WONDERFUL:

The hero of New Orleans, who had emerged from its jazz scene and forever changed the art form thanks to his ear for harmony and melody and daring lead lines, was now to be honored. And there was no better way to do it than with baseball -- a deep love of Armstrong's.

"He loved playing baseball," Riccardi said. "I mean, for the world's greatest trumpet player to name that as his number two hobby, it says a lot."

So, Armstrong found a local team -- likely made up of members of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, a New Orleans "parade krewe and community organization," and Mardi Gras institution -- and outfitted them in the finest uniforms possible. These were crisp, white brand-new togs with Armstrong's name across the front and numbers on the back. At a time when some professional Black teams were wearing hand-me-downs -- the San Francisco Sea Lions wore uniforms with bear cubs on the front because they got the jerseys from a team known as the Cubs -- Armstrong's threads stood out. They were the kind of thing made to play some serious baseball in and so, that's just what they did.

They played throughout the city that summer, but it all culminated on "Louis Armstrong Day." The Secret Nine took to Heinemann Park, home to the New Orleans Pelicans and, occasionally, the New Orleans Black Pelicans. The latter was their opponent on the holiday.

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