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Eastpoint Mall hosted an afternoon of sports-related activities on Saturday, June 13, in recognition of Father's Day. The retail complex invited Baltimore Ravens long snapper Morgan Cox and former Baltimore Colts linebacker and current announcer Stan White to meet customers and sign autographs. The event also included a traveling exhibit from the Negro Leagues Baseball museum, staffed by Luther Atkinson of the Stachell Paige All Stars. "This is a great community event because it gives the community an opportunity to meet a Raven's player, and for free," said Eastpoint General Manager Mark Seaman. The first 250 visitors also received free nuts from the Barcelona Nut Company, and other vendors were displaying their products and offering children's games as well. Patrons could also enter to win tickets to Luray Caverns in Virginia or an Eastpoint Mall shopping spree. Although Father's Day is officially June 21, Seaman said that choosing this date meant that people got into the spirit and thinking about the holiday earlier. "We wanted to encourage customers to come out and get their shopping done early," he said. Both Cox and White had a steady stream of autograph seekers and fans from noon - 2 p.m. as they sat near the mall's Applebee's entrance. "I always like to go out and see the people who used to follow the Colts," said White, who is trained as a lawyer but makes his living as an announcer for WBAL and 98 Rock. White says that he had done radio shows in college, so when the opportunity came for someone from the team to do commentary, he stepped up. "I didn't plan it but it just sort of happened. It was the right time at the right place," he revealed. Morgan Cox, who is entering his sixth year as a Raven, was also pleased to be able to meet fans, talk about sports and hype his team for the coming season. "We are going to do really well," he said. "We have a really great new group of rookies working hard. Everyone is working hard; it's great." He said he appreciates the friendly, supportive atmosphere of the team. "I like the closeness of the team, the brotherhood feeling. We all have each other's back." And White added that that support extends to the city as a whole. "I've been here about 40 years, and it is a city that loves its football team," he said. "I've been very fortunate that all the places I've played, in college and here, were like that." Elsewhere in the mall - near the Maryland Sports Teams sand sculpture by Burlington Coat Factory - second basemen Luther Atkinson spoke with visitors from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. about his experiences playing in baseball's Negro Leagues from 1955 - 1960. Although the team was based in Raleigh, N.C., Atkinson said they would often be away for two weeks at a time playing across the country. "You knew how it was in certain areas we went," he said. "You couldn't really get off the bus." But some areas were more welcoming, and often locals would invite the players to stay in their homes when the hotels refused them service. "It was the love of the game that kept me going. You had to love it or you wouldn't make it," he declared. Visitors could also purchase memorabilia from the leagues, including baseball cards, hats and photographs. Proceeds supported the Youth Arts Development Project.

Photo caption: Baltimore Ravens long snapper Morgan Cox signs an autograph for a fan at Eastpoint Mall on June 13. The retail complex invited Cox, former Baltimore Colts player and current announcer Stan White and Negro Baseball League second-baseman Luther Atkinson to meet customers as part of an early Father's Day celebration.