February 28, 2026
His son, Don Baylor Jr., will unveil a marker on the newly christened Don Baylor Park, previously often called Westenfield Neighborhood Park.
By Robert Hill
MLB legend Don Baylor will get his due as Austin, Texas, renames a neighborhood park to have fun his legacy and spotlight town’s Black historical past.
A ceremony will happen in Austin to honor Baylor, who died in 2017, on Feb. 28. The metropolis and his son, Don Baylor Jr., will unveil a marker on the newly christened Don Baylor Park, previously often called Westenfield Neighborhood Park. The ceremony honors Baylor and displays Austin’s dedication to celebrating native Black historical past whereas recognizing a hometown hero.
Don Baylor was an Austin native who grew up in Clarksville, a neighborhood close to the park. He is being honored on the similar park the place he was as soon as barred from enjoying because of the shade of his pores and skin.
As reported by KVUE News, “Baylor, an Austin native who grew up within the close by Clarksville neighborhood, was as soon as barred from enjoying on the park in the course of the Jim Crow period, regardless of dwelling simply blocks away.”
Despite early obstacles, Baylor was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, changing into one of many first highschool gamers drafted in Texas. He performed for groups such because the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, and Minnesota Twins.
His profession spanned 19 seasons, and through that point, he earned the American League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1979. Baylor was additionally a World Series champion and was later named Manager of the Year.
“I feel it might be a full-circle second for him. It would in all probability be one in every of his largest achievements,” Baylor Jr. stated of the park naming, as reported by KVUE News. “In addition to profitable MVP, Manager of the Year, this is able to be proper up there.”
Beyond his baseball profession, Baylor was recognized for his advocacy for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and for his religion and generosity.
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