SABR scholarships awarded to St. Joseph’s University students for Negro Leagues exhibit
APRIL 17, 2025 — St. Joseph’s University students Luke Ortolani and Noah Binczewski have been awarded scholarships by SABR’s Connie Mack-Dick Allen Chapter in Philadelphia for their research and development of a new Negro Leagues exhibit to be permanently installed on campus as part of the ongoing “A League Apart” project.
The scholarships were funded through the SABR Local Grants program. The Mack-Allen Chapter was one of six recipients of a Local Grant in 2025.
“A League Apart” is a museum exhibit showcasing the Philadelphia Negro Leagues and their ongoing legacy, focusing on four Barrier Breakers: Octavius Catto, Ed Bolden, Dick Allen, and Mo’ne Davis. Thanks to a 2023 SABR Local Grant, the exhibit’s first installation opened at the Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia. In 2024, the exhibit moved east to Camden County College in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where it expanded with an exclusive collection of player autographs and artwork and a new chapter on South Jersey Negro Leagues. The exhibit hosted visits by Milt Thompson, Doug Glanville, Mo’ne Davis, Sean Forman, and more than a dozen community groups for guided tours.
In February 2025, the exhibit re-opened in Mandeville Hall on the campus of St. Joseph’s University in West Philadelphia. The students’ research will culminate in a new chapter to the “A League Apart” exhibit: museum panels that will reside at St. Joseph’s University and be available for public viewing after the main exhibit closes in December 2025.
To learn more about the exhibit or plan an upcoming visit, go to aleagueapart.org. For more information on the SABR Local Grants program, visit SABR.org/local-grants.
Above: Brian Michael, left, shows Luke Ortolani and Noah Binczewski the Octavius Catto chapter of the “A League Apart” exhibit in Philadelphia.
Top: From left, St. Joseph’s University students Luke Ortolani and Noah Binczewski meet with former Phillies outfielder Gary Matthews Sr. and “A League Apart” exhibit producer Brian Michael.
Originally published: April 17, 2025. Last Updated: April 17, 2025.