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OkillSports24SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011 Baseball hall of famer visits Abbey ParkBy Jon KuiperijBEAVER SPORTS EDITORAbbey Park High School students got abrief reprieve from winter yesterday(Wednesday) with a visit from one of thegreatest-ever boys of summer.Baseball hall of famer Ferguson Jenkinswas the guest speaker at a pair of assem-blies at Abbey Park as part of the schoolsBlack History Month initiatives.Jenkins spoke about some of the chal-lenges he and others still faced as blackplayers in the 1960s, a decade after JackieRobinson broke Major League Baseballscolour barrier.It was difficult in some respects,Jenkins said of life in the minor leagues,noting that Little Rock, Arkansas was par-ticularly tough on black players. Jackieopened a lot of doors for players, and heprobably suffered more than a lot of play-ers that came after him. I never felt threat-ened, but those nights on the field, thatwas our sanctuary.We couldnt live in the same hotels aswhite players, we couldnt eat in the samerestaurants. We had to give our money towhite players on the bus so they could getour food, he added. But to me, that didntRIZIERO VERTOLI / OAKVILLE BEAVERbother me. It was part of what the timesSTAMP OF APPROVAL:With a billboard of his commemorative stamp behind him, Ferguson Jenkins addresses Abbey Park High School studentswere all about.yesterday (Wednesday). The baseball hall of famer visited the school to speak about Black History Month.Jenkins went on to enjoy a stellar19-year career in Major League Baseball.known as the anchor of the Black Aces, a and perform. It took hard work to get what teacher Matt Jenkins (no relation), whoBest known for his time with the Chicago14-player group of black pitchers that have we accomplished.worked for the Fergie Jenkins FoundationCubs, Jenkins had seven 20-win seasons,won at least 20 games in a season.Jenkins is currently touring across for six years while he was in school.earned the National League Cy YoungThere werent that many black pitchers Canada to promote Black History Month In appreciation of Ferguson JenkinsAward as the leagues top pitcher in 1971in the major leagues (when I played), and to celebrate his immortalization on a visit to the school, Abbey Park principaland racked up more than 3,000 strike-Jenkins said. There were maybe five or six stamp, one of four million that have been Maria McLellan presented the hall of famerouts.players with colour pitching.released by Canada Post.with a substantial donation to his foun-The 68-year-old Chatham native is stillAll we wanted to do was go out there His visit to Abbey Park was arranged by dation.