Three Generations of Hairstons Reunite at Birmingham Classic

When Jerry Hairston Sr. steps into the dugout to manage the East team at Rickwood Field this Juneteenth, he'll be sharing something special with his two sons across baseball's oldest ballpark.

Jerry Sr. will manage one team while his sons Jerry Jr. and Scott coach on opposing sides at the third annual East-West Classic in Birmingham, Alabama. It's more than just a baseball game for this family. It's a homecoming.

The family's baseball roots run deep in Birmingham soil. Jerry Sr. was born here, and his father Sam moved to the city as a toddler when his family came looking for work. After graduating from Birmingham's Hooper High, Sam played in the Negro Leagues with the Indianapolis Clowns before making it to the White Sox in 1951.

"My grandfather went through so much," Scott Hairston said after last year's game. "Black players back then were not given an opportunity to play in the big leagues, but he ended up playing in the big leagues for a brief time."

Sam spent his life in Birmingham and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery after his passing in 1997. But his legacy didn't end there. With Sam's son and two grandsons all making it to the Major Leagues, the Hairstons became one of just five known families to have three generations play in the big leagues.

Sunny's Take

Last year, Scott brought his own son to the Negro Southern League Museum next to the ballpark. Inside, a display case honors all three generations of Hairston players. Watching his son's eyes light up at seeing their family's place in baseball history gave Scott "a great feeling."

"Baseball means so much to our family," Scott said. "My grandfather was a Negro League All-Star, and he worked so hard and instilled a lot of great values in my dad and my uncles, and they passed that along to my brothers and me."

The annual tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Games happens June 19 at Rickwood Field, with general admission tickets available for just $12. This year's game will last five innings or two hours, following a Home Run Derby that starts at noon.

For the Hairstons, it's another chance to honor the man who started it all while creating new memories in the city he loved.