing both extraordinary accomplishments — and devastating losses and disappointments.

Combining extraordinary highlights, stunning still photographs, popular music of the period, and insightful commentary by players, managers, experts and fans, Burns and Novick’s ”The Tenth Inning” interweaves the story of the national pastime with the story of America. In an age of globalization, deregulation and speculation, the film demonstrates that baseball has continued to be a mirror of the country — at its best and at its worst.

WHUT, Howard University Television, is a non-commercial PBS member station serving the Washington community with a schedule of award-winning original programming, PBS documentaries and dramas. The station will celebrate its 30th anniversary in November 2010.

For more information, call 202-806-3059 or email info.whut@gmail.com. Visit www.whut.org and www.pbs.org/baseball-the-tenth-inning.