The Fredericksburg Nationals will pay homage to an all-Black team that played in downtown Fredericksburg beginning in 1919 and through at least the late 1930s.
The FredNats, the Low-A minor-league affiliate of MLB’s Washington Nationals, will unveil a uniform/hat combination that the team will wear in several games on the team’s 2025 home schedule at an event on Feb. 19.
The theme will play off the moniker given to the team by local press at the time, which referred to the squad as “the world’s most hoppinest team.”
The Feb. 19 event will be held in partnership with the Fredericksburg Area Museum, Germanna Community College and Dovetail Cultural Resource Group/Mead & Hunt.
The event will feature a panel of speakers moderated by Dr. Gaila Sims, the Curator of African American History and Vice President of Programs and Interpretation at the Fredericksburg Area Museum.
Dr. Kerri Barile Tambs, a historian at Dovetail/Mead & Hunt, will present background on this history based on research she conducted in conjunction with the other partners.
The panel will feature several distinguished community members with personal history and stories about the African American experience with baseball, a legacy that goes far back over a century in our region.
The uniform unveiling and panel discussions will take place in the club area of Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Feb. 19 beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The event is open to the public, and refreshments will be served.
The FredNats begin the 2025 season on Friday, April 4, on the road at Carolina.
Opening night at VACU Stadium is Tuesday, April 8, at 6:35 p.m.
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Chris Graham
