Phillies

Sarge is Going into the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s “Hall of Game”

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Aug 10th, 2026 · 11:50 AM EDT

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This was cool to see in the inbox:

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) announced that former Major League Baseball greats, Ralph Garr, Gary Matthews, Sr., Reggie Smith, and Andre Thornton make up the 2026 class of inductees into the museum’s Hall of Game. Acclaimed journalist Rob Parker, and the creator of MLBbro.com, will receive the 2^nd Annual JL Wilkinson “Innovator” Award. The distinguished class will be officially inducted in ceremonies on Saturday, September 26 at the Gem Theater in Kansas City, MO. 

The 2026 Hall of Game class could be billed as “thunder and lightning” featuring a power-hitting first baseman and designated hitter in Thornton, whose nickname was Thunder; and three dynamic do-it-all outfielders in Garr, nicknamed the “Road Runner,” Matthews, Sr., nicknamed “Sarge,” and Smith, whose nickname was “Spike,” because of his tenacity on the field. 

“We are ecstatic and proud to welcome these four dynamic former Major League baseball greats into the Hall of Game,” said Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “They brought a level of speed and power to the game that is very reminiscent of the way the game was played in the Negro Leagues. While their athletic prowess on the field was extraordinary, each of them embody the winning spirit and community leadership of the Negro Leagues, through their many off-field endeavors.”

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Gary Matthews, Sr., nicknamed “Sarge” for his take charge leadership style, was a first round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants in 1968. He played 16 seasons with the Giants, Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and the Seattle Mariners. In his first full season in the majors, in 1973, Matthews was named National League “Rookie of the Year.” He was an All-Star in 1979 and was named National League Championship Series MVP in 1983 helping the Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished his career with a .281 lifetime batting average.

The “Hall of Game” was established in 2014 and “annually honors former MLB greats who embodied the spirit and signature style of the Negro Leagues.” Dick Allen was inducted back in 2018. He and Sarge didn’t actually play in the Negro Leagues, which ended in the 1960s, so this award more or less honors some of the best black players from the modern era.

Sarge played in the 1983 World Series and had the big NLCS that the press release mentions, though younger Phillies fans probably know him best from his time as a broadcaster. He did color commentary from 2007 to 2013 alongside Harry Kalas and Chris Wheeler, and would also do the post-game interviews on the field, up until 2011. There were a lot of great Sarge moments right before social media really blew up, though he was frequently mentioned on this blog during the heyday of Kyle Scott, aka Maestro. Sarge had a lot of Kruk-like moments. You may recall this particular one: