(Left to right) Standing in front of a photo of famed baseball star Leroy "Satchel" Paige are Wilmer Ellis, baseball coach emeritus, Grambling State; John Young, former major league player and founder of RBI, who was instrumental in bringing the "Discover Greatness" exhibit of Negro Baseball Leagues to Compton; Darrell Miller, formerly of the California Angels; Grambling State baseball coach James Cooper; and Roger Cador, head baseball coach of Southern University. Photo by Shon Smith of D'Angelo Photos Baseball players from Grambling State University and Southern University took a private tour of an historic exhibit from the Negro League Baseball Museum, which was unveiled last week by the Compton Athletic Foundation at the El Camino Community College Compton Center.

John Young, former major league ball player and founder of RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities), organized the tour for the players, who were in Southern California to participate in the Urban Invitational college baseball tournament at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton.

“This special exhibit called ‘Discover Greatness’ is relevant today for these young college players because it was made possible by some of the greatest players from the Negro Baseball League teams back during the turn of the century,” Young said. “It preserves the memories of an important part of U.S. history.”

“Discover Greatness” is an illustrated history of the Negro Baseball Leagues. The exhibit features nearly 100 framed photographs of players, memorabilia, posters and a video showcasing the history of African-American baseball from the late 1800s through the 1960s.

Some of the famed players included are Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson and Jackie Robinson. The Discover Greatness exhibit will be on display in the staff lounge of the El Camino College Compton Center through mid- March. Tours can be arranged by calling the Compton Athletic Foundation 323-497-4665.