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The End of the Foreman Era
teams from the NSL, including the nearby Pensacola Sea Gulls, visited Foreman Park regularly.
Foreman Park also offers insight into the little-known Negro American Association (NAA), which fielded minor league Black teams in the region between 1948 and 1949. The Blue Sox carded games with the Jacksonville Eagles and Richmond Giants, both NAA members.
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Statewide, the Blue Sox participated in the highly competitive Florida State Negro League and Florida West Coast Negro League. Panama City earned the honor to host the first West Coast Colored League All-Star Game which was held at Foreman Park on July 4, 1951. The Blue Sox developed strong rivalries with the Port St. Joe Sluggers, led by player and coach Nathan Peters, and the Tampa Pepsi-Cola Giants, represented by well-known manager David Waitman.
Foreman Park’s history is truly the story of regional and local southern Black baseball, a story overshadowed by the attention given to Black teams in the Northeast and Midwest that largely comprised Black major league baseball.
THE END OF THE FOREMAN ERA
The Foreman brothers’ dream of establishing a profitable Black baseball business ended when Farris died in 1950 in a vengeful altercation linked to his indictment for murder the previous year. At the time of his death, Farris may have added Bolita, or Cuban tickets, to his business dealings. Bolita, an illegal lottery or numbers game, was brought to
1950
FARRIS FOREMAN DIES
Farris dies in a altercation linked to his indictment for murder.
1951
ALL-STAR GAME PLAYED
Foreman Park hosts the first West Coast Colored League All Star Game on July 4, 1951.
1951
FOREMAN PARK FINALE
The Park is sold to the Housing Authority at the end of the 1951 season. Massalina Memorial Homes are built later that year.
