JOURNAL SPORTS

GRAMBLING — Grambling State Athletics will honor legendary alumnus and former Major League Baseball player Ralph Garr with an official retirement of his baseball jersey during a special ceremony next month at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park.

The jersey retirement ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 11, prior to the Tigers’ home baseball game versus Southern University, and will serve as the culmination of a weekend celebrating Garr’s enduring legacy and impact on GSU and the sport of baseball.

Garr, a standout student-athlete at Grambling, went on to an accomplished professional baseball career, including key contributions at the highest levels of the game. During the 1967 season, Garr batted .585 while leading the Tigers to a 35-1 record under Jones, also Grambling’s president. Garr was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round, and built a 13-year career in Major League Baseball.

A Monroe native, Garr led the National League in batting in 1974 with a .353 average, making the All-Star Game, and finished with a career .306 average. Nicknamed “Roadrunner” for his speed on the bases, he had 175 steals including a career-best 35 in 1973.  He played for Atlanta before trades later in his career to the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.

A 1985 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Garr was introduced at his enshrinement by his former Braves’ teammate, Hank Aaron. In 2006, Garr was ushered into the Braves Hall of Fame.

Garr’s achievements as a player and as he remained active in professional baseball continue to inspire generations of Grambling State student-athletes and alumni.

Additional weekend events, presented in collaboration with the Braves, will include opportunities for alumni, fans, and the campus community to celebrate Garr’s legacy.

More details will be announced in the coming weeks at the gsutigers.com website.