The portion of Jackson Street that runs in front of the Nashville Sounds’ new ballpark in Germantown will officially have a new name tonight: Junior Gilliam Way.

Gilliam was a Nashville native who attended Pearl High School before starting his professional baseball career in the Negro Leagues.

“He signed as a youngster with the Nashville Black Vols
in the mid 40s
and played one season with them.  That was really a farm club, if you will, of the Baltimore Elite Giants,” said local baseball historian Skip Nipper. “And from there he went to play for the Elite Giants until baseball really became integrated then he signed with the Dodgers.”

Nipper says thousands of African-American baseball fans turned out when Gilliam later returned with the Dodgers for an exhibition game at Sulphur
Dell with the Milwaukee Braves. 
Gilliam died in 1978.

Mayor Karl Dean, Councilwoman Erica Gilmore and Sounds’ owner Frank Ward will take part in the ceremony before tonight’s game.  A recorded message from Dodgers’ Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will also be played.