[2] Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commented on air during the first Civil Rights game that the 8 percent total for African-Americans was "a problem that needed to be looked at."

The game was last staged in 2015, held that season on April 15, the same date that MLB observes Jackie Robinson Day.

† Preseason contest The inaugural game was played on Saturday, March 31, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. and was broadcast nationally on ESPN and ESPNHD.

Selig came under heavy criticism from Native Americans, who felt that the involvement of the Cleveland Indians was a slap in the face to the Cherokee people who still live in the Memphis area after the infamous Trail of Tears passed through less than 200 years ago.

[13] The sports blog Deadspin asked the question "If the Indians win, do Native Americans get civil rights?

This was the Civil Rights Game with the lowest attendance, primarily because it was held at a minor-league park during cool, rainy weather.

The Reds defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in a dramatic 4–3 game that ended when Reds shortstop Orlando Cabrera took a relay throw from left fielder Chris Heisey at the base of the left field wall and threw out Skip Schumaker at home plate trying to score the tying run from first base on Joe Mather's double.

In the previous game of the series, both teams wore Negro league uniforms from their respective cities, the Atlanta Black Crackers for the Braves and the Philadelphia Stars for the Phillies.

[19] The game was a pitching duel against two of the National League's best pitchers, Tim Hudson of the Braves and Roy Halladay of the Phillies.

Halladay worked eight innings, giving up a leadoff eighth-inning home run to Dan Uggla to put the Braves in front.

The Braves organization announced on February 21 that the game would be the August 19 series finale versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.

[20] The 2013 Game was held at US Cellular Field in Chicago on August 24, when the White Sox beat the Texas Rangers by a score of 3–2.