Doubleday Field Entrance to be Named After Bud Fowler

The village of Cooperstown will honor native son, Bud Fowler, with the naming of the entrance into Doubleday Field as "Fowler Way" and with the installation of a permanent plaque in the brick wall of the first base bleachers.

This ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday.

Fowler, born John W. Jackson, is recognized as the first African-American player in organized professional baseball, playing for over two decades in the 19th century, despite facing constant racial discrimination.

Fowler was born in nearby Fort Plain, but grew up in Cooperstown.