Philadelphia Stars memorial redesign revealed at Parkside community event

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Major League Baseball and Phillies Charities, Inc. unveiled new design renderings Sunday morning for a reimagined Philadelphia Stars Negro League Memorial Park during a community dedication event in the Parkside section of Philadelphia.

The event, held at Parkside and Belmont avenues where a monument to the Philadelphia Stars already stands, marked the latest step in MLB's 2026 All-Star Legacy initiative.

The Stars played from 1933 to 1952 and remain a central part of the city's Negro League history.

Organizers debuted plans for a series of three-dimensional, baseball themed sculptures inspired by silhouettes of local children.

The installation, developed with Mural Arts Philadelphia, is intended to connect the neighborhood's past with its future while keeping Negro League history prominent in Philadelphia's baseball identity.

Through MLB Together, MLB and Phillies Charities are investing more than $5.5 million in projects aimed at expanding youth access to baseball and softball, supporting veterans and providing educational and nutritional resources in underserved communities.

Sunday's program included MLB Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility April Brown, Phillies Charities President Bonnie Clark, MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds, local community leaders, sculptor Miguel Horn and relatives of former Stars players.

Phillies alumni Gary "Sarge" Matthews, Mickey Morandini and Dickie Noles, along with the Phillie Phanatic and Phillies Ballgirls, also attended.

The dedication and design unveiling began at 10 a.m. at Philadelphia Stars Memorial Park.