The Civil Rights Game is a Major League Baseball preseason game that was held in Memphis in 2007 and 2008. The game is intended to commemorate the civil rights movement in the United States and is generally the finale in a day full of civil rights events in Memphis. The game also pays tribute to baseball's own struggle for civil rights, and in particular, honors Jackie Robinson who integrated the sport in 1947. The annual game is played at
AutoZone Park which is located in downtown Memphis. Memphis was chosen as the city to host the game due to its place in civil rights history -- most notably and infamously, the city where civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
In September of 2008, Major League Baseball officials announced that the Civil Rights Game would be moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, at least for 2009 and 2010. Officials cited a desire to make the game a regular season one, large sponsorship offers, and poor attendence in Memphis as reasons for the move.
The first Civil Rights Game was played in 2007 by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians. The Cardinals won with a score of 5-1. The 2009 Civil Rights Game will be held on June 20 at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. It will be a regular-season game between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds.
