Foxx Centennial Celebration a Huge Hit!
Family members and fans from several states converged on Sudlersville, MD on October 20, 2007 to celebrate the centennial of the birth of the town’s most famous son—Jimmie Foxx. Under picturesque blue skies, the day began with a ceremony at the Jimmie Foxx statue located in the center of Sudlersville. The guest speaker was D. Bruce Brown, President of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, who discussed Foxx’s prominent place in baseball history, noting that “Double XX” belongs on any list of the top players of all time. Brown also read two proclamations—one from the Governor of Maryland and the other from the National Baseball Hall of Fame—recognizing the 100th anniversary of Jimmie Foxx’s birth and extolling his virtues as a ballplayer and person.
Bob Warrington, an A’s Society member, offered comments describing why Foxx’s greatness persists over 60 years after he played his last big league game. He observed that Foxx touched the hearts of tens of thousands of baseball fans with his achievements on the field, and Warrington added that Foxx’s exploits on the baseball diamond are not and will not be forgotten.
A wreath of flowers, sponsored by the A’s Society, was placed at the Foxx statue with a ribbon reading “1907 – Jimmie Foxx – 2007.” Then, Nanci Foxx Canaday, Jimmie’s daughter, spoke briefly to thank those who attended the event and to express her appreciation to the people who worked so hard to make the celebration of her Dad’s 100th birthday a reality.
After the statue ceremony, an auction was held to raise funds for the Sudlersville Community Betterment Club (SCBC), and to offset the costs associated with staging the Jimmie Foxx 100th birthday anniversary celebration. The SCBC operates the Jimmie Foxx Museum located at the old train station in Sudlersville. Numerous choice items were offered for bid, including a Curt Schilling autographed baseball and a Cal Ripkin Jr., autographed bat. The A’s Society donated two replica Athletics’ jerseys to the auction—a 1930s A’s replica jersey manufactured by Majestic Athletics, and a 1953 Gus Zernial replica jersey signed by Gus. Each jersey sold for well over one hundred dollars.
The highlight of the day—the anniversary luncheon—attracted 150 people, and they all had a wonderful time. Mark Millikin, noted baseball historian, author, and biographer of Foxx’s baseball career provided the keynote address. Millikin commented, “We should remember Jimmie Foxx for his humble nature, gregarious attitude, generosity toward others, unforgettable grin and baseball heroics.” More than just a great baseball player, Millikin reminded the audience, Foxx was a decent man and a gentleman who never forgot his Eastern Shore roots.
Bob Warrington, who served as the Master of Ceremonies, delivered a presentation on the 1930 World Series—the same address he gave at the 2005 A’s Society Reunion Breakfast. He described the players on the team and explained why the 1930 Athletics are one of the finest club’s in baseball history. Warrington cast their achievements against the devastating effects of the Great Depression, noting that the economic hard times reduced attendance at A’s games from 1929-31.
The extended Foxx family was well represented. Some family members traveled all the way from Alabama to be in Sudlersville to pay tribute to Jimmie Foxx on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Dell Foxx was the final speaker at the luncheon, observing that Jimmie Foxx, with all his modesty, would be overwhelmed yet grateful for this outpouring of affection directed toward him.
One of the highlights of the luncheon was the Jimmie Foxx trivia contest. Each person who knew the correct answer to a question received a Jimmie Foxx figurine, which the A’s Society had ordered from Hartland for the Foxx centennial celebration. The Society donated 12 of these figurines for the trivia context, and all were given away, much to the delight of the attendees who enjoyed trying to guess the right answers.
The figurines, by the way, were a huge hit. Almost all of the 240 Foxx figurines were sold at ten dollars each—a special price offered only to attendees at the Foxx centennial celebration day in Sudlersville. The handful of figurines that remained was given to the Jimmie Foxx Museum for later sale.
The A’s Society generosity in supporting other organizations’ efforts to remember and honor the Philadelphia Athletics has never been more evident than at Jimmie Foxx Day. On behalf of the Society, Executive Director Ernie Montella presented to the Jimmie Foxx Museum a replica 1928 Foxx jersey made by Mitchell & Ness and a number of Foxx baseball cards. The jersey and cards are handsomely framed together and magnificent in appearance. Montella also presented to the museum an original front page from the October 6, 1930 “Sentinel” newspaper of Lewisburg, PA, which in a banner headline proclaimed that Jimmie Foxx’s ninth inning home run had won the fifth game of the World Series for the Philadelphia A’s. Foxx’s home run got bigger billing in the newspaper than a speech by President Herbert Hoover on the hard economic times facing America. Like the jersey and baseball card ensemble, the framed newspaper looks terrific and will make an outstanding addition to the Foxx museum’s holdings.
Donations to upgrade the holdings of the Jimmie Foxx museum did not stop there. In an especially generous and meaningful act, Ronnie Joyner donated the original artwork of the Jimmie Foxx portrait he created. The caricature drawing appeared in “Sports Collector’s Digest” and in Issue # 66 of the A’s Society newsletter. Original Ronnie Joyner artwork sells for hundreds of dollars, so his donation of the Foxx drawing is an important and special gift. A tip of the A’s cap goes out to Ronnie Joyner.
While the A’s Society was a key player in planning and supporting the Jimmie Foxx centennial tribute, special mention must be made of the two individuals who were the driving force behind the event. Loretta C. Walls, Chairperson of the Foxx Anniversary Committee, and Carol Orange, President of the SCBC, were unflagging in their commitment and efforts to make the day as successful as it turned out to be. Each should be proud and gratified at what they accomplished.
The Jimmie Foxx 100th anniversary birthday tribute was a special day that will long be remembered by those who were there to witness it. The event was another sterling example of the A’s Society’s dedication—both through its own efforts and in cooperation with other organizations—to preserve the history and honor the greatness of the Philadelphia Athletics. The A’s Society went to extraordinary lengths to help make Jimmie Foxx Day the success that it was, but we could do no less for one of the greatest Mackmen ever to take the field and grace the baseball diamond with his presence.
